Nightlife in San Pedro

By Aron Bedoin

Freedom Bar
To get to Freedom Bar, walk straight ahead after getting off the Pana dock until you reach the intersection marked by Alegre Pub (European soccer games daily and pub trivia every Sunday night). At the crossroad turn right and after a 1-minute walk you will see Freedom Bar on the right. With a garden at the back, dream catchers hung all over the ceiling and walls illuminated by UV lights, this place is among the top three nightclubs in town. Five tables with basic stools stand in some corners, and there is a long “tatami” above the garden where you can prop your elbow and watch the fire dancers below or the trance dancers above. The paper and soap usually run out by midnight, the pool table is just for show and your drink will disappear if left unattended, but the crowds visiting Freedom don’t care at all. The music here is one of the best for the young, hip party crowd: mostly trance and electronic with a touch of rave and goa occasionally, with different DJs to spin it every night. Drinks are a bit overpriced and it’d behoove you to count your change; the bar is dark and the bartenders participate in all aspects of the party, so don’t expect them to be on top of their game in math. From Monday to Thursday, the bar isn’t packed: usually 10 people or so hang around until 10 pm with more arrivals and dancing until midnight. Friday nights are much better, with a large crowd gathering by midnight until 2am. Saturday is the real Freedom night, with young crowds arriving from all over the lake with wide eyes and parched lips. Occasionally they charge a Q10 cover on Saturday nights (free Cuba Libre with entrada), to “help friends.” No one knew who those friends were and why they needed to be helped, but judging by the Mayan words and loud laughter, gringos paying the fee were the funniest thing at the door. But back to the party: Saturday night in Freedom is a whopper, with fire dancers in the garden, a crowd of 50-60 people and trance music, but the “real experts” told us the quality is not the same as in Pana or Xela (though the grass is always greener, so to say).

Flying Dog and El Bufon
These two bars just opposite Freedom are happy to share their clientele, and most weekend tourists end up walking in and out of all three places. The Flying Dog is reggae all the way, with rastafaris watching from the corners and great reggae music all afternoon and night. You can eat basic but good food on the bottom floor, and drink and chill out on top. The bartenders usually have to be awakened to serve you but the crowds compensate for all this: there is no tension here between gringos and locals, as the rasta heart accepts all colors. Except for a small group dancing to Saturday night reggae, funk and rap hits, we haven’t seen any big partying here, but that’s fine; after all, you need a place to rest after an hour of pounding Freedom or Bufon music. El Bufon, the place next door, has similar music to Freedom: all volume and electrica. An obscure flight of stairs leads up to the bar on top. The place is a bit barren but the service is the best among the three. Fast, efficient, smiling and cute, the ladies around here really take their job seriously even while doing some partying of their own with the guests. The traffic is quiet on weekdays, but on Saturdays there’s usually a good group of people, a DJ and some dancing. These two bars are definitely worth checking out, but don’t expect to rave here until midnight on a Tuesday.

Buddha Bar

After visiting Freedom, Flying Dog and El Bufon, you have to decide whether to take a 15-minute walk to the other side of “the trail,” or stay around Reggae Town and Trance County. We’d certainly recommend it. But don’t try taking a tuk-tuk to Buddha Bar from Freedom; tuk-tuks are not allowed to pass the middle of the trail, so they will have to take a detour through the marketplace, which isn’t always safe at night. So walk, and on the way you might want to check out Alegre Pub, El Sueno or Zoola. Opening at noon and not closing until at least 1am, Buddha is the only serious contender with Freedom Bar for “Best Nightclub” in San Pedro. Buddha is also more gringo friendly than Freedom, if that’s important to you, as many the workers are foreigners or bilingual Guatemalans, speak excellent English, and apart from an spirited group of locals who rule the pool table every night, it is probably the best place to meet travelers or just talk with the friendly bar personnel. The decor is oriental and the dogs that sometimes hang around inside might jump in your lap, but the music is a welcome break for all those not into the electronic scene. With San Pedro Blues Revolution playing twice a week and regular performances from other bands playing folk or world music, Buddha knows how to keep a party going until 2am on a Monday night. The second floor is a restaurant with good food, and the roof terrace is a popular place for clown shows, hot air balloon launches and even an occasional rooftop party. The bar is great too, with Cuba Libres receiving the proper amount of alcohol (contrary to most places mentioned) and cold beer that stays on your table upon your return from the dance floor. Wednesdays and Thursdays are a bit quieter. Friday is the real Buddha Day, with huge crows often partying until the morning.