As I am not an expert in this area, please feel free to send your corrections, clarifications and additions tom tomzap. Please post your questions in the Visitors' Comments because everything I know on the subject is on this page. These are often located on the outskirts of town, possibly right on the highway, or on the fringe of the fiesta but may also be found downtown in a large city.
There may be a name, such as the infamous Tony's Bar in Puerto Escondido, or the establishment may be unmarked or may have a sign that says simply Ladies Bar. In case you are wondering why you are even reading this article, this may be the reason it is worthwhile to you. Ladies, a Ladies Bar is not a watering hole catering to you and your girl friends. If you are still curious and want to check it out, you should bring along a male escort.
Although the sign, Ladies Bar, is displayed in English this may not mean that the establishment caters to the foreign client. I think the sign is in English as a courtesy to the local Spanish-speaking population, an attempt to politely announce the presence of their services without directly offending the neighbors.
Reference the American expression "pardon my French". The Mexican ladies bar has the primary function of serving the Mexican population. The fiesta version of the ladies bar may be an unmarked tent on the fringe of the festival with clients waiting outside. It may have uniformed armed security. An example seen in the photo at right is the large fiesta held annually in Chila , a small community outside of Puerto Escondido. The ladies of the evening are colloquially called putas.
Puta is a "4-letter word" that is also applied as a derogatory term in other contexts. The puta is often an unmarried woman with a child or without a family who is seeking to support herself. She is shunned by the community. On the kinky side, some of these putas are actually men dressed up as women. This is more common than you might think. The festival tent at Chila reportedly features both flavors of putas.
