When dusk arrives, visitors and locals alike find a cool spot to sit outside, sip cocktails, and chat. Many outdoor restaurants and stores in Barra accommodate this relaxing way to end the day, adding extra tables and chairs for drop-ins.
During high season, the Hotel Sands poolside and lagoon-side bar has happy hour from 2 to 6pm. The colorful Sunset Bar and Restaurant, facing the bay at the corner of Legazpi and Jalisco, is a favorite for sunset watching and a game of oceanside pool or dancing to live or taped music. It's most popular with travelers ages 20 to 30. In the same vein, Chips Restaurant, on the second floor, facing the ocean at the corner of Yucatán and Legazpi, near the southern end of the malecón, has an excellent sunset vista. Live music follows the last rays of light, and patrons stay for hours. Piper Lover Bar & Grill, Legazpi 154 A (tel. 315/355-6747; www.piperlover.com) is done in the style of the Carlos Anderson's chain -- but it's not one of them. Still, it is lively, with pool tables and occasional live music.
At the Disco El Galeón, in the Hotel Sands on Calle Morelos, cushioned benches and cement tables encircle the round dance floor. It's all open air, and about as stylish as you'll find in Barra. It serves drinks only. Admission is $6.50 (£3.25), and it's open Friday and Saturday from 9pm to 4am.
