Best Cities to Dance Your Night Away

Best Cities to Dance Your Night Away

During the holiday season, I travel a lot to spend time with my family and those closest to me. But even in the midst of eating amazingly delicious pernil, hallacas, tamales, coquito, etc., I always look for a destination where I can burn a few calories and dance to my favorite Gilberto Santa Rosa song. If you’re traveling to the East Coast for the holidays and looking to spice it up with some Latin music, check out the destinations below — where you can really unwind, shake your hips and have a different experience during your holiday vacation!

Boston

Boston has become my second home. It is the hometown of my media naranja, so we always head to Beantown for Christmas. One of our favorite spots in town is Havana Club. This hot spot is located in Cambridge, a neighborhood known for its vibrant youth culture, innovative culinary destinations and fabulous boutique shops. While it can get packed at times, I love Havana Club. You can stroll in, learn a new dance move or two and meet some awesome international people — all while sweating off those extra calories from eating your way through Boston’s finest restaurants.

Philadelphia

I recently had the opportunity to explore the beautiful city of Philadelphia. Did you know that it has a booming Latino culture? When I was there, I walked everywhere, but I enjoyed so much delicious food and beverages that by nighttime I was sorely in need of exercise. A short walk from my hotel, The Latham, was a great Latin spot called Cuba Libre. The crowd was very diverse and the music was on point. The best feature of Cuba Libre is that you can start your night early with some dinner and drinks and then stay until late for some salsa dancing into the wee hours.

Washington, DC

I am in love with Washington DC. Something about this city intrigues me: it might be the fact that the business of the nation happens here, but I think a large part of the appeal is the amazing music and dining scene. I visited DC frequently when my cousin lived there, and we had a blast every time! Among the places we made sure to visit for steamy salsa dancing were Habana Village and Café Citron. If you are in the Adams Morgan area, head over to Habana Village. This three-story club offers delicious Cuban cuisine Wednesday through Saturday, you can learn salsa moves from top local Latin dancers and dance the night away with new friends. Another hot spot is Café Citron. Located on DuPont Circle, it hosts a live salsa band every Wednesday night along with fantastic happy-hour specials. Warning: Café Citron can get hot really quickly — be ready to sweat the night away with your favorite salsa songs.

Whether you’re heading to the East Coast to be a tourist or to visit family during the holidays, make sure you find time to reconnect with your Latin roots while you’re there. You don’t have to be an expert dancer — with a few free lessons at these hot spots, you might just become the star among your friends and family! See what’s happening in your neck of the woods, and if you have the opportunity to check out a parranda, don’t pass it up! That’s one incredible musical festivity that only comes around once a year!

-Ana Serafin

Traveling home for the holidays is easy with Amtrak. Discounts are available to students, children and other passengers!