Naco is a small one-horse town roughly midway between Nogales and Agua Prieta. Although there is a Naco, az on the US side, it consists of a few brokerage houses, a bar and a garage/mechanic. The nearest big town is Bisbee, AZ about 4 miles away.

Naco used to have one of the liveliest "zonas", even bigger than Nogales from the 30's to the late 60's and early seventies. The reason for the "zona" was the miners.

The Copper Queen was one of the largest copper mines in the US. Ever since the 1880's, gold and silver but mostly copper, was pulled from the hills around Bisbee.
With it came a huge male population, and mostly unmarried. Brewery Gulch in Bisbee sported aroung 30 40 bars and numerous houses of ill-repute.
When AZ finally got around to outlawing prostitution in the 30's/40's the biz moved to Naco, MX a short trolly ride away. There were several fairly large brothels/bars with mexican as well as american women that serviced the miners, a noble tradition carried on since the 1880's

The fun ended in the 70's, when Phelps/Dodge the owners of the mine, closed it because of the cheap copper prices from S. America and Africa.
When the mines closed it plunged Naco and Bisbee into a local depression. Naco wasn't hit as hard as there was a nearby Mexican copper mine that remained open, but the money for the sex industry in Naco came mainly from the gringos. With no customers the brothels were pretty much gone within 2 years , with only a few bars providing services to mainly local customers remained.

I go to Naco infrequently, (mainly because of the dearth of hobbying places) to buy some medications once and a while, or to shop or have a bite at some pretty good restaurants.
There has been an influx of mexicans trying to cross the border from the hinterlands around Naco ( the area is pretty isolated) causing, at one time, a crisis in housing and care. And consequently bringing in a bunch odf self-syled vigalantes to stop them.

This influx of hopeful crossers and the vigalantes has since abated, but there is still a lively market in water jugs and other "crossing accessories"

About 6 months ago, a new nightclub appeared. A big purple two-story building that currently houses a "disco". It is hard to miss as it is the only building on that side of the road.

Unlike the other working class bars, this one was built to attract a younger crowd, including local residents from both sides of the border.

The place is, I believe, called Galactica, or Galaxia, Gallaco or some such name. It was in neon in a script that I didn't pay much attention to, as you'll never confuse it with anyplace else.

I had to go to Bisbee to file some paperwork at the county offices there recently. It took me till almost about 5:00pm until I could conclude my work.

After I was done I decided to get a quick bite at a local bar/resturaunt where I met and had a relaxing conversation with an attractive local, who proceeded to tell tell me a little about the disco in Naco. Nothing naughty, but she made it sound interesting.

By this time I had plied her with about 4 cocktails and got her phone number. Maybe a later time. Today I had to check out this place.

I drove down to Naco, about 3 miles away and proceeded to follow a couple of gringa's from the border right to the door of the place. It was about 7:30 pm and while I wasn't really dressed to go out, I decided to go in anyway. No door charge so far so good. But as my eyes (and ears) adjusted to the scene, I looked around, not a bad place, but really no "energy" so to speak, with only about 2twenty or so people mostly sitting around. I thought to myself it was probably too early so I decided to have a cocktail, scope the place out and jet home.

I ordered my drink in Spanish, acting real cool. As soon as I sit down, a slightly attractive women plops down on the stool next to me and starts talking rapid fire spanish, that completely lost me. My Spanish is OK if you speak slowly, clearly and with little inflection as possible. She did none of that and with the music pretty loud, I really couldn't hear much of what she said.

She then reached over a grabbed my cock!

BINGO

I understand that.

When I didn't run from shock and horror and actually smiled, she moved her bar stool closer. I bought her a drink, but it wasn't a ficha, same price. In the next few minutes I got the impression that we could go down the street for a room. Alas, I had no money!!. A monger without money is one of the saddest things around.

So I declined, but told her politely and complimented her dress. Well not more than 2 minutes later another chicas comes around, older, and a little less attractive,but she spoke passable english and this is what I found out:

There are a few girls that work the place as independents in the early evening hours. This is before the place fills up with the younger crowd. But apparently, there are a few younger attractive chicas that work the evening crowds too. Not all the girls work though so you pretty much have to let them approach you. This is to avoid any unpleasantries with boyfriends.

It appeared to me that there were probably 5-6 chicas that looked like they were working. I didn't have the time to really get the low down on all the girls but I think I'm gonna have to ply one of the less attractive agressive ones next time with drinks or tips to find out which of the younger prettier less-agressive ones are working.

Stay tuned as I'm planning a trip in the next week or two.

As I was walking back across the border, I thought of all the preceeding decades of gringo miners heading back across the border after being sated by the local chicas.

I got into my car on the US side about 10 feet from the border, and it occured to me that the border/INS/Homeland Security person at the counter didn't even bother to check my ID, when I mumbled US to him as I approached. No lines, no fingerprints, no parking hassles.

This is going to be good.

OG

Sounds promising. I am planning a weekend road trip for Nogales in April as it is a 3 paycheck month for me. I have been considering taking the back roads to Nogi as I am tired of I-10 but all the turns seem impractical, till now. An evening in Naco sounds interesting.
Since I will be driving from El Paso, can you give me some motel/parking info for the American side? Also from your post I assume it it not necessary to drive into Mexico. How far is this place from the border? I can't wait.

RK,
If your going on a road trip, I have heard that Palomas, across the border from Columbus,NM has one or two bars with dancers and chicas. It's about 4-5 blocks straight down from the border to the right.

Also hit Agua Prieta, Mx/Douglas, Az. There is a strip club called Taurus, that has some pretty good looking chicas. The clubs in the mini-zona, El Paraiso, etc. mentioned on this board are hit and miss. Its better to try the clubs, discos and bars around the city centre, close to the border. The girls are better looking, although not as agressive as those in the "zona".

The bad thing about Naco, is that it is still Hit-and-Miss. the club opens and closes seemingly at the will of the owner, and who knows how much longer the format mentioned above will last. I'm going there next week so I'll report in.

Then of course the final destination: Nogie. Stay way from LB, Placers and Boliero, unless you're there on an off-day. The place are fast becoming expensive, and are catering to the student, rich gringo crowd, although some of the girls are outstanding. My favs for action and value, are Rio's and Cherries. Cherries gets my seal of approval as theprivados are all done mostly upstairs in a more comfortable room, and with the exception of the Saturday and Fridays, only require the single privado for FS. And don't forget about the new massage parlour next to Lord Black, I've not tried it but have heard good reviews.

The clubs in Palomas and Naco are range from 100 ft in Naco, to about a 1/4 mile in Palomas. In AP, its a couple of blocks so you might want to take a cab.

No Hotels in Naco, but some nice ones in Bisbee about 4 miles away. Columbus, I think has a motel 6, as does Douglas,AZ. but they may be far to walk from the border.


EP --> Palomas----> Agua Prieta---->Naco--->Nogales.

Sounds like the Adventerous Mongers road trip. In fact I was considering just this same trip, before summer, except in the opposite direction.

I'll post here as soon as I get more info.

OG

I was in Naco Mexico a week ago. Parked about 100 feet from the border and walk across. This was a mid-afternoon detour enroute to Douglas and lasted less than one hour.

NACO is a dirt POOR town. Lots of buildings boarded up, others half built and many ready to fall down. I walked all the way through town along the main street and back to the border along a street two blocks east. The major employer is a swamp cooler manufacture.

There are two major night clubs. The one called "Galaxy" is just about 100 yards from the border. The other one called something like "El Pedro" is about 3/4 miles down the main drag. The latter was advertising a "cool whip" party that evening, but all that was open during my visit was a couple beer bars with no chicas in sight.

Nobody tried to sell me their sister or anything else for that matter, but one begger wanted some spare change. There was one of two motels on the Mexican side that did not look too terrible from the street.

The only attractive girls I saw were clearly too young. Other posts say the action is freelancers in the night clubs, but I will have to return for overnight to see what the current story is.

Alas, the Rainbow Bar is no more and hasn't been in a few months. I was a well kept secret. A brothel/bar sometime part-time strip club over by the Muni. Baseball Field. It had some real bad rooms and a small yard where supposedly the girls could stay. Only the really desperate/or those in a big hurry/or no money for a room at the hotel down the street actually used or stayed in them. I stopped going to the Bar (and Naco for sex) about 3 years ago when I hooked up with a local here in Az.

The best times were when the little town had fiesta's and street fairs. A lot of part timers, girls who lived in the rural areas or around Naco, including the odd schoolteacher and some from the clubs in AP, all looking to pick up some cash . It was usually $20-30 for the girls and no money for the room at the Rainbow, or $10 down the street at a better motel. Some of the girls were real sweet and young..no med card or ID so it was risky although the bar owner would always be kicking under ages out and in this case underage was u-16. I usually stayrd with the older mujeres, but I wondered about a lot about the PYT's

I think when the cartel wars started up a lot of the Mexican Ranch hands and even some of the locals would stay out of Naco except for the Fiesta's or Special events. There was little violence but the menace was there. I never ran into troubles in the 15+ years I went down there. But I usually went during the early evening in the summer and taxi's back & forth when I stayed or went late.

Where to now? Good question. It looks like I'll have to hire a cab and make the rounds around town and get the low down. Apparently there is at least one house and at least two bars I know have part-timers on the weekend.

I never mentioned this bar on the site, as I was afraid if it got too popular, prices would go up. The quality was really uneven and spotty and you have to go at least 2-3 times to get a good/decent one, so it wasn't a real sex destination like Nogie or Agua Prieta. But it was cheap, low pressure and sometimes a lot of fun when I practiced my Spanish
I'll miss it!