cocaine being separated into lines with a card
Jade Small
Jade Small
March 12, 2024 ·  3 min read

World’s first cocaine bar changes location every month so it stays secret

A bar in Bolivia run by a clever group of people has become well known as the cocaine bar, where the notorious elicit white powder is found in the plenty. The only thing that is not well known is the bar’s location. To keep their business on the down low and out of reach of authorities, they move locations every month.

World’s first Cocaine Bar

Bolivia is South America’s third-largest coca plant producer, following Peru and Columbia. This Is the plant from which they create cocaine. While the substance is illegal in all three countries, the plant itself is farmed legally, and fruitfully. The plant doesn’t just lead to making addictive narcotics, there are other medicinal benefits one can appreciate from it. 

Seeing as there is such a high amount of cocaine in Bolivia, some entrepreneurs found a gap in the market and created Route 36, the World’s first cocaine bar. Now, cocaine tourists travel from all over the world to visit Bolivia’s capital city, La Paz, where the cocaine bar is based. 

Read: I thought I was dying’: Woman hospitalized after picking up $1 bill

sorting dried coca leafs in a small woven basket
Dried Coca leaves. Shutterstock

First-hand experience 

Stylist.com reported a story of a woman who spent a night at Route 36. She described it as an “eye-opening” night. She and a group of friends wanted to check out the alleged cocaine bar. They hailed a few cabs, and asked the drivers, “Do you know Route 36?” After a few attempts, they found one who knew the way. This is how tourists can expect to find Route 36 because no locals are allowed so you can’t ask for directions. 

When they arrived at what they assumed was Route 36, they were surprised by what they saw. There was no signage outside the front, except for two burly men to whom they pay a $5 entrance fee. Inside the cocaine, the bar had a DIY aesthetic with couches to sit on. As they sat down, the waiters warned them of the bar’s no-photos policy. Something the reporter was not willing to take a risk on.

According to Stylist, they were given laminated menus which had an assortment of drinks listed, along with the price of cocaine per gram. Everything was printed, clear as day. For about $15, they could get a full gram of what they claimed was very “pure” cocaine. Then, they could complete their order with a $2 beer. 

Always on the move

A bar that sells cocaine sounds absurd to many people, how is that even possible? Many wonder how they have not been caught. The answer lies in their location. Every few weeks, the cocaine bar changes its location. This is so it doesn’t draw unnecessary attention from the neighbors. Moreover, locals are not allowed inside as it is just a tourist destination. So, even if you do find a La Paz local who knows where Route 36 is, it will have packed up and gone off to its next secret location in a couple of weeks.

There is no doubt that the local authorities are aware of the facility, what with the taxi industry also being in the know. You might have thought that a cocaine bar might be first on the list for raiding, but Route 36still manages to stay in business. Regardless of the many changes in location. Tourists are still flocking to Bolivia for the experience.

Keep Reading: Elon Musk jokingly says he now wants to buy Coca-Cola and ‘put the cocaine back in’

Sources

  1. “What happened when I spent a night in the world’s only cocaine bar”. Stylist. Stylist team. 2019
  2. World’s first cocaine bar changes location every month so it stays secret.Lad Bible. Ali Condon. November 7 2022.