La Pachanga

Latin American and Afro-Caribbean culture has become something of a trend in Paris, with Latin-inspired menus, cocktails, and dance nights appearing across the city. And with French romance and Latino fieriness being so complimentary, this comes as no surprise. We’ve rounded up the best salsa venues, from clubs to dance schools, where you can get your body moving. As the French say, “ça bouge.”
June through August, when the air gets hot and the sun starts to set, hundreds of dancers appear on the Quai Saint Bernard for an all-night dance party. Four amphitheaters spill from the quai onto the Seine, and dancers can bounce between salsa, tango, swing and folk shindigs. There are even free classes, which begin around 7:00 p.m. Dancing under the stars by the river is possibly one of the most magical things to do in Paris, and raises the question: why doesn’t this happen everywhere?