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Puerto Vallarta Gay Travel Guide
Can anyone say “cerveza?” Puerto Vallarta has been a favorite destination for American gay beachgoers for decades, and the city enjoys a relaxed and tolerant atmosphere. In winter, especially during the Thanksgiving weekend and the week spanning Christmas and New Year’s, the entire city fills with gay tourists from all over the world. Situated where Mexico’s rugged mountains meet the Pacific Ocean, the weather in PV is warm and sunny year-round, and the water is always welcoming. The Malecon is a beachfront street filled with cafes and shops, perfect for an afternoon people-watching stroll or a starlit evening dinner. Gay life centers around Playa los Muertos (Beach of the Dead). Sounds horrible, we know, but the beach is actually quite lovely and filled with friendly gay men of all nationalities. At the south end of the beach is Blue Chairs Resort, the gayest section. It is also traditional to spend a Friday at Paco’s Hidden Paradise, a secluded gay resort with a lovely little beach. The day-trip price includes a cruise to the resort, an all-day buffet, and open bar. Harbor cruises on the gay sailing vessel Rainbow Dancer are also popular. We certainly don’t recommend having a rental car in PV. You can walk or take cheap taxis around the village and the beaches. But it’s advisable when leaving the clubs at night to have them call a taxi for you (don’t just hail one from the street in front of a gay bar at night), or to walk home in groups. It’s also advisable to avoid acquiring any substances which you think are illegal, though they may seem readily available. The Mexican police don’t seem to understand the word “entrapment.” Those cautions aside, you’ll find PV to be a delightful and friendly city, with a vibrant gay scene. You’ll get by just fine with English in Puerto Vallarta, everyone in the tourism industry speaks it, and most of the gay locals have learned it so they can interact with the visitors. And American dollars are widely accepted.
Gay Puerto Vallarta Bars, Restaurants and Clubs
Mexico knows nightlife (heck, they invented the disco!), and in Puerto Vallarta, nightlife begins late. Bars are popular after 9ish, and everyone heads to the dance clubs after midnight. With two notable exceptions, gay nightlife in PV is on the South Side, or Zona Romantica, just a few blocks south of the Rio Cuale. Here, Olas Altas street makes up the heart of the gay district, filled with bars and cafes, and it’s a great place to start the evening. Apaches is a popular Canadian-owned martini bar, with a busy happy hour from 5pm-7pm. The Palm Bar is a video bar that shows footage taken every day on Los Muertos Beach. (Remember that next time you’re on the beach, tipsy on pina coladas, and dancing around with a pinapple on your head!) A few blocks south is Garbo, a piano bar with occasional live jazz in an art deco setting. Next door is Kit Kat, an upscale restaurant with a popular gay bar. Down toward the beach is DeWayne’s Oasis, a lovely rooftop bar. Two blocks northeast of Olas Atlas is another cluster of bars. Los Amigos [Venustiano Carranza 237 has a large outdoor terrace and a friendly following. Next door, The Ranch [Venustiano Carranza, has a country-western atmosphere and a butchier following. La Noche offers upscale décor and quiet environs. Farther out in the south side, you can find Frida’s, which draws a mixed crowd during the day, but becomes increasingly gayer the later it gets. Their drink prices tend to be lower. The same holds true at Kiko’s, a new bar with chic décor in an older section of town. During the day, the beach bars on Playa los Muertos at the Blue Chairs resort, and the neighboring (and cheaper) Green Chairs are popular, as well as La Bola, the poolside bar at the Vallarta Cora hotel. Watching sunset from the rooftop bars at the Descanso del Sol Hotel or the Blue Sunset Bar, is traditional.
When it comes time to dance (and that means after midnight, never before), Puerto Vallarta has a lot to offer. Just north of the bridge on the Rio Cuale is Antropology: The Study of Man, a disco popular with the younger crowd. The gogo boys here delight in removing virtually all of their clothes. They do the same a couple of blocks away at Los Balcones, the oldest gay club in PV, named for its many balconies which overlook the street. Back down on the South Side, Club Paco Paco remains the most famous gay club in Puerto Vallarta, with a rooftop terrace, drag shows, and dancing until the sun comes up. New in 2004 is Club NYPV, Puerto Vallarta’s answer to New York-style clubbing. It’s cavernous, with all the techno-tweaks a mega-club should have.
PV offers fantastic dining for every budget. Santa Barbara is legendary with the gay community. Their Mexican and American menu is complimented by live theatre on Sunday, Monday, and Friday . Kit Kat offers upscale, New York-style dining, and is an equally popular breakfast spot. Le Bistro Jazz Café has long been popular with the gay community, and serves gourmet food with a Mexican seafood flair in a romantic environment. Café Bohemio, a gay-owned bistro, has a popular American-Continental menu. More casual eateries include Mama Dolores, with delicious Mexican and American delights, Chiles, a quick lunch spot a block from the beach and owned by a locally-popular gay couple, and the restaurants at the Blue Chairs Beach Resort. These include the beachside Blue Chairs Café, with American and Mexican bar food, and the rooftop Blue Moon Restaurant, with a more formal menu.
Gay Friendly and Gay Puerto Vallarta Hotels
The Blue Chairs Resort is the most famous gay hotel in all of Puerto Vallarta, situated at ground zero on the gay beach. They claim the title of Largest Beachfront Gay and Lesbian Resort in the World. And we think that speaks for itself. The other three gay hotels are the Vallarta Cora, exclusively-gay-male and known as a party spot, the Hotel Mercurio, right in the center of Olas Altas, and Descanso del Sol, a cheaper alternative several blocks inland from the beach. If a B&B is more your style, check out Casa Cupula, an elegant, intimate alternative. Or Villa David, a lovely, male-only B&B in the heart of historic PV. Renting a condo is also a popular way to visit Puerto Vallarta, and the gay condo properties are Boana Torre-Malibu, Bugambilia Blanca, Suites Claudia, Casa de las Flores, and the San Franciscan. If you want a secluded, unique experience, try Paco’s Gay Wilderness Park, with both rustic suites and dorm-style accommodation. You’ll be cut off from the nightlife, since the resort is only accessible by boat, but during the day (especially on Fridays) the men will come to you to lounge on Paco’s gay beach.
Call an edirp.com gay travel specialist at 1-888-EDIRP-EZ (1-888-334-7739) or (214) 520-0345 (U.S.) to book any of the hotels mentioned above. Any hotels with links may be booked via our secure online booking system.
Puerto Vallarta Gay Pride and other Gay Events
There’s no official Gay Pride parade in Puerto Vallarta, but the event seems to be celebrated during the week between Christmas and New Year’s, which is coincidentally the city’s busiest gay week.
Travel guide by Benjamin Starr, a travel writer who claims the entire world as his home. When he's not at home, he can sometimes be found at a residence in Dallas, Texas. To contact Ben, email him at benjaminstarr@sbcglobal.net. |
