Puerto Vallarta  is a thriving  retreat for  gays and lesbians and every year  becomes more popular as a gay vacation spot.  With a great climate, beautiful ocean bay beaches, mountains and lush tropical jungle as the setting, Puerto Vallarta is a small city devoted to serving the visiting traveler.

Let us be your guide to everything gay and gay-friendly in Puerto Vallarta and also show you some things off the beaten path, that only the locals know about!

We’ll be covering it all!   THE BEST OF GAY  PUERTO VALLARTA!




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Michael Snell and  Derrick  Sorles   (773) 878-5323        or   e-mail us

June is  GAY PRIDE month around the world!

It is traditionally celebrated the last Sunday of June, in most cities. Pride celebrations stemmed from the Stonewall Riots in New York City.

The Stonewall Riots were a series of violent conflicts between LGBT people and New York City police officers that began during a 28 June 1969 police raid, and lasted several days. They were centered at the Stonewall Inn and are widely recognized as the catalyst for the modern-day movement towards LGBT rights.

Gay pride or LGBT pride refers to a world wide movement and philosophy asserting that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity.

Heterosexual people have sometimes asked me, "Why do you have to have a  pride day? Why are you so proud? We don't have  straight pride day?" - It's about not feeling ashamed of who we are. It's about showing people our numbers, that we are in fact EVERYWHERE. We come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
Gay pride is about appreciating yourself and other members of our community for being different. GAY PRIDE means accepting yourself and celebrating who you are.


     

Gay pride advocates work for equal "rights and benefits" for LGBT people.  The movement has three main premises:
 
 - that people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity,
 
 - that sexual diversity is a gift,

 - and that sexual orientation and gender identity are inherent and cannot be intentionally altered.

Someone at Cedar Rapids Pride said, "Often the hardest person to come out to is yourself.  GAY PRIDE doesn't just happen. It is hard work to overcome the profound effects of abusive religion and cultural abandonment that afflict all minorities. Self-esteem is the greatest achievement that you can reach in life. Your sense of self-worth is so valuable, that you work hard all of your life to find and express it. To reach your goal of self-esteem and happiness requires knowledge and positive experience."

Jed Ryan from Lick The Web says, "So, what is "Gay Pride?" It may not be so important that we find a universal definition. What's more important is that all of us feel positively and lovingly about being who we are-- in our case, definitely including but not limited to being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered-- at least for one moment in our lives and hopefully more. And that can be in June or any other month, at the Parade or any other location, or whether you're 17 or 70. Ultimately, the real and most important meaning of "pride" is in within each one of us."

Marches celebrating Pride (pride parades) are celebrated worldwide, and every year, the number of gay people and their supporters grows bigger and bigger! We're here, we're queer, you'd better get used to it!


Michael  Snell
New Gay Travel Guide

ABSOLUT found themseleves in some hot mess drama this week! Bowing to pressure, Absolut has pulled the ad and is “refocusing” efforts in the Latin American marketplace, specifically in Mexico. The creative, early 19th century map showing chunks of the United States as a part of Mexico, has angered many American and Mexican consumers. CNN even covered it!

(*a note from the Historical Accuracy Department & Wikipedia: the map used is historically accurate up until 1848 when the United States, under President James K. Polk, invaded Mexico and seized Mexico City after the Mexican government refused to acknowledge the United States’ annexation of Texas.)



According to my blogging buddy Ryan Arnold The Ad Guy,  - Let’s put this into perspective, people. Absolut Vodka is a Global brand. Hence, they undertake marketing initiatives that are geared toward specific consumers located in various parts of the Globe. In the case of this ad, it was part of an outdoor and print campaign in Mexico City, Cancun, and other larger Mexican cities. This ad was not geared for the US General Market – it was placed in Mexico and targeted Mexican consumers. When media outlets throughout the Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California caught wind, many tried to spin the ad as Absolut weighing in on immigration and citizenship reform. Absolut released this statement on their website:

“In no way was this meant to offend or disparage, nor does it advocate an altering of borders, nor does it lend support to any anti-American sentiment, nor does it reflect immigration issues."

Recognize this advertisement for what it is: another in the long list of clever advertising we’ve come to know and love from Absolut Vodka. You can view a fine collection of Absolut Vodka ads (some less controversial than others) here. France's Pernod-Ricard is taking over Absolut Vodka, one of the world's top-selling spirits, after buying government owned Vin & Spirir earlier this year.

I was talking with a friend recently who had never been to Puerto Vallarta, and he asked, "What else is there to do there, besides go to the beach and drink?" - There is SO MUCH to see and do in Vallarta that a week is barely enough time to visit!

Mind you, I don't mind sitting on the beach, having hot latin waiters flirt and bring me drinks all day, watching an perfect sunset, then freshing up for an amazing dinner, then go night clubbing! However, there is lots more to see and do to break up your days.

How about  parasailing ?  It gives you a birds eye view of Banderas Bay and the mountains around Puerto Vallarta. Parasailing costs about $35-40. Jet-Skiing is also available.  Seasonally, whale watching is pretty amazing here. From December through March, the waters off the coast of Puerto Vallarta offer some of the most spectacular whale watching opportunities in the world. How about snorkeling? Banderas Bay offers sanctuary to a great profusion of sea life - and snorkeling in Puerto Vallarta is a fun-filled experience!

Maybe you want some different sites? How about 15 minutes away you can experience Mismaloya, the area where Richard Burton filmed Night of the Iguana. If you are feeling adventerous, fly like a bird through the jungle at El Eden Canopy Tours! Glide effortlessly over the treetops of the set of the Arnold Schwarzenegger Movie, "Predator".  Fly high over waterfalls, forests, and jungle with the greatest of ease on over 2 miles of zip lines. Plan on spending a few hours here - explore the natural waterpools and waterfalls and enjoy  some tequila samplings!

Shopping in paradise, what a concept! In Puerto Vallarta there is something for everyone under the sun; funky trinkets, T-shirts of every description, Mexican "sombreros", tequila, hand-crafted furniture, leather goods, cigars, pottery, glass, sterling silver, woven blankets... the list goes on and on. There is lots of shopping information advice at Virtual Vallarta.

They have an amazing art gallery district also. With the exception of the capital, Puerto Vallarta has more important art galleries than anywhere else in Mexico. Artists from around the world gravitate to Puerto Vallarta’s beauty, which they mirror in their work – fashion, jewelry, sculpture, ceramics, painting, poetry, writing, the list is endless. And the Huichol Indians, who live deep in the mountains around Puerto Vallarta as they have for centuries, enliven the local art scene with their culturally meaningful yarn and bead art.

Is that enough?! There's even more we'll be covering on this site in coming weeks!

The Best of Gay Puerto Vallarta!

 

Unlike other vacation destinations in Mexico (and elsewhere) Puerto Vallarta was not a planned resort town. It just sort of happened!  Puerto Vallarta has always been here. Back in the 1500's the Bay was named the "Bahia de Banderas" (Bay of Flags) by a Spanish sea adventurer whose arrival was greeted by thousands of natives waving feathered flags.

One of the reasons that Puerto Vallarta is fast becoming one of the world's most popular travel destinations is because it offers a unique blend of traditional, "Old Mexico" charm mixed with the modern amenities of a cosmopolitan setting. Cobblestone streets and old Spanish-colonial style white stucco houses with red clay tile roofs climb the mountain sides with red and pink bougainvillea spilling from balconies and roof-tops. The sound of church bells, roosters crowing, and the clatter of donkeys' hooves on the cobblestones continues to be an everyday occurrence, just as it was 150 years ago. Yet, only 10 minutes away, you'll find world-class hotels, a first-rate marina harbor, and luxurious amenities of every kind.

Looking for a beach resort that offers a traditional Mexican flavor with lots of fun things to do? You might be looking for Puerto Vallarta, where you can lay out on the beach all day or do a boat tour, then cruise around town searching the shops for the best bargains and restaurants all night. And the choices of food are endless! You might have homemade Mexican fare one evening and dine at a 5 star epicurean delight the next!

Walking the streets in the old part of Puerto Vallarta is a real joy. El Centro draws a lot of tourists along the Malecon. The Romantic Zone-  this is where you want to be! The streets are generally narrow cobblestone thoroughfares, many of which twist around or climb the hillside at almost impossibly steep grades. Stroll up behind the cathedral and you can snap the picture of the stunningly ornate iron belfry tower that graces postcards you see in the shops. Climb up the narrow stairs or streets and you'll see some of the fabulous balconies of houses and their incredible panoramic view of the city below them and the Bahia Banderas stretched out to the Pacific.

 

The new Vallarta - Neuvo Vallarta is a planned resort area. As more and more cruise ships stop in PV, more and more hotels seem to go up! It's 3-4 miles north of the old downtown.  More on the lines of Cancun. Big chain hotels and restaurants. If you want all the comforts of Sandals or The Marriott, stay in the new area and cab back and fourth. But why stay at a secluded resort, away from the action? If you really want to experience Vallarta, you  want to stay in the old part, specifically the Romantic Zone. All the gay clubs are near by or a $4 cab ride away. 


The Best of Gay Puerto Vallarta!

Hollywood discovered and put Puerto Vallarta on the map in 1963.  Based on the Tennessee Williams play, director John Huston began filming “Night of the Iguana” at Mismaloya, a nearby fishing village. Then, there were  just 12,500 inhabitants when the director arrived (legend claims his plane skimmed the runway several times, before managing to shoo cows off the strip).

Stunning. John Huston knew it. Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor knew it. Ingeniero Guillermo Wulff knew it. Banderas Bay and the vibrant village at its core, Puerto Vallarta, were destined for greater things and a future on the big screen. They knew this pristine paradise was too desirable to remain untouched forever, too enchanting not to be shared. - Today it’s  about 250,000 strong with over 3 million visitors each year, mainly in the drier season from November-April.

The films stars Deborah Kerr, Ava Gardner and Richard Burton attracted tremendous media attention.   Media coverage increased as Elizabeth Taylor joined Richard to fend off those attractive co-stars as well as to manage Burton’s alcohol problems.  There was so much to report it was a paparazzi frenzy!  

Liz purchased Richard a hillside love nest, Casa Kimberly (which is now a B&B and museum)!  And Richard gave Liz the $350,000 Krupp Diamond Ring!  Both married, the lovers created an international scandal.  Burton, a Catholic, was threatened with excommunication. Taylor’s U.S. citizenship was jeopardized.  Reporters swarmed over their x-rated romance! Suddenly, Puerto Vallarta was a famous destination! 

   

Over the years, people were able to visit the actual set and there was an amazing restaurant near there called  EL SET. El Set is named for the many movies that have been filmed over the years in its residential location of Conchas Chinas. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served at this spot, located seven flights down from street level, but it would be a shame to visit at any other time other than just before sunset. El Set is built into the side of a winding cliff--a short and inexpensive taxi ride from the Zona Romantica. Neighbor to several multi-million dollar mansions, El Set overlooks the rocky Pacific and offers the most breathtaking sunset vistas. 

Nearby,  tourists can  explore the waterfalls and jungle also! (See also Palo Maria).   But sadly, those days may be  gone soon. There are rumours that part of the area is now being converted to a gated community or condo development of some sort.   We'll keep you posted if we hear any updates.

 A statue of John Huston was eventually erected in Puerto Vallarta, where it still stands, because of his role in creating the city's current reputation.  Several big movies have been filmed here. Read about the PV film history at Virtual Vallarta! 


    The Best of Gay Puerto Vallarta!

The legal drinking age in Mexico is 18.
Puerto Vallarta Gay Bars by Neighborhood...

 Gay Bars in El Centro

 
Antropology    9pm - 4am
A gay strip club or as they call it: "gentleman's club" - HOT GUYS!!
El Centro - Morelos 101, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

 

 Gay Bars in Lazaro Cardenas

 Club Manana
"thee place to go" - Dancing inside and out. Strippers after 11:30.
Sun-Thurs, 9pm-6am; Fri and Sat, 9pm-8am   A  late bar! Lots of special events.
Lazaro Cardenas - Venustiano Carranza 290, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
 
 Club Paco Paco 10pm - 6am
One of the largest and best know. 2 levels plus rooftop. Happy hour 1pm-9pm
Lazaro Cardenas - Ignacio L Vallarta 278, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
 
 Diva's   3pm - 2am
Cantina bar - daily specials
Lazaro Cardenas - Francisco L. Madero 388, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
 
 Encuentros
Lounge and "pizza bar" -  great food, mixed clientele - happy hour 8pm-10pm
Lazaro Cardenas - Lazaro Cardenas 312, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
 
 Frida - Popular cantina / local hangout   1pm - 2am
Lazaro Cardenas - Lazaro Cardenas 361, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
 
 La Noche Martini Lounge - Intimate bar, soft music - happy hour 7pm-9pm
Lazaro Cardenas - Lazaro Cardenas 257, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
 
 Los Amigos - Upstairs, next door to Paco's  6pm-4am
Lazaro Cardenas - Venustiano Carranza 237, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
 
 Mesa 61
Restaurant with a an upstairs lounge
Lazaro Cardenas - Ignacio L. Vallarta 264, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
 
 Plasma  6pm-2am   happy hour  6-9pm
Gay bar with videos on a plasma screen, pool table, and a back room/labyrinth for men
Lazaro Cardenas - Pino Suarez 235, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
 
Ranch
Split level disco bar/cantina with a large bar area and dance floor.
Next door to Los Amigos. Strippers in the evening.
Lazaro Cardenas - Venustiano Carranza 239, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
 
Stereo   9pm-4am
Small cool dance club-bar with a European style in ambience and music.
Lazaro Cardenas - Lazaro Cardenas 267, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

 

Gay Bars in Olas Altas
 
 Acoluha (AA Bar)
Olas Altas - Fra. Rodriquez 157, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
 
 Apaches Martini Bar and Bistro   Small  and  cozy. Inside and sidewalk seating.
Olas Altas - Olas Altas 439, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
 

 Garbo's Piano Bar
Jazz & piano bar and upscale lounge -  happy hour 6pm-9pm
Olas Altas - Pulpito 142, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
 
 Kit Kat Club
Martini lounge and restaurant -  long time favorite
Olas Altas - Púlpito 120, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico 

Mercurio's Pool Bar  @ Mercurio hotel
Beautiful pool area and bar  - daily  3pm-10pm,  happy hour  3pm-6pm
Olas Altas - 168 Francisca Rodríguez, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
 
 Sama
Trendy and elegant  martini bar located next door to Mama Dolores restaurant on Olas Altas street, with sidewalk and inside air-conditioned seating.
Olas Altas - Olas Altas 510, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

 Vallarta Cora - 
Vallarta Cora gay hotel with heated pool, patio, video room and bar service. The clothing optional jacuzzi and steam room reportedly get pretty steamy. Men only, lots of locals and nationals. Cover includes a drink. Popular in the early evening after the beach.  Daily, 3pm-midnight. 
Olas Altas - Pilitas 174  -  Puerto vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

Gay Bars in Playa los Muertos

Blue Sunset Rooftop Bar (at Blue Chairs)
The place to be for sunset every day of the week
Mon is movie night, 8:30pm; Tues is gay bingo, 7pm-9pm; Weds and Sun are the Dirty Bitches shows, 7pm and 9pm; Thurs is Cruise party at 5pm; Fri is Karaoke at 7pm; Sat is Blue Hombre show at 7:30pm.
Playa los Muertos - Calle Malecon y Almendro 4, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

           

Over the last 10 years, PV has gotten gayer and gayer! "This is what the Castro used to be 20 years ago," said Clay Berger, a hair stylist at Puerto Vallarta's upscale blu by len salon and spa. The former Santa Rosa resident was referring to the gayest part of the city, Zona Romantica, where blu prominently displays the rainbow flag. The shop is on the neighborhood's main street, Olas Altas, and across the street from two gay bars and a gay restaurant.

An article in the Bay Area Reporter  stated,"A couple of guys from Los Angeles, Peter Deep, and his business partner, Shaun Butler, made a huge impact on Puerto Vallarta's gay nightlife when they opened the Manana nightclub in November 2006. It quickly established a following among locals who were ready for a change from the established Club Paco Paco. And where the locals went, the tourists followed, making Manana the most popular gay club in Puerto Vallarta. A handful of other smaller gay bars have opened over the past couple of years and there are even more gay and gay-friendly hotels and bed and breakfasts to give LGBT travelers plenty of options.

 

Unlike longtime gay enclaves like Palm Springs, Provincetown, and Key West, Puerto Vallarta's evolution is relatively recent. In 1989, Paco Ruiz, the then-owner of his namesake, Club Paco Paco, had his one-man Stonewall rebellion against the police who frequently raided his club. He stood up to the cops and was sent to jail. The case received media attention and the public sympathy that followed helped pave the way for the city's current gay-friendly environment. That climate grew warmer this year with the inauguration of a gay-friendly mayor, Javier Bravo Carbajal.

Puerto Vallarta is centered on Banderas Bay, on Mexico's west coast. It's less than a four-hour flight from the Bay Area. Zona Romantica, where the gay clubs, bars, hotels and just about everything else gay are centered, is in the southern end of Banderas Bay. It's also where you will find Playa De Los Muertos, the city's largest public beach, and home to Blue Chairs Beach, the unofficially gay section of that beach.

Zona Romantica boasts over a dozen gay or gay-friendly hotels and over 20 gay bars and nightclubs. Everything is in walking distance; don't even think of renting a car. Cab service is plentiful and cheap. You can take a cab anywhere within the zone for about $3. But be sure to establish the price of the ride before you get in the cab; taxis aren't metered."

 
(Photos  by  Discover Vallarta! - a great gay travel guide!)

Nightlife is hotter than ever in PV.

The upscale Mañana club has an indoor disco but its centerpiece is its open-air pool surrounded by a dance floor and seating areas. It's open until 6 a.m. during the week and until 8 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.

A big part of Mañana's runaway success was that it was able to obtain a late-night operating permit. That attracts locals who work in the restaurants and hotels and need someplace to go after the night shift. Buses don't start operating until around 5 a.m., so it's critical to have a place where they can stay late. Tourists, in turn, want to go where there are a lot of locals.

Other new additions to Puerto Vallarta's nightlife include the high-tech video lounge bar, Stereo. Plasma, with a notorious dark room, is popular with the leather and bear crowd. Another new edition is Encuentros, an upscale bar and pizza restaurant. The aforementioned Bench and Bar, like the Palm bar it replaced, is a popular showcase for local gay-centric entertainment.

Whether you want to relax at the beaches, do some romantic fine dining, shop the art galleries, go whale watching, nightclubing...it's all here!  See you there!

Welcome to the best of gay Puerto Vallarta!

Puerto Vallarta is one of the friendliest and most diverse beach destinations in the world.  Once but a tiny fishing village, Puerto Vallarta is now a world class resort that has retained all of the quaint charms of the original village yet embodies all of the characteristics you've come to expect in a modern resort.

This world class Mexican seaside paradise is a haven of natural beauty, art galleries, restaurants, and  golf courses, where every day is cause for celebration. This beautiful city by the bay has a population of over 300,000 friendly residents and covers more than 1,200 square kilometers. Puerto Vallarta enjoys over 300 sunny days a year with temperatures averaging right around 83 degrees. With a great climate, beautiful ocean bay, beaches, mountains and lush tropical jungle, Puerto Vallarta is wonderful destination.


Because Puerto Vallarta lies on Bahia Banderas, the second largest natural bay in North America and has over 100 miles of coast line, it is a haven for anyone who enjoys any type of beach activity, from whale watching to para sailing.   Bungee jumping over the Pacific, windsurfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, jet skiing or fishing are yours for the asking. The surf, at most beaches is normally very calm and safe for swimming year around.

Puerto Vallarta's most popular beach, Playa de los Muertos, is located just south of the malecon and the River Cuale.  This beach is surrounded by the neighborhood of Olas Altas (Old Town or Zona Romantica), with it's indescribable variety of restaurants and shops.   It is lined with beach front hotels and restaurants and is usually bustling with activity, sun worshipers by day, the dining and nightlife crowd after dark. The beach front bars and restaurants in this area are a great place to catch one of the incredible Vallarta sunsets.  

One section of the beach is very gay, around the beach concession commonly known as the blue chairs, which sits in front of the Blue Chairs Resort. So many gays now come to the beach area it has to spread to neighboring chairs as well! In this area you'll find hundreds of gay men and women sitting under the palapas (thatched umbrellas) or on towels nearer the surf line, soaking up the hot Mexican sun and socializing with gays from all over the world. Waiters can bring you drinks and food all day, so you never have to get up if you don't want to!


Every year Puerto Vallarta seems to become more popular as a gay vacation spot. Vallarta now has over a dozen hotels, guesthouses, and bed and breakfasts that cater to our community, lots of gay bars and gay clubs, a world famous gay beach, great gay trips on boats, special tours including evenings out at natural hot springs, and some amazing restaurants.

Nestled between the brilliant Banderas Bay and the lush tropical forests of the Sierra Madre mountains on Mexico's west coast, Puerto Vallarta is known for its long sandy beaches, beautiful ocean and mountain views, handsome men! Come see what everyone is talking about!


Let us be your guide to everything gay and gay friendly in Puerto Vallarta!

The best of gay Puerto Vallarta!