Your Guide to Gay Puerto Vallarta: To Do, Eat, Sleep & See

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Published 21 December 2017


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Puerto Vallarta is a tropical paradise and one of the most LGBTQ-friendly destinations in the world. Relax on the beach, frolic by the pool, party all night in the Zona Romantica, and plan your trip around Puerto Vallarta’s annual events for an unforgettable holiday. Stay up to date with our guide to gay Puerto Vallarta and check back often for updates.

 

Things To Do in Puerto Vallarta

Palm trees, the Sierra Madre mountains. Tropical weather. Beaches for days. Whether you’re here to bask in the rays or bask in the gays, Puerto Vallarta is the perfect escape. From LGBTQ-friendly beach clubs and nightlife to the gay district, here are the top things to do in Puerto Vallarta.

Playa Los Muertos

Puerto Vallarta’s most popular gay beach and party hotspot, Playa Los Muertos is within walking distance of the Zona Romantica. Lined with upscale beach clubs, hotels, bars and eateries, Playa Los Muertos is the beach to see and be seen. While Playa Los Muertos is not exclusively gay, there is a section towards the end of the beach that is. Once you spot the blue chairs, you’ll know you’re in the right place.

Blue Chairs Resort

Behind these famous cerulean loungers is Blue Chairs resort, one of the first LGBTQ-friendly resorts to open in Puerto Vallarta back in the mid-’80s, and considered the original gay beach club.

Mantamar Beach Club Bar & Grill

Next door to Blue Chairs is Mantamar Beach Club, the hottest day club on the beach where everyone is always ready to party. The atmosphere is upbeat, sophisticated, modern, shirtless. Mantamar has the best entertainment on Playa Los Muertos, with live DJs and the club’s popular themed pool parties. Lounge beachside, take a dip in the infinity pool, sit in a cabana, sip on cocktails and dine on gourmet seaside fare prepared by the resort’s executive chef.

Sapphire Ocean Club

On the other side of Blue Chairs on Los Muertos Beach, is Sapphire Ocean Club. Soak up the sun by the pool, seek shade in a cabana, and relax.

Zona Romantica

Also known as Old Town, Zona Romantica is Puerto Vallarta’s charming city centre. Take a scenic stroll down the Malecon, Puerto Vallarta’s grand boardwalk, and see some of the city’s oldest colonial style buildings, historic churches and the main town square. Spend the day here and check out the market stalls, street performers, and cozy little eateries.

Zona Romantica is also the heart of Puerto Vallarta’s gay scene. This is where all the best nightlife is and where you’ll find dozens of bars and nightclubs like La Noche and CC Slaughters, all conveniently within a stone’s throw of each other.

Los Muertos Pier

Recently rebuilt, the new structure on the bow of Los Muertos Pier resembles a soaring sail and projects 320 feet into the water. Sit front row and centre along the promenade and watch the pier illuminate with colourful lights at night.

 

Gay Puerto Vallarta Nightlife

Most of the nightlife can be found in the erogenous Zona Romantica, Puerto Vallarta’s gay district, where you’ll find that there’s something for every taste. Puerto Vallarta has dozens of different themed bars and nightclubs to choose from.

Whether a tiki tickles your fancy, three thumping levels of dancefloor are call-call-calling your name, you feel that saving a horse and riding a cowboy between line-dances is your cross to bear, or you want to sashay the night away at a drag bar, it’s all up to you, kitty girl. There are just so darn many options that this section needed its own page. Check out our Puerto Vallarta Gay Bar Hopping Guide and start mapping. 

 

Gay Events in Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta’s biggest, gayest parties happen year-round, henny. Plan your vacay around the year’s best gay events in Puerto Vallarta, and don’t miss out!

BeefDip (January)

When the cozy slumber of winter hibernation is interrupted for a scheduled break, it likely means one thing. It’s Bear Week in Puerto Vallarta. Woof your way down for this annual event, where thousands of bears and their admirers put on their dog tags and descend upon Puerto Vallarta for 7 days of partying, pub crawls and bear cruises.

Carnaval Puerto Vallarta (February)

Flashy floats with feathered dancers and sequined performers parade down the cobblestone Malecon boardwalk runway to Los Muerto Pier for Puerto Vallarta’s annual Mardi Gras celebration. More than 30,000 people turn out for this family-friendly event, which welcomes one and all to celebrate and join in the biggest street party of the year. Expect a lot of glitter, colourful beads, live music and plenty of fab after-parties that shut the city down. Werk.

Vallarta Pride (May)

Vallarta Pride 2019 celebrates its seventh gay pride festival, coinciding with the International Vigil in Memory of Victims of AIDS. As one of the most important festivals of the year, Vallarta Pride aims to inspire, commemorate and celebrate Puerto Vallarta’s vibrant gay community. Art walks, theatrical performances, beach parties, film screenings, and an annual Drag Derby, are just a few of the events that draw thousands of locals and tourists to Puerto Vallarta for the week leading up to the big Pride Parade.

White Party Puerto Vallarta (November)

One of the newest events to hit the scene, White Party Puerto Vallarta competes with White Party Palm Springs for world’s largest gay dance music festival. Jeffrey Sanker, one of the most iconic gay party promoters in the world, teamed up with Javier Jimenez, one of Puerto Vallarta’s hottest nightspot owners, and premiered the hit 4-day festival over American Thanksgiving in 2018 at Mantamar Beach Club.

Keeping true to the flamboyant spirit of White Party Palm Springs, also run by Sanker, White Party Puerto Vallarta, brings us the biggest, wettest pool parties, beach and rooftop parties, over-the-top performances, go-go dancers, and renowned DJs from around the world. Past White Party Palm Springs performers include Kylie Minogue, Lady Gaga and Deborah Cox.

 

Puerto Vallarta is one of the world’s leading LGBTQ-friendly destinations in the world and a convenient getaway for most of us to make. Once you go, you may want to keep coming back for more! For more local recommendations, talk to one of our LGBTQ Expert Travellers.

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