Puerto Vallarta: Mexico’s LGBT vacation haven – 10/24/2023 – Tourism

This is a very safe city, especially for the LGBTQIA+ community.” This is a common phrase to hear in Puerto Vallarta, a Mexican city on the Pacific coast that attracts attention
not only for its natural beauty, but also for being an enclave of sexual diversity.

Nicknamed “the Cancún of gays”, it is located in the west of the country, in the state of Jalisco, in a wide bay surrounded by mountains and beaches. From the capital, just a one and a half hour flight to get there

While the airport’s surroundings are home to the region’s most luxurious resorts, at the other end of the city, in the south, is the Romantic Zone — so called due to the high concentration of bars and brothels that marked the outskirts decades ago. The bad reputation, however, was not an obstacle for actor Richard Burton to go there in 1963 to film “The Iguana Night”, released the following year.

With the recordings, Elizabeth Taylor, then Hollywood’s darling, started visiting the city. The actress was not in the film’s cast, but was Burton’s lover at the time. The frenzy surrounding the parties she promoted played a role in transforming the city into a refuge for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Thanks to the actress and her team’s partying, it is believed that many American and Canadian gays began to take an interest in the city, establishing bars, restaurants, clubs and hotels dedicated to the community there. Today, even pharmacies welcome this public with rainbow flags on their facades.

“Streets full of groups, couples or solo travelers from the community make it incredibly easy to make new friends, whether by the sea or in the local bars,” says Gustavo Ribeiro, a Brazilian lawyer who explored the city in July this year. “At all times, I felt welcomed and safe.”

Although Mexico records cases of homophobic violence, in Puerto Vallarta the story seems to be different.

To this day, most of the tourists who walk through the streets of the small city are Americans, attracted mainly by the ease of access —Puerto Vallarta is a maximum four-hour flight from cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta and Chicago. The favorable exchange rate for them also helps.

Actor and content producer Tommy Alexander says he was in the city for the first time to surf, but it was in July this year that he explored the romantic area of ​​Puerto Vallarta.

“There are gays everywhere, and I could tell that the locals felt comfortable with us. Whether I was taking a taxi or going to a restaurant wearing one of my short t-shirts or mesh shirts, I felt at ease.”

Among the options that the Romantic Zone offers, some are the most popular among first-time visitors. The former nightclub The Palm, now called La Noche, is one of the most traditional in the neighborhood. It was opened in the early 2000s and welcomes both tourists and locals, who flock to enjoy drag queen shows and to enjoy the view from its rooftop. Those who also enjoy drag shows can have fun at Paco’s Ranch.

To enjoy the day, Playa de Los Muertos is the main meeting point for the LGBT community. It’s a beach that offers the excitement typical of gay resorts. For days that call for more peace, it’s worth visiting Conchas Chinas Beach or Las Gemelas Beach, both surrounded by natural landscapes.