Gay Puerto Vallarta

Gay Puerto Vallarta Introduction
Charming Puerto Vallarta, Mexico is a lively small city of red tiled roofs and cobblestone streets, roosters, donkeys and iguanas, friendly locals, expatriates and fun loving tourists. Nestled between the brilliant Banderas Bay and the lush tropical forests of the Sierra Madre mountains on Mexico's west coast (see map), Puerto Vallarta is known for its long sandy beaches, beautiful ocean and mountain views, handsome men and its many fine restaurants. Whether sunbathing at the popular gay beach, sailing on the gay cruise, bike riding along the Cuale River, whale watching on sun drenched Banderas Bay or dancing the night away at your favorite local gay club, there is something for you to adore and fall in love with in Puerto Vallarta.

Puerto Vallarta was a small town based on agriculture and fishing until 1963, when Hollywood director John Huston chose his site for the filming of Tennessee Williams' brilliant play "The Night of the Iguana" in the small fishing village of Mismaloya, ten miles south of Vallarta. The movie starred Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, Deborah Kerr and Sue Lyon. Liz Taylor came to be with Burton, whom she married here for the first time. The story is told that the talented macho director Huston gave each of the stars their own pistol with a set of bullets engraved with the names of the other actors. Surprisingly, there was harmony among the tempestuous actors, but the spotlight was turned on and the international attention that started then has brought Puerto Vallarta a wealth of tourism ever since. The population has grown rapidly from some 12,500 in 1964 to around 250,000 people in 2007 and approximately two and a half million national and foreign tourists visit the city every year. The local economy is largely based on tourism, but also on construction and such agricultural products as papaya, pineapple, bananas and mangos.

As with most port cities, Puerto Vallarta has a tradition of tolerance and is certainly one of the most gay friendly cities in Mexico. The local newspaper La Tribuna de la Bahia conducted an unofficial survey in November 1999 and found that a majority of the people surveyed said they would have no problem with a gay mayor, as long as he was qualified for the job.

Puerto Vallarta has become the most popular gay travel destination south of the border, surpassing the huge city of Acapulco in recent years as a hot spot. The town is safer than any American city that I know of and combines beautifully the Old World charm of its cobblestone streets and white stucco houses with the modern amenities of a world class resort, having a multitude of five star hotels, fine beaches and quality stores and boutiques, as well as large and growing middle and professional classes. The Mexicans are known for their friendliness and the people of Puerto Vallarta (often just known as 'PV' for short) are no exception.

Puerto Vallarta has become the most popular gay travel destination south of the border, surpassing the huge city of Acapulco in recent years as a hot spot. The town is safer than any American city that I know of and combines beautifully the Old World charm of its cobblestone streets and white stucco houses with the modern amenities of a world class resort, having a multitude of five star hotels, fine beaches and quality stores and boutiques, as well as large and growing middle and professional classes. The Mexicans are known for their friendliness and the people of Puerto Vallarta (often just known as 'PV' for short) are no exception.

The American Society of Travel Agents reports Vallarta as the sixth most favorite destination for American travelers abroad, and for good reason. Conde Nast Traveler ranked Puerto Vallarta in 2002 as one of the top 10 foreign cities of the world, up there along with Paris, Rome, Sydney, London and Hong Kong. For foreign friendliness, Vallarta outranks all the choices and is also the first choice for its ambiance. Conde Nast further notes that Vallarta "makes its debut on the list this year, in part because of the remarkable amiability of the local folk." So there you have it, folks!

Most of Puerto Vallarta's gay tourism comes from the West Coast states and British Columbia, Texas and the Southwest, as well as large numbers from Montreal and Toronto. One meets more and more people from the Midwest, especially Chicago. Puerto Vallarta's reputation draws tourists from the East Coast as European destinations and the resort areas in Florida become more expensive. Prices are still reasonable here and the American dollar is quite strong vis-a-vis the Mexican peso, at around 10.5 pesos to the dollar. Vallarta was listed as the #1 beach destination in Latin America by Travel and Leisure Magazine.

In a recent New York Times article Susan Hauser writes that she ditches her Vallarta city tour and goes off "to walk for hours along the beach and through the picturesque town. The inviting shops and restaurants that fill every block give this town a European feel, I think, and I love the modern bronze sculptures placed along the waterfront."

David Kirby in a May 2004 New York Times travel article says that the crowd at the beach was friendly, "mostly over 30, and mostly from the Midwest or West Coast. For a gay beach scene, it was pretty low key. Many there said they go back to Puerto Vallarta every year, not only for the gay scene but also the relaxed atmosphere and gorgeous natural surroundings." He rightly says that the night life "equals or rivals that of almost any midsized metropolis in North America....there are many inviting daytime activities"

These activities occur nearly every day or night of the week during the "high season" winter months: the gay cruise, horseback riding, gay bingo, stripper and drag shows, happy hours galore, pool parties, and of course the extremely popular gay beach. The bars are doing a booming business and there are now some eighteen gay clubs, bars, cantinas and lounges, all but two of them in the unique part of town known as the South Side. Vallarta also has a very lively local art and music scene. Though the summer months are slower for tourism compared to the winter season, more tourists are coming year-round for the friendly accommodations, lovely beaches, relaxing atmosphere and the many fun things to do and see.

Gay Puerto Vallarta Nightlife

Most of the gay spots are on the level ground where the Rio Cuale (Cuale River) empties into Vallarta's Bandaras Bay. This area, a zone often called South Side or Zona Romantica over last few years, could just as well be called homo heights. There is a decided shift away from the Hooters, Hard Rock Cafe, and local straight night spots like the Zoo or Kahlua, that so dominate the malecon just north of the city center. South of the city center is where gay men and women are everywhere.

Vallarta's primary club or disco scene, gay or straight, is pretty late in the evening. Don't plan on much happening at these clubs until past midnight.

Before the late night action gets going, the places to be are on Olas Altas Street.

Olas Altas Street, a wonderful side-walk café strewn strip of land where the mountains are closest to the beach, is where everyone walks. Olas Altas by has become something reminiscent of a Paris back street, lined with sidewalk cafés, but located in the tropics here in gay Puerto Vallarta. Along Olas Altas Street are several gay bars. All are the kind of places where you'll see activity earlier in the evening.

Earlier in the evening the happy hour circuit usually starts off at various places where the crowd gathers to watch the sunset.