{"id":2843,"date":"2021-11-12T13:28:23","date_gmt":"2021-11-12T13:28:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/b4y.ca\/?p=2843"},"modified":"2021-11-12T13:30:06","modified_gmt":"2021-11-12T13:30:06","slug":"beach-clubs-drag-shows-and-tranquil-relaxation-why-mexicos-puerto-vallarta-is-the-perfect-queer-winter-sun-getaway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/b4y.ca\/?p=2843","title":{"rendered":"Beach clubs, drag shows and tranquil relaxation: Why Mexico\u2019s Puerto Vallarta is the perfect queer winter sun getaway"},"content":{"rendered":"

I went to Mexico \u2013 specifically, Puerto Vallarta \u2013 and ended up being the sole lesbian in a gay male strip club. Yes, that\u2019s right. Here\u2019s how, and why you should visit (even if you\u2019re a lesbian)\u2026<\/p>\n

Puerto Vallarta and its sister town of Riviera Nayarit, just over the Jalisco border, together make a great winter sun getaway for gay and lesbian couples of all ages as well as young, gay men looking to party in a gaybourhood that\u2019s warmly welcomed by local Mexicans.<\/p>\n

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If you only have a week, split your time so that you can have a weekend in Vallarta partying and exploring the mountains, then a few days recovering in Riviera Nayarit.<\/p>\n

Gay bars in Puerto Vallarta\u2019s La Zona Rom\u00e1ntica.<\/h2>\n

Puerto Vallarta\u2019s has a gay district called La Zona Rom\u00e1ntica. Many people return year after year but there\u2019s also a growing number of young people trying Vallarta for their first time. I even bumped into a gay Glaswegian couple who had flown to the gay strip after being recommended by fellow travellers to try it for the first time. They\u2019d previously never heard of Vallarta but were leaving pleasantly surprised that there\u2019s long been a welcomed gay community here.<\/p>\n

In low season (May-November), the strip is heaving on a Saturday night but it\u2019s fairly dead mid-week. We returned on a Tuesday evening unsure if holiday goers would be continuing the party but the strip was mostly empty except for a small crowd in CC Slaughters (see below) that were still going strong at 3am.<\/p>\n

Mantamar Beach Club: The go-to place for gay men.<\/h2>\n
\"Mantamar
Mantamar Beach Club in Puerto de Vallarta (PinkNews)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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In Puerto de Vallarta,\u00a0Mantamar Beach Club<\/a>\u00a0is the go-to place for \u2013 mostly \u2013 gay men. Although I spotted one small group of lesbians and they do occasionally throw lesbian parties in low season, it\u2019s definitely geared towards gay men looking to party.<\/p>\n

Mantamar Beach Club and its accompanying hotel and\u00a0Top Sky Bar<\/a>, linked by a small road, are owned by Vidal Meza and Javier Jim\u00e9nez. The bar itself opened just over five years ago. Just a few days after it was first built the whole place was burnt down in a suspected arson attack, which the owners believe may have been due to the noisy parties they threw when it first opened.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve learnt to keep the noise down since then,\u201d explains co-owner Meza, who had to rebuild the entire bar. It was worth it though, he says, as the fire brought them masses of press and business soon bounced back. They\u2019re now planning to develop the site into an even larger hotel, adding a gym and botox centre on-site.<\/p>\n

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The pair took me, and several other journalists, on a tequila-fuelled tour of the nearby gay strip, including several bars own by Jim\u00e9nez.<\/p>\n

Mr. Flamingo: This is where you\u2019ll make new friends.<\/h2>\n
\"Mr
Mr Flamingo is a very friendly gay bar in Puerto Vallarta (Mr Flamingo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Imagine Heaven\u2019s cheese room was a beach bar and you\u2019ve got\u00a0Mr Flamingo<\/a>. Sadly, yes, it is Mr Flamingo and there\u2019s certainly no Ms or Mx equivalent here \u2013 we\u2019re far from\u00a0east London<\/a>\u00a0or the likes of\u00a0Lick<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mr. Flamingo is located on the corner of the main strip of the gaybourhood. It\u2019s small but very friendly and a seriously popular choice attracting the most mixed crowd I saw in Vallarta.<\/p>\n

The great thing about the Zona Rom\u00e1ntica is that everything is so close together and the bars and clubs don\u2019t charge entry, so you can pop next door for a margarita as soon as you fancy a change.<\/p>\n

Wet Dreams: Great for cruising, not so great for lesbians.<\/h2>\n
\"Wet
Wet Dreams is men-only (Wet Dreams)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wet Dreams<\/a>\u00a0is pretty much what it says on the tin \u2013 a strip club\/cruising space for gay men. Complete with dancers, a shower and pole dancing, it\u2019s usually strictly men only but the owners made an exception to give us a tour and, less surprisingly, more tequila.<\/p>\n

Needless to say, being a butch lesbian surrounded by horny gay men massaging themselves was not what I\u2019d flown 12 hours to Mexico for but as one of the strippers and I accidentally locked eyes we couldn\u2019t help but laugh. I made a speedy exit before the pants came off in search of a more-lesbian friendly space.<\/p>\n

\"Wet
Wet Dreams is far from the Mexican lesbian dream (Wet Dreams)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Club Paco Paco: The best place for drag shows.<\/h2>\n
\"The
The best place for drag shows (Paco\u2019s Ranch)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Round the corner you have\u00a0Club Paco Paco<\/a>, also known as Paco\u2019s Ranch, which many locals would tell you no gay night in Vallarta is complete without.<\/p>\n

Paco\u2019s is a medium-sized club with two floors that is known for its drag shows. Maybe it was hard to tell after all the mezcal but the crowd seemed a little too serious for young gays watching queens lip sync to Britney. Mostly popular with gay men and trans women, it wins the award for what has to be one of the most niche drag references to be made in Jalisco history \u2013 who knew Fleur East had a Mexican fan base?<\/p>\n

La Cantina Margarita: A great meeting point.<\/h2>\n
\"Cantina
Cantina bar in Puerto de Vallarta\u2019s gay district (PinkNews)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

La Cantina Margarita<\/a>\u00a0is probably the most relaxed and grown-up gay bar of the Zona Rom\u00e1ntica. It\u2019s a good starting point for a night out \u2013 although not too early as Mexicans save most of the partying until the early hours \u2013 and also a more chilled conversation if you\u2019re catching up with friends.<\/p>\n

In fact, if you really want a quiet night and are looking for an older scene, then the\u00a0Piano Bar<\/a>\u00a0is one of Vallarta\u2019s oldest gay bars and will happily take your Celine Dion requests.<\/p>\n

La Noche: The gay bar with a view.<\/h2>\n
\"La
La Noche in Puerto Vallarta (La Noche)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Next door to Cantina,\u00a0La Noche<\/a>\u00a0also has regular drag shows and male dancers on podiums \u2013 although it isn\u2019t exclusively for men like Wet Dreams is. Its terrace bar is more relaxed than downstairs and you\u2019ll have a view of the strip but you\u2019ll miss the aircon.<\/p>\n

CC Slaughters: Head here for low season partying.<\/h2>\n
\"CC
CC Slaughters is a bar and club (CC Slaughters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Directly opposite is\u00a0CC Slaughters<\/a>\u00a0which tends to be quite mixed. If you\u2019re going out mid-week this is likely to be the busiest (although its nightclub at the back of the bar will be painfully empty). Playing pop and Latino dance, the bar is quite friendly and, after you\u2019ve had enough tequila, it has a nightclub at the back. Thankfully, there\u2019s also a taco takeaway next door if it all gets too much.<\/p>\n

Industry: Vallarta\u2019s biggest gay club.<\/h2>\n
\"Industry
Industry is a good place to end your night (Industry)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Next door is\u00a0Industry<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 probably the best place to end your night as it stays open until 7am. The vibe is more techno and laser lights and, of course, no nightclub is complete without a sex swing in the entrance.<\/p>\n

What else is there to do in Puerto de Vallarta?<\/h2>\n

Take a walk along the town\u2019s malec\u00f3n and spot artwork by the indigenous Wix\u00e1ritari community, try raicilla \u2013 a drink similar to tequila that\u2019s fast becoming Mexico\u2019s equivalent to craft beer \u2013 at\u00a0La Lul\u00fa<\/a>, and go snorkelling with\u00a0Vallarta Adventures<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Where to stay: Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa.<\/h2>\n

The\u00a0Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa<\/a>\u00a0is a 20-minute drive from the Zona Rom\u00e1ntica. You won\u2019t find the younger gay scene here but an Uber to the strip doesn\u2019t cost more than a fiver. The resort is very close to the Marina where you can take a range of Vallarta Adventures to a truly\u00a0beautiful beach<\/a>\u00a0and to the surrounding\u00a0mountains<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Vallarta
Vallarta Adventures run private tours to Majahuitas (PinkNews)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The hotel\u2019s pool is the biggest in Vallarta and has to be the resort\u2019s best feature. The outdoor bar is built into the pool so you can even swim right up and sip on your Corona while sat in the water.<\/p>\n

It also prides itself on being gay and lesbian friendly \u2013 their cat Mitzy even took part in this year\u2019s Pride parade.<\/p>\n

\"Pride
Pride of joy: The Marriott\u2019s cat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cure your hangover in Riviera Nayarit.<\/h2>\n
\"Sayulita
Sayulita is a popular town in Riviera Nayarit (PinkNews)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When you need a slower pace after partying in Puerto Vallarta, Riviera Nayarit is just a 30-minute drive away. There\u2019s plenty to do here, from making your own organic, vegan chocolate from cacao beans at\u00a0Planet Cacao<\/a>, to boutique shopping and iguana-spotting in Sayulita, as well as\u00a0surfing classes<\/a>\u00a0for the more adventurous.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I went to Mexico \u2013 specifically, Puerto Vallarta \u2013 and ended up being the sole lesbian in a gay male strip club. Yes, that\u2019s right. Here\u2019s how, and why you should visit (even if you\u2019re a lesbian)\u2026 Puerto Vallarta and its sister town of Riviera Nayarit, just over the Jalisco border, together make a great […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2844,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[93,144],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-destinations","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/b4y.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2843","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/b4y.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/b4y.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b4y.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b4y.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2843"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/b4y.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2843\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b4y.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/b4y.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b4y.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b4y.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}