Gay Puerto Vallarta-The Varied Attractions of this Very Gay-Friendly City

Delightful Puerto Vallarta is the gay friendliest city in Mexico.  It was already a thriving little town in the 19^th century.  This gives it a sense of history and charm that isn’t found in many of the newer Mexican resort cities.  Take these two facts, throw in tropical beaches, mountains and great food and you have all you’ll need for a vacation that can be both relaxing and invigorating.  Don’t forget that currently the US dollar will buy you nearly 20 Mexican Pesos!  This exchange rate makes Puerto Vallarta an amazing bargain as of this writing.

Puerto Vallarta History

English speakers shorten it to “P.V.”.  Spanish speakers shorten it to “Vallarta”.  Both have been enjoying this destination since the 1950’s.  At that time artists and writers from the US, escaping the Eisenhower era and McCarthyism, began seeking solace in the area.  A neighborhood in the hill above the center of town became known as “Gringo Gulch” and was filled with expatriates. Mexican artists soon joined them for the area’s natural beauty and artistic camaraderie .  In 1964 “The Night of the Iguana” was filmed just south of town.  Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton became regulars in the area and its fate was sealed as a jet set destination.

Puerto Vallarta Zones

The city has four distinct zones.  Of interest to visitors is the hotel zone which is along the coast to the north.  El Centro is the center of town south of this.  It contains the famous Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. (The one with the lacy ironwork crown that was featured in the opening to “The Love Boat” for those of us old enough to remember).  It also contains the Malecon, a walkway along the shore.  It is lined with restaurants and shops worth exploring.  To the south of this is the Zona Romantica.  A quaint, older area filled with bars, restaurants and shopping.   This is where most of the gay scene is located.

Puerto Vallarta Gay Scene

Speaking of the gay scene, it is thriving.  Vallarta is often referred to as “the San Francisco of Mexico”, or as Guadalajara’s “Fire Island”.  While it isn’t as overwhelmingly gay as Fire Island, it does have over 18 gay bars/clubs in which to pass the time.  These range from quiet cocktail lounges, where you can watch the sunset, to wonderfully raunchy stripper clubs.  It also has a very active gay beach area.  There is also a wide variety of surprisingly good restaurants.  Mexican is of course well represented.  But, so is European, Chinese and other cuisines.

Gay Puerta Vallarta is more than bars

If you tire of sunning and drinking, there are several active pursuits to explore.  Scuba/snorkel, para-sail, go zip-lining, horseback ride through the mountains or at the beach, or take a boat to a hidden beach inside a collapsed island offshore.  Puerto Vallarta is a wonderful place to spend a day ashore from a cruise, or a week with enough time to soak it all in.  Purple Light Vacations would love to help you plan your trip and provide more information on this destination.  Call 619-324-1444 x3, or click HERE to go to our ready to book page and get the process started.

Next month, we will return to Catalunya with Sitges and Figueres.