The best gay clubs are in the downtown area, about 15 minutes from the touristy Hotel Zone. Cancún also hosts the 5-year-old Cancún International Gay Festival in May and the Cancún Riviera Maya Gay Fall Festival in November. And though it is undeniably Mexico lite - some would say soulless - it claims some of Mexico's best hotels and beaches, not to mention the best vacation package and airfare deals. Though laboring under a persistent, hyper-straight Spring Break image, Cancún has a thriving local gay scene. For a major resort with no lodging marketed as gay-owned or gay-friendly and no official gay beach, it's doing pretty well. Cancún has been playing catch-up in a big way though and is bidding to become the country's No. The dozen or more hotels catering to gay and lesbian guests range from the newish (and steepish) Casa Cupula to the budget-priced but still stylish Hotel Mercurio.Īs Cancún's master-planned glitter siphoned tourists from Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta and other traditional beach resorts, those older spots filled the gap partly by appealing to gay visitors. Blue Chairs and the adjacent Green Chairs are the prime gay spots on Los Muertos Beach. Apaches Martini and Cocktail Bar is a lesbian-owned institution similarly, woman-oriented Uncommon Grounds Chill Out Lounge is a monument to extravagant design. Luckily, this district hosts most of the gay-owned and gay-friendly businesses, including colorful bars like Frida's Cantina and urbane martini lounges like Garbo. As an added bonus the winter high season offers gay cruises, horseback riding, gay bingo, and strip and drag shows every night.Īlthough it has endured rampaging development in some areas, the cobblestone streets of the southern Zona Romantica district - variously known as Old Town, the South Side, Playa del Sol/Los Meurtos Beach or Olas Altas - still ooze charm. In addition to the lingering whiff of legend bestowed by Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's steamy "Night of the Iguana" affair half a lifetime ago, Puerto Vallarta's beaches, walkable streets, sophisticated restaurants, varied nightlife and shopping add up to an unbeatable combination. "Vallarta" is the jewel in Mexico's coastal crown, drawing young and old, foreign and Mexican visitors alike. (Please leave comments with your recommendations and experiences for a future column about lesser-known gay-friendly Mexican destinations.) Here's a look at Mexico's top gay destinations.
In fact, PlanetOut, the San Francisco media company serving the gay and lesbian market, named Mexico its 2007 travel destination of the year. Mexicans do prefer more discretion in public than we are accustomed to in the United States, but gay travelers will find a warm welcome in much of the country. To be sure, homosexuality is still fairly closeted - many gay Mexicans staunchly maintain a macho front, and the lesbian scene is still mostly underground - but in general Mexico's attitude toward homosexuality is surprisingly liberal, especially in larger cities. Michoacán and Veracruz states are on the verge of passing similar measures, and gay rights legislation is under consideration in Colima, Jalisco, Guerrero and Puebla states. 8 in California, in Mexico - Catholic, traditional, macho Mexico - gay civil unions have been legalized in Mexico City and the entire northern border state of Coahila. Call it an anomaly or call it irony: While debate and legal maneuvers roil around Prop.