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 Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta #1 Destination

There are so many spectacular beach getaways in Mexico and it's tough to focus on just one, but Puerto Vallarta offers so much for the buck and has many facilities that cater to the gay and lesbian crowd that it deserves your attention. The beach resort has a large gay beach and many of the areas restaurants, bars and shopping areas cater to this crowd.

In the early planning stages of your trip, a good site to visit is DiscoveryVallarta, which offers the Puerto Vallarta Gay Travel Guide, touting itself as the city's “most comprehensive gay and lesbian vacation directory of things to see and places to go.” The site offers in-depth planning information for visiting Puerto Vallarta's gay beach, gay cruise and all the other gay-friendly entertainment options in this small little beach town. It also provides a history of the town and tips for tourists visiting for the first time. Links for everything from hotels to art galleries are available through this site and it goes without saying that for Puerto Vallarta newbies, this is an important pre-trip planning guide.

Another comprehensive site for trip-planning is Gay Guide Vallarta, which, similar to discoveryvallarta.com, lists all the nightlife and daytime activities for your trip. A calendar, a discussion forum, maps and links are all available to help plan a visit to Puerto Vallarta. The site also features links for shopping, gyms and spas, as well as other activities, hotels, restaurants and bars in the city. Between Gay Guide Vallarta and Discovery Vallarta, there is a lot of information to be obtained online for planning a gay-friendly trip to Puerto Vallarta.

And another site for Puerto Vallarta vacation planning is DoinItRight, which like Gay Guide Vallarta and Discovery Vallarta offers a variety of options for hotels, restaurants and bars, as well as things to do and see while in town relaxing at the beach. It also offers links for condominium rentals and other accommodations in town.

Puerto Vallarta has a strong gay and lesbian vacation community and some hotels cater strictly to this crowd. Hotel Mercurio is a gay and lesbian hotel seated just a couple of blocks from the popular gay beach Zona Romantica. Rooms include refrigerators, and some even offer a kitchenette. Rates are unbelievably reasonable (high season for a king-size bed is only US$80). A pool and massage service and a pool are available and continental breakfast is served daily. For a comfortable, friendly place to stay, this hotel is definitely worth checking out.

A luxury boutique hotel located within walking distance of the gay beach, Casa Cupula is located right in the middle of Puerto Vallarta. As would be expected from a boutique hotel, the rooms are nicely appointed in the Mexican villa style and the service is attentive. Enjoy premium liquors, massage service and concierge service. This gay-friendly bed and breakfast facility captures the feel of tropical Puerto Vallarta, including fresh tropical fruit and parakeets.

Touting itself as the largest gay and lesbian beachfront resort in the world, Blue Chairs is an adult-only property right on the beach in Puerto Vallarta. As the largest and probably most well-known gay hotel in Puerto Vallarta, its Web site is a great place for the what's happening in town. From gay cruises to shows to massages and horseback riding, Blue Chairs is certainly the resort if small boutique hotels isn't your taste. The website isn't the easiest to figure out but you can find out rates for the hotel and book your room.

If sailing is your thing, check out Rainbow Dancer for information on gay-friendly cruising. From luxury cruising to sailing, complete with food and drinks, a trip out on the open water is a must-do vacation experience in Puerto Vallarta. Prices are beyond reasonable at US$38 per person for lunch, snacks and an open bar ($38 for an evening of on-the-water fun cannot be passed up!), and the trips are small and intimate. The sailing vessel only accommodates 14 people and you must be over 18 to be allowed on board.