Gay History Of Puerto Vallarta - Fall 2023

EQUIPO

PUBLICISTA Y SOCIO

PROPIETARIO

Jerry Jones

Jerry@outandaboutpv.com

DISEÑO GRÁFICO Y PUBLICITARIO

Marco Encinas

direccion@marcoencinas.com

VENTAS DIGITALES Y EVENTOS

Rande Lee

PORTADA

Oscar Almeida

REMEMBERING VALLARTA’S PAST THAT SHAPED ITS FUTURE

Puerto Vallarta has not always been a gay mecca or even a gay-friendly beach town. It, like many places, has evolved with the times.

Many would say that the gay evolution of Vallarta began with the 1964 film Night of the Iguana. Richard Burton starred in the film, and had an affair with Elizabeth Taylor during their time in Vallarta. Even building homes and spending time here. But the true history of how Vallarat became Mexico’s gay San Francisco is much more complex.

Many people played a part in its evolution, some of whom we profile in this issue. Politics and money also played a part - like it does in most cases.

We’ve tried hard to capture the significant moments of Vallarta’s gay history in these pages and chronicle those tidbits of time - but realize that we’ve probably missed a few items. And because memories fade, some accounts that people have shared may or may not be completely accurate.

We also didn’t have space or time to research and capture all of the moments in history that we wanted to. We focused on those events that helped shape and form Puerto Vallarta into the welcoming gay city- and the neighborhood of Zona Romantica - that it has become.

We hope you enjoy this glimpse into Puerto Vallarta’s rich history and some of the people that helped shape its future.

Jerry Jones Editor and Publisher

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VENTAS Y RELACIONES PÚBLICAS

Gerwin Rutten

Gerwin@outandaboutpv.com

FOTOGRAFÍA, VIDEOGRAFÍA,REDES SOCIALES

Oscar Almeida

Oscar@outandaboutpv.com

05 Paco Ruiz Known To Be the “Founding Father of Gay Vallarta”

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DIRECCIÓN DE OFICINA Y DE CORREO

Out & About PV, S. DE R.L. DE C.V. Out & About Puerto Vallarta Constitucion 285 A, Emiliano Zapata, Puerto Vallarta 48380 Puerto Vallarta, Jal., Mexico

ACERCA DE NOSOTROS

10 1982: Vallarta’s First Gay Bar Makes its Debut

47 Puerto Vallarta Launched Mexico’s First LGBTQ+ Tourism Campaigns

66

Out & About PV es una publicación de O&APV, S. de R.L de C.V., copyright@2023, Publicación trimestral gratuita de Puerto Vallarta con contenido LGBT de Puerto Vallarta y áreas colindantes. Out & About PV es un estilo de vida enfocado a información de viaje, eventos, negocios y noticias locales para LGBT. O&APV es gratuita, y distribuida en Puerto Vallarta, disponible en línea en todo el mundo en Outandaboutpv.com

OPORTUNIDADES

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14 Gay Bars That Once Were, Made History In Their Heyday

Mark Rome Set the Stage For Theater in Puerto Vallarta

Vallarta Pride Celebrates Ten Years After Business Owners Organized First Pride in 2013

50 Paul Crist Reflects On How Vallarta Has Evolved

54 Timeline for significant gay events that have happened in Puerto Vallarta

Paco Ruiz Known To Be the “Founding Father of Gay Vallarta”

PACO RUIZ (FRANCISCO RUIZ ACEVES), WHO FOUNDED ONE OF THE FIRST THREE GAY NIGHTCLUBS IN PUERTO VALLARTA, IS CITED BY MANY AS BEING THE FOUNDING FATHER OF GAY VALLARTA.

He and his husband, David Lansley, were so involved in gay life on South side of Puerto Vallarta (known as Old Town or Zona Romantica), that they helped make it into the popular LGBTQ+ tourist destination it is today.

Paco and David were together for 30 years, as boyfriends and then husbands. Their first nightclub, nwhich was initially located on Pino Suárez Street in 1989, and years later to move to Ignacio L. Vallarta Street, where this place called Paco Paco remained for a long time

In addition to the nightclub, the two expanded the brand to include the businesses Paco´s Descanso del Sol (a gay hotel), Paco´s Olas Altas, Paco´s Paradise (a nude beach) and Paco´s Ranch.

“I think that we owe a huge debt of gratitude to a few people who came before us. But two people in particular stand out, Paco Ruiz and David Lansley,” said Paul Crist, who owns Mercurio Hotel and Mercurio Swimwear, and

a long time resident and businessman in Puerto Vallarta. “Paco and David were the original owners of Paco Paco (now Paco’s Ranch). They were the pioneers who built the foundations of what has become the most vibrant and popular gay destination in Latin America.”

But it was the activism and challenging local authities that perhaps made the biggest difference in local life.

Not long after Paco Paco opened in December 1989, Vallarta Police would regularly harass Paco and his customers, not only putting him in jail but also demanding bribes. One one occasion, he was arrested for two lesbians kissing in his bar. But this time, instead of paying bribes to get him out, his partner David called media organizations in Mexico City.

It just so happened that a national TV personality, Nino Canun, was in Puerto Vallarta at the time, taping his talk show, ¿Y Usted... Que Opina?

Word filtered down and Canun ended up interviewing Ruiz for the

show. The show was one of the most popular shows in Mexico at that time, and the attention embarrassed local leaders.

”His case became one of those momentary media sensations all over Mexico. It was on all the newscasts on TV and PV's mayor was not pleased. In fact he pretty much freaked out, because it made Vallarta the laughing stock of the moment,” wrote Ed Walsh in a 2009 article in the SF Gay Travel Examiner.

Walsh went on to note in the article that it wasn’t long after that the city embraced gay tourism.

“But most important was that Paco was probably the first gay activist or business owner who stood up to corrupt and homophobic police and city officials. He was a force to be reckoned with,” Crist explained. “He often accompanied drag and trans people to the local jail when they were rounded up on invented (or planted) charges. He simply said “NO!” when city officials tried to shake down his and other small gay owned businesses. For all they did, they both died in relative poverty and obscurity. There are many reasons for that and blame to go around. But they should be recognized for the tremendous contributions they made.”

David Lansley passed away on Friday, July 4, 2014 at the age of 60. Paco Ruiz died in 2016 at 62 years old.

Lansley not only helped Ruiz with his businesses, he also helped found the city’s first gay publication, Gay Guide Vallarta.

Photo provided by: Angie Star

Vallarta’s First Gay Bar Makes its Debut

VICKY MACEDO CONVERTS FAMILY HOME TO MAKE LOS BALCONES PUERTO VALLARTA’S FIRST GAY BAR

BY RANDE LEE

In 1982, a young Lesbian named Vicky Macedo made history. She converted her family home, where she had been raised at Juarez 182, Centro, into the first openly gay bar in Puerto Vallarta.

Her beloved father had died some years before, and her mother subsequently moved to Colonia El Cerro. The house was vacant, and needed a purpose. Vicky decided to give it a big one, and by doing so, she and

her bar are now forever a part of the gay history of Puerto Vallarta.

Vicky was a writer, an artist, a theater performer in Mexico City, and above all else, a kind and fun loving person. She wanted to create a welcoming environment for the increasing number of mostly gay male tourists who were, at that time, beginning to discover this Pacific Coast gem.

Los Balcones, in English, the balco-

nies, had five balconies, all with an incredible view of the streets below. Two looked down onto Libertad, and three looked down onto the busy street of Juarez.

I learned the history of Vallarta’s first bar on a steamy night in early August, 2023. I had the pleasure of visiting with Osiel Echeverria, a former Los Balcones regular, Tom Finley, Owner of Bar Frida 4.0, and Victor Ceja, a Los Balcones emplo-

yee from 1986 until the early 2000s. Happy memories were shared about a time now belonging to the storied past.

Puerto Vallarta, even at that time, was more open to differences than most other Mexican cities in the region.

Therefore, Vicky gambled that her idea of a bar catering to a gay clientele would be accepted, or at least tolerated by the local power

structure. She had a beautiful circular bar constructed that placed the handsome bartender right in the middle of all the action.

“It had a carousel feel,” recalled Tom, “and was the perfect design for cruising.” Tom continued, smiling “the bartender had his own unique way of mixing cocktails.”

The bar became an instant hit, it was friendly, welcoming, and was known as the perfect spot for Americans to meet locals. Patrons would arrive, buy a ticket from the cashier, and then take the ticket up to the bar to get a drink. After grabbing their drink, guys were then able to find their favorite perch on the balcony, just in time to view the abundance of scenery below.

You could hoist a drink to an appealing young man standing across the street, and if he was interested, he would climb the stairway, and join the revelry on the balcony above.

“We all knew each other,” recalled Osiel, “it was like a reunion every day,” he said smiling.

Victor reminisced how the rest of the staff routinely called him by the nickname of Vicky, as he was known as Vicky Macedo’s right hand man. His favorite memory of Los Balcones was from 1995, when Drag Queen Nights were introduced. They were incredibly well received, and according to Victor, they were the first drag queen contests open to the public in all of Puerto Vallarta.

The bar was popular beyond belief for many years, but as time passed, competition increased into the market that they alone once inhabited. In 1997, Vicky sold the bar to her sister in law, named Magali.

In 2000, Los Balcones changed to more of a club style atmosphere, playing techno music and other rhythms of the day.

With that change in mind, the much beloved circular bar was removed. The 2000s passed quickly, and as the later part of that decade arrived, the bar's popularity started to decline. In 2008 the bar was named “Room Service” and promoted itself as a “ new lesbian-owned club,

trying to carve out a space for local queer women.”

Vicky died peacefully in Puerto Vallarta in 2008, the city where she was born.

In 2009 the well known landmark closed permanently. In 2011, for a brief period, a gay bar by the name of Creama occupied the space. In 2012 a straight bar opened there called “Rock Show Bar” and closed in 2017.

Though gone, nothing can diminish the incredible memories of that time long ago, and the proud designation of Los Balcones, Vicky Macedo’s dream, as Puerto Vallarta’s very first gay bar.

Encuentra nuestra versión en español en: outandaboutpv.com

Gay Bars That Once Were, Made History In Their Heyday

BY RANDE LEE

WALKING AROUND PUERTO VALLARTA NOW, THERE ARE GAY BARS IN JUST ABOUT EVERY DIRECTION. AND WHILE IT'S DIFFICULT TO KEEP COUNT BECAUSE OF THE OPENING AND CLOSING OF THEM, AT LAST COUNT WE COUNTED AT LEAST 35 OF ALL SIZES CATERING TO ALL TYPES.

This however, was not always the case. There are some, very special, now defunct bars that made history

and many memories. Visiting with; Ricardo Brehm, Paul Crist, Geoff Dodds, Osiel Echeverra, and Wendell Martin, over a period of days in late August, we reminisced about some of them. The recollections of Club Manana are from my own memory of that period in time.

The Great Recession in 2009 took out many of the older bars that just could not survive. They included Amor, Bite Me Beach Club, Casano-

vas, world famous Club Manana, Deja Vecu, El Pianito, Freedom PV, Kit Kat, KokoHome Club, Kox, La Bola, Los Balcones, Los Equipales, Miseria, Picante, Plasma/Club Zenit, Stereo, Stonewall, The Ranch, and Tease. We focused on a few of these here.

ARIA was located at Pino Suárez 212, Zona Romántica, where the PVRPV laundry center now stands. It was opened in that space after Paco

Paco moved out of its original location (we think in the mid 1990s). The owner was Darrell Boyer, a talented comedian, piano player and singer from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Known for their happy hour, Aria was popular and fun. Occupying two levels, the action seemed centered on the second floor. The proprietor did all the entertaining, and he was a natural at it. Sadly, he died young, but left his mark on the history of gay Puerto Vallarta. It closed in 2001.

CLUB MANANA, to put it simply, was magic. Opening in late 2005, it was located where the massive Zenith Vallarta condo now stands, in an incredible old hacienda that was for a time the home of the club's well known owner, Peter Deep.

For eight action packed years patrons enjoyed top rated entertainment, dancers, eclectic music, all in a phenomenal atmosphere. I remember many a night, dancing into the wee hours, the moon overhead and the glistening pool just below, hoping it would never end.

Manana, as it was commonly known, was alive with a kinetic energy, sound, and humanity moving in rhythm that is almost unimaginable today. The bar was really an entertainment complex with completely different offerings all happening simultaneously.

The main lower level had a space with a cool indoor bar, while the circular courtyard had tables and chairs and the shining stars directly above. A huge dance floor was just beneath a stage, with the pool nearby. At the periphery of the hacienda surrounded by rustic brick was comfortable seating where you could easily meet someone at a moment’s notice. Upstairs was an intimate darkroom, and I recall a rooftop lounge area where you could while away those nights that seemed to never end.

Due to a list of circumstances the club closed in 2011 (it reopened in mid-2012 for a short time), but it lives on forever in the collective memory of all those who remember Peter Deep’s phenomenal dream called Club Manana.

LOS EQUIPALES was a cantina favorite, opening in 2010 at what is now Kooky’s Karaoke Bar. Owned by Marisol Gomez, the daughter of a former council member of Puerto Vallarta, it was very popular with local Gays and Lesbians.

A Mexican style cantina and restaurant, it was named after a style of chair that was very common here years ago. It was famous for its cowboy pop mix of music and Karaoke nights. Many local singers performed at Los Equipales, including the

famous El Diamante, Alberto Cuevas. The Puerto Vallarta Gay Chorus would go there to practice, and then continue to sing late into the night.

It was a massive space where everyone was welcome. Not well known

among tourists, it had a definite Mexican feel and clientele. The bar closed in 2016.

PLASMA was located where The Park condos now stand (235 Pino Suarez) and opened in 2006. It had videos on the plasma screen, pool table, and dark room. $15 pesos beer. It was a combination of two adjacent properties, a laid back bar on one side, and a more sexy, stripper, go go boys vibe on the other side. It closed in 2009.

ZOTANO AND POR QUE NO/ WHY NOT? was at 101 Morelos in Centro (Anthropology is now at this location). The establishment known

as Zotano was opened in February of 1995. By June of 1997, it was closed as Zotano, and opened under the name Por Que No/Why Not?. The basement level was more of a disco, but the main floor had pool tables, videos and a lounge feel. When Por Que No/Why Not? opened, a rooftop bar was added. It had a grill and a great selection of hamburgers, hot dogs and other casual offerings were served. They had strippers, but there were no poles in that era. The bar closed in early 2001.

NYPV was a huge structure that opened with great fanfare in March, 2004. It closed in November of 2004. It was located on the corner of Ignacio L. Vallarta 399, where currently the HEVA condo building V399 is located.

Walking into the cavernous space, you would immediately encounter a fifteen foot high bust of the Statue of Liberty, in front of that was the

grand dance floor. The VIP area was to the right of the entrance, and throughout there was an awesome lighting and sound system to be envied. The musical genre was pop and other selections from the time period. It was so large that a huge crowd needed to be in attendance to maintain the feel of popularity, and that seemed impossible to attain on a regular basis.

As we close, we would like to salute the gay pioneers whose gains, losses and lessons learned laid the groundwork for the success of all the wonderful bars and clubs that we enjoy today. Bravo. We apologize in advance for anyone we left out or dates that we may have gotten incorrect.

Photos provided by: Alberto Cuevas

Mark Rome Set the Stage For Theater in Puerto Vallarta

DRAG SHOWS AND PERFORMING ARTISTS HAVE BEEN A PART OF PUERTO VALLARTA’S GAY SCENE FOR MORE THAN 24 YEARS, WHEN THE PALM CABARET OPENED IN 1999.

Photo by: Oscar Almeida

MARK ROME HAS BEEN CREDITED AS THE “FATHER OF CABARET” IN PUERTO VALLARTA, WHICH NOW HAS A VERY ACTIVE THEATER SCENE, INCLUDING THE PALM CABARET AND BAR, INCANTO, NACHO DADDY BOUTIQUE THEATER AND ACT2PV.

At one point Mark Rome and The Palm Cabaret employed both Tracy Parks (owner and founder of Incanto) and Danny Mininni (founder of Act2PV, who died in 2022 at the age of 56). And interestingly enough, before all of that, Danny owned a real estate firm and employed Markand it was through Mark who Tammy Carruthers Prust, co-owner of Nacho Daddy, purchased her first home in Puerto Vallarta.

“None of this really was in existence before what Mark did when he opened The Palm,” Tracy Parks told O&APV in a 2018 story on the local entertainment business.”

THE PALM CABARET AND BAR Opened in 1999

The Palm Cabaret had an interesting beginning.

Founder Mark Rome told O&APV in a 2018 interview that the plan was to open a bingo hall. And on the week they opened it up, they couldn’t get a license for gambling.

“They wanted an extra $50,000 dollars. We looked at each other and said, “What are we gonna do now,” he said. “We became a video bar. A bar to go to before you went to Paco Paco.

We were quite successful and then a guy from Ottawa called Dixie Landers was here on vacation and said, “Can I do a drag show?” So we went to Sam’s Club and bought some big flashlights and those were our show lights. He kept filling the bar, night after night, and then he went home. Then our bar was empty. People would come and say “No show tonight?” We were full before we had him, and after two weeks of a drag show, everybody wanted a show. So we were empty until we asked the local drag queens to come in. That was the only way we could get people back.”

NACHO DADDY

Opened in 2012

Nacho Daddy opened at its current location at 287 Basilio Badillo in 2012 - and at the same time the Boutique Theater had lost their lease,and needed a place. Nacho Daddy had space upstairs and shared the space with the Boutique Theater. The Boutique Theater closed during COVID in 2020 and has not returned. Nacho Daddy continues to have lots of live entertainment on the second floor theater. Nacho Daddy is owned by Tammy Carruthers and Sean Moore.

ACT2 PV

Opened in 2012/2013

In 2012, ACT II Entertainment produced its first show, The Rocky Horror Show, at The Palm. After one season at The Palm, the team decided to find their own space, and made a large investment where the current Act2PV is at the intersection of Basilio Badillo and Insurgentes. Act2PV opened that space with a grand opening night on November 13, 2013.

The founding members of Act II Entertainment included Elizabeth Ensor, Danny Mininni, Alain Perreault and David Restivo. As the business changed over the years, it became Act2PV. In 2018, Alfonso Lopez and Oscar Cisneros were named by Mining as partners, and they continue to operate the theater today.

INCANTO THEATER

Opened in 2017

Incanto Theater opened on January 20, 2017 featuring New York City cabaret legend Michael McAssey performing in the piano bar. The opening of the cabaret theater quickly followed on January 27, with the premier of Luna Rumba Production’s show called Duende..

Tracy Parks, owner of Incanto, was working with his family in an oil field service business before he opened Incanto. Prior to that he was with Lyric Opera and learned arts management.

“I started coming to PV in 2001, about the time The Palm opened,” he said in the 2018 interview.

AMAZING PERFORMERS

The Palm’s Mark Rome was responsible for booking original performers like Ida Slapter, Carrie Chesnutt, Kim Kuzma, Amy and Freddy.

And since 1999 Puerto Vallarta has hosted international stars including Lady Bunny, Jackie Beat, late Cashetta, Coco Peru, Miss Ritchfield 1981, Hedda Lettuce, Mama Tits, Sutton Lee Seymour, Miss Conception, Marla Jean Merman, Chi Chi Rones, and JoAnna.

MAMA TITS (BRIAN PETERS) has been a mainstay performing in PV since 2014.

HEDDA LETTUCE, known as New York City’s premiere comic queen since 1985, captivates audiences with her whit and unique green look.

MISS CONCEPTION celebrates 23 years of performing in n PV, having first arrived here in 2011. She is a true mistress of disguise and is a queen of costume changes.

Some other non-drag entertainers who have performed in Puerto Vallarta include Kim Kuzma, Leslie Jordan, Steve Grand, Well Strung, Lorna Luft, and Levi Kreis.

THE LEGENDARY GOUDA GABOR has done TV, stage, and performed at most of the theaters in Vallarta, recently calling Incanto her “home”.

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Five Gay Bars Anchor Vallarta’s Gay History and Continue to Thrive

BY RANDE LEE

Photo by: Oscar Almeida

PUERTO VALLARTA HAS MANY GAY BARS - IT’S TRULY A CITY THAT COMES TO LIFE AT NIGHT. BUT THERE ARE FIVE WELL KNOWN GAY BARS THAT HAVE BEEN OPERATING SINCE THE TURN OF THIS CENTURY AND HAVE HAD AN IMPORTANT IMPACT ON THE GAY HISTORY OF THE CITY.

Each has their own unique culture, clientele, and vibe. Some have slightly different names and locations than when they first opened, but all have in common an incredible longevity, and storied traditions.

Let’s discover the history of them all, and see how each, in their own way, has become an integral part of the LGBTQ community here in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

APACHES MARTINI AND COCKTAIL BAR

Olas Altas 439, Zona Romantica, Puerto Vallarta 48380

Apaches, as it is popularly known, was opened in November of 1997, as a Lesbian Martini and cocktail bar by Mary Ann Rattray, originally from Kimberly, British Columbia.

Shortly thereafter, a tourist from the Netherlands arrived in town named Endra Bruining. It was love at first sight, and the two quickly became a couple. They began operating the bar together, and it became an instant hit with their fiercely loyal clientele.

After several wonderful years in Puerto Vallarta, and making an untold number of friends, they decided to settle into their retirement years in 2016. The stars aligned perfectly, as Apaches current owners Ricardo Brehm and Geoff Dodds took the re-

ins, and have lovingly nurtured this iconic space ever since. The couple, wildly popular among the Apaches family, are present nearly every night, to welcome, chat, provide introductions, and become personally acquainted with all who enter.

When I recently complimented Geoff on how he and Ricardo make Apaches exceptional, he responded humbly, “we just open the doors, you guys make it special.”

Outrageously fun, it has the warm feel of a supportive community center, with the added benefit of serving the greatest martinis in town.

The bar is colorful inside, an intimate space with a large personality. Locally inspired modern art is displayed throughout, while behind the bar a diverse range of cool signage reigns supreme.

A WWII vintage ad reads “We Can Do It,” while another simply says, “Love You More.”Directly outside of the bar are the highly coveted sidewalk tables that allow for the best people watching in all of Zona Romantica. Sitting with Ricardo on a steamy mid-July evening, I asked him “what is it that makes Apaches so unique?” He pondered the question, and then responded thoughtfully, “we enjoy connecting people, making them feel at home, it’s a great place for the solo traveler, you come here once, and you’re family.”

Ricardo concluded, “We are here to be a community, to help one another, to make the bad times better, and to celebrate the special moments with each other.” If you are looking to connect, to make lifelong friends, you need go no further than a beloved spot named Apaches. Come for one, and stay till two.

Photo by: Oscar Almeida

MARY ANN RATTRAY WAS ORIGINAL FOUNDER THEN MET ENDRA BRUINING HER WIFE

GEOFF DODDS AND RICARDO BREHM, CURRENT APACHES OWNERS

BAR FRIDA 4.0

Venustiano Carranza 493, Emiliano Zapata, Puerto Vallarta 48380

Bar Frida 4.0 is the current name of a long standing and beloved neighborhood bar.

It is in its fourth location since opening in 2001, hence the name Bar Frida 4.0.

Owned the entire time by Tomas “Tom” Finley originally from Cobourg, Ontario Tom moved to Puerto Vallarta in his mid 50s. He had retired from a 20 year sales career in Toronto, and a 10 year stint as the owner of a floral shop in Vancouver, Canada.

Visiting PV for the first time in the late 1980s, Tom described Vallarta as “the only place that ever grabbed my heartstrings.”

LUIS & TOM

JONATHAN ARLAND, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS DOG NAMED 10, AND STUART ARBUCKLE, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS DOG KAHLO

Spending his first two years in town at the beaches and cantinas, he felt something was missing. “It just didn’t feel right,” Tom said of his short lived stint as a beach connoisseur.

He eventually saw a flyer advertising a bar for sale at 361 Lazaro Cardenas, where Reinas Bar currently stands, and as fate smiled down, Bar Frida was born. For ten incredible years Tom’s dream was realized. Then wanting to expand, but unable to, he began the search for a new

location for his beloved Frida. As luck would have it, he found a great location on Insurgentes, which Frida occupied for approximately nine wonderful years.

The property was eventually sold and had to be vacated within two months. For a second time, a spot was found on Lazaro Cardenas. Frida moved into the former Manny’s Bar, for the maximum amount of time the lease would allow, one year. After a long search, Tom found the perfect spot on Venustiano Carranza,

and on October 31, 2022 Frida 4.0 was born.

The space has a warm neighborhood feel, bright and friendly, with vibrant images of Frida Kahlo in every direction. Visiting with Tom recently, I inquired as to what his vision has been over the years for this iconic bar?

He smiled, and said “I really wanted to draw a local crowd; I wanted the expats and the Mexican nationals alike to feel welcome here.” Tom concluded with a beautiful

thought, “I knew when I opened Frida that I had to get back into life; it was way too early to just give up, if I had, I would have missed the best years of my life, I would have missed the dance.”

Photos provided by: Tom Finley

LOS AMIGOS Venustiano Carranza 239, Zona Romantica, Puerto Vallarta 48380

If you are looking for an iconic, eclectic, old style cantina, look no further than Los Amigos. Opened in 1998 by Arturo Orozco Lopez, Los Amigos is the only gay bar here in Puerto Vallarta with the same owner, at the same location, and with the same great ambiance since the very first day.

Visiting on a hot July night as the Bee Gees played on a television screen across the bar, I felt as if I had returned to an earlier time, when Puerto Vallarta enjoyed a small town, more authentically Mexican feel.

Photo by: Oscar Almeida

I had the honor of meeting Los Amigos owner, Arturo Orozco Lopez, and was fortunate to discover the details of Los Amigos' long, and storied history.

Arturo originally hails from Tepic, in the Mexican State of Nayarit, but spent ten formative years in Montreal, Quebec.

He discovered Puerto Vallarta in January of 1998. Arturo became a regular at a bar named Centro Botanero. He felt comfortable, and at home. He got to know the bar, and the clientele who patronized it.

When the cantina came up for sale later that year, he bought it with the money he had earned from his

time in Montreal. On October 31, 1998, he was handed the keys to his lifelong dream.

When Arturo opened Los Amigos, he informed me that it was one of only four gay bars operating in Puerto Vallarta at the time. The other three were, Paco Paco, Los Balcones, and Why Not?

I asked Arturo, as we chatted in his cantina, what his vision was when it all began, those many years ago?

He stated quietly,” I created the name Los Amigos because I wanted people to come here and become friends,” continuing he offered “many, many couples have met here over the years.” Arturo smilingly explained that many guys met in his cantina because he played matchmaker numerous times. He concluded, proudly mentioning “we have many couples who come back to visit us, who originally met here long ago.”

As Arturo excused himself to welcome some regulars, I took a moment on the hot still night to just sit and drink in the vibe, so alive with memories of another time. Pulsating, flickering lights seemed to dance to the rhythm of music from the 70s and 80’s. As I peered outside, just beyond the bar, an open air dance floor stood waiting, beckoning yet unknown lovers under the soft moonlight of a Mexican night.

PACO’S RANCH

Ignacio L. Vallarta 278, Zona Romantica Puerto Vallarta 48380

Paco’s Ranch is an incredibly fun, exciting, authentically Mexican nightclub with some of the best late night entertainment in town. However, it is much more than that. It is the namesake of Paco Ruiz, the one man who arguably created Puerto Vallarta as a gay mecca.

I had the honor of meeting with Paco’s Ranch current owner, John King on an early August afternoon. As we enjoyed the view of the Malecon, and the Mexican Pacific just beyond, he wove the history of Gay Vallarta into a beautiful tapestry that left me spellbound. The recollections he shared are of people he knew well, from his early days in Puerto Vallarta.

When Paco Ruiz and his partner David Lansley arrived in Puerto Vallarta, they opened a bar on the Corner of Pino Suarez and Francisco Madero. Located where the PVRPV laundry center now stands, it was named Paco Paco, after Paco Ruiz

and one of his best friends, who was involved with the bar for a short time, also called Paco.

The bar was cruisy and fun, a great way to meet guys after a day at the beach. In order to serve the burgeoning number of gay men who were coming here to vacation, many for the first time, an expansion was needed.

To this end, Paco and David partnered with an investor. After improvements were completed, the club's popularity soared. Times were good, but the noise was not appreciated by the neighbors who lived nearby.

JC Moore moved to Puerto Vallarta in 1995 from Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he owned a bar named The Ranch. He was excited to invest in a local establishment, but had one stipulation before taking the plunge with Paco Paco, a new and better location had to be found. Therefore, in September of 1995 Paco Paco moved into a bar formerly called The City Dump located on Ignacio L Vallarta. Great times were had at this wildly popular location,

as well as the adjacent space, which JC had opened as Paco’s Ranch. His vision was to present top quality strip shows, while simultaneously honoring his Albuquerque roots with the name Paco’s Ranch.

In the early 2000’s, Paco and David said goodbye to the establishment they founded and pursued other interests. For the next several years the team of Raul Villapango and JC Moore ran Paco Paco and Paco’s Ranch at a time of increasing competition within the local market.

By May of 2007, much of their former clientele had gravitated to newer and shinier options. At this pivotal moment, John King, originally hailing from the state of Iowa, but a longtime member of the Puerto Vallarta community, saw an opportunity to bring Paco’s back to its heyday.

“They had a great name, I just had to build it back again, and I had someone named Benito to help me do that,” John stated, referring to his right hand man, and current Paco’s Ranch Manager Benito Aleman.

After John purchased the establishment, a decision was made to retain the sole name of Paco’s Ranch. He set his sights on turning the tide, and returning the iconic nightclub to its former glory. The crowds returned, and Paco’s, in 2010, moved to its current location solidified the return to prominence.

As I stood next to John, watching the 12:00 am drag show on a Friday night in early August, I thought of what he had mentioned to me days earlier.

“I wanted to preserve the atmosphere Paco created, but also put my own stamp on it,” he continued, “I wanted to create a place for people who work hard all week, to have a place to come and enjoy a great experience.”

As the star studded show unfolded in all its glory, I glanced over at John, enjoying it all with a gleam in his eye. As I peered out over the happy crowd, I thought of Paco Ruiz, gone now for many years, but looking down, and smiling.

LA NOCHE

267D

Lazaro Cardenas, Zona Romantica, Puerto Vallarta 48380

La Noche in English means the night, and there is no better name for this legendary bar that has been opening every night since January of 2002 than the lovely words La Noche.

I had the pleasure of meeting the owner of La Noche, Kevin Johnson, in the heat of late July. Learning that he was originally from the State of South Dakota, I asked how he came to open a bar in the early part of this century here on the Mexican Pacific.

Kevin smiled, reflecting upon that period of time. “I originally came down here on vacation over a couple winters, going to the beach every day, dining every night, I got bored.”

A few months into one of his winter getaways, a bar named La Noche located at 257 Lazaro Cardenas, where La Cantina Margarita is currently, came up for sale. Kevin bought the bar in November of 2002, originally

planning for it to be a seasonal operation.

Over time, the bar became so popular he decided to stay open year round. As the crowd grew, more room was needed for the loyal clientele who had fallen in love with La Noche.

Expanding into the space next door, where La Noche is now located, both bars operated simultaneously for a time. Eventually a decision was made to concentrate on the newer and larger bar, and make it shine. Kevin bartendered for many years and there is no position he hasn’t worked, except go-go boy and drag queen.

The grand, clubby feeling main room is exhilarating. Two giant chandeliers are suspended above the large bar, while a circular stage front and center highlights the talents of drag queens and go-go boys, performing the whole night long. After traversing several stairs, you enter a completely different force field. The intense energy below gives way to a

relaxed, laid back, loungy atmosphere on the second floor.

As I walked into the open air bar area, a friendly cat named Kat purred her greeting. Walking up a few steps, moonlight shone down onto a sensual setting of palm trees, intermixed with sturdy stone topped tables and comfortable seating. Soft lighting, and warm hacienda style red brick provide the perfect setting to get to know that someone special.

I asked Kevin what his guiding light was, his vision behind the incredible success of La Noche.

He answered reflectively, “We want everyone who visits La Noche to feel welcome; all of the employees who attend patrons are bilingual, including the drag queens.” Continuing, he stated, “We strive to hire gay people, “approximately 90 percent of our staff is from the gay community.” Kevin proudly informed me. “We have worked hard to build a

Mexican, as well as a foreign clientele, combining the cultures to ensure whoever visits has a supportive environment that provides a fun, memorable experience,” pausing, he emphasized, “the staff really makes that vision work.” Kevin concluded, with a twinkle in his eye, “every night is an event here at La Noche, every night is special. “

Puerto Vallarta Launched

Mexico’s First LGBTQ+ Tourism Campaigns

BY JERRY JONES

He felt like it was a natural fit - Puerto Vallarta had always been a gay friendly destination.

The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board was established in 1996 as a stand alone public organization to connect travel agents, operators and other tourism partners across the city to champion the tourism sector. The state of Jalisco established an initial two percent lodging tax to help generate revenue to promote the destination to international travel markets and boost its connectivity.

Finally, in 2012, Rivas-Solis explained, the Tourism Board agreed to new LGBTQ+ tourism campaign after a presentation by the Latitude’s CEO, Nathalie Pilovetzky, where he talked about the potential impact the LGBTQ+ tourism could have on the city’s tourism.

Their strategy included inviting LGBTQ+ media to the city, and multiple outreach events promoting the city.

The first promotion was carried out from April 15 to June 15, 2012, in publications such as Here! Media, including the Advocate, Out Traveler

and gay.com as well as the GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) awards events on March 24, 2012 in New York and June 2, 2012 in San Francisco respectively.

In 2013 the Tourism Board joined the IGLTA (International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association), becoming the first and only Mexican destination member (until 2016 when Cancun joined).

It took a few years of hard work but the campaign’s success was beyond what the organizers could have imagined. In 2014, Puerto Vallarta became the first Mexican destination to participate in World Pride in Toronto, Canada. It did so with its Noche Alegre event; and in 2015 the tourism board became the first destination to sponsor the Human Rights Campaign on a national level.

In 2015 a record year was set for Puerto Vallarta with an occupancy rate of a 66.9% hotel occupancy rate reported by the Hotel Association.

In May 2016, Puerto Vallarta was honored as the first city in Mexico to be granted Gay Travel Approved℠

2009 WAS A BRUTAL YEAR FOR TOURISM IN PUERTO VALLARTA. A SHARP DECLINE IN TOURISM - WHICH HAPPENED DUE TO THE H1N1 FLU SCARE, AND A PERCEIVED INCREASE IN CARTEL VIOLENCE, HAD IMPACTED THE CITY DEEPLY.

And for a city that depends on tourism as one of its main sources of income for its residents, Director of Tourism, Carlos Gerard Guzman was under pressure to find new ways to get visitors to Vallarta. The city also swung into action with some major investment projects, including the new pier, and new, larger sidewalks in Zona Romantica.

Gustavo Rivas-Solis, who was the account director for the Tourism Board for Latitude, the Board’s PR agency, remembers proposing several times the idea to launch a LGBTQ+ tourism campaign.

status by GayTravel.com. In 2016, The New York Times' Ondine Cohane said Puerto Vallarta was among the most LGBT-friendly destinations "south of the border".

“Puerto Vallarta has organically grown to be a leading LGBT destination because of the destination’s natural beauty, our locals’ ability to embrace people from all walks of life and world-class infrastructure,” said Agustin Alvarez, the then director of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board in 2016. “With over 70 businesses actively promoting themselves to LGBT visitors and their allies, the granting of Gay Travel Approved status by GayTravel. com is a recognition of our destination’s commitment to high-quality services and all-welcoming spirit.”

“The city is Mexico’s only beach destination that boasts a gayborhood in its Zona Romantica,” Rivas-Solis said. “Puerto Vallarta has been celebrated as the premiere vacation destination for the LGBT community in Mexico.

The country’s first IGLTA member in 2014, it was also honored as the first city in Mexico to be granted Gay

Travel Approved status by GayTravel. com. In August of 2016, a survey pertaining to gay summer travel conducted by the New York Times and SCRUFF, one of the leading gay dating apps in the world (with 10 million members worldwide) highlighted Puerto Vallarta as its “surprisingly gay friendly” travel destination in the world and Gay Cities readers named it their Fun in the Sun Destination at its Best of Gay Cities best of 2016 poll.

Puerto Vallarta was also named an International LGBTQ Destination

at tourism industry awards Travvy Awards 2017. I am so proud of that work, all those awards and recognitions were a result of the campaign.”

For the first half of 2023 the city had achieved a 77% hotel occupancy rate, and an average daily volume in its airport of more than 14,000 people. Construction has already begun on a new terminal at the Gustavo Diaz Airport, to help manage the growing number of visitors.

Luis Villasenor, current director of the Tourism Board, said the future

continued to look bright for Vallarta’s tourism

Villasenor has been working in a variety of roles for the Tourism Board since 2007. He was named its director in 2020. He’s seen the ups and downs of tourism over the years and understands the different trends that travelers take.

As a native son of Puerto Vallarta, he studied International Relations at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO), in Guadalajara, Jalisco, and is proud to be able to promote his home city.

He said that not only as the Tourism Board been promoting the destination ast LGBTQ+ friendly, it has been leading with respect and inclusion. He explained that the city welcomed all travelers that respect the Vallartian lifestyle, culture and traditions.

Encuentra nuestra versión en español en: outandaboutpv.com

Paul Crist Reflects On How Vallarta Has Evolved

PAUL CRIST, OWNER OF HOTEL MERCURIO AND MERCURIO SWIMWEAR, HAS MADE PUERTO VALLARTA HIS HOME SINCE JUNE 2002, BUT HE’S BEEN VISITING SINCE 1993. PAUL IS A NATIVE OF WASHINGTON D.C. IN THE UNITED STATES, WHERE HE LIVED UNTIL MOVING TO VALLARTA.

O&APV asked him to reflect on Vallarta’s rich gay history, and the changes he’s seen over the past 20 years.

By Paul Crist

In 1993, there were three gay bars. It was a sleepy little town with a small-town gay vibe - if you looked for it! (I always knew how to find these things.) There were no publications to tell visitors where to find entertainment and community. You had to ask around if you were new in town.

I would say that the profile of gay visitors has evolved a lot since my early years here. I think that the gay men who visited in the 1990s and 2000s weren’t coming for big club nightlife and Instagramable points to take selfies. To be fair, selfies and Instagram didn’t exist then. But in US cities there was a huge club scene. In Washington DC and New York, I had been having fun in big nightclubs and bars since the late 1970s.

But the gay visitors to Vallarta were looking for a relaxing, quiet beach vacation. Nobody came to PV expecting or looking for a club scene like what exists now. The establishment of big clubs that really got going in the mid-2000s helped bring younger, and more party-oriented gay visitors. I would say that the change is that Vallarta now has something for everyone. Whether they’re looking for a quiet and relaxing time, or parties and strippers and drag shows every night, or great food and shopping the art galleries, or a vacation “romance" (how’s that for a euphemism?), Vallarta has it all.

GAY CULTURE IN VALLARTA EVOLVED

It was an evolution that picked up pace and still continues.

By the early 2000s, Paco Paco (now Paco’s Ranch) had become quite the club. They had moved a couple of times since my first visits in the early 1990s, and by the early 2000s had built a four-floor club on the site where CO-DE is now.

Then came other entrants into the bar and club scene. Paco’s survived, albeit with different owners and lot’s of changes and drama.

There was NYPV, there was Club Mañana, there were event organizers who came to capitalize on the growing party scene, with annual

events like Latin Fever. And now we have party scene beach clubs like Mantamar, and world-class club and nightlife at places like Industry and La Noche and amazing cabaret and show venues like The Palm, Incanto, Catrina Cantina, Act2 and others. There will continue to be evolution, affected by many factors including the changing demographics and tastes of our own LGBTQ+ global community.

I love looking around at my adopted hometown and seeing so much more diversity in our community than I saw in the 1990s and early 2000s.

MAYOR ARTURO DAVALOS ACKNOWLEDGES GAY COMMUNITY

So, this is a rather personal story, but I think it says a lot about our impact on the local social and political landscape.

I’m sure I am not the only person in Vallarta who has known that we’ve had a few gay mayors over the years, but always deeply closeted.

My husband, born and raised in Vallarta and an attorney, had been the subdirector of Padron y Licencias - the business licensing and city permitting department - for three years in 2015. The post is a political position, appointed by the mayor.

In 2015, Arturo Davalos (Movement Ciudadano Party) was running to be mayor. And as he was (and is) a good friend, we did an event for him at my home. Not a fundraiser, it was an invitation only garden dinner party for business owners in the tourism sector to meet and get to know Arturo. (I reiterate, no funds went to the candidates). It was not a gay business owners event. Only a few gay business owners were in attendance.

At the last minute, I was asked to introduce Arturo (thank god I’m fluent enough in Spanish to speak impromptu in front of a crowd). So I introduced him and he took the podium. And immediately thanked me… AND MY HUSBAND… for the hosting event. He didn’t even blink.

He said “Paul and his husband Luis.” In front of a heterosexual crowd of local business owners. I have never forgotten that moment. Arturo is not gay. But we finally had a mayoral candidate (and later, mayor for six years) who was completely unafraid to acknowledge our community and our relationships without skipping a beat. T

hat was a moment that surprised me, and although it happened in a private event with about 100 business leaders, it was important.

Mayor Davalos walked in every Gay Pride March during his tenure. He actively worked to promote LGBTQ+ recognition and supported our community. Prior mayors, some of them gay themselves, could never bring themselves to be so supportive. No mayoral administration now can afford to ignore us.

FIRST PRIDE EVENTS

I was involved in the planning of the first pride festival and march.

Of course, compared to the mammoth Pride March and Pride Week events of 2023, it was quite small. (yes, I prefer to call it a march, rather than a parade. There’s a qualitative difference and I believe we should be MARCHING.).

It was just a march and a party in Lázaro Cárdenas Park after. Businesses sponsored floats or decorated cars or trucks to participate. Maybe there were a dozen or so cars and floats.

We didn’t have much in the way of gay or LGBTQ+ groups… I think the Colectivo Gay might have participated and marched as a group. There was no organized Trans community. And even getting a gay business owners association organized was complicated and difficult (although it was a previous iteration of the current gay business association that pulled the event together originally).

GAY BARS AN IMPORTANT PART OF CULTURE

Gay bars have always provided a place where members of our community could gather, feel camaraderie and fellowship without feeling stigma and fear. And of course, alco-

hol is the greatest social lubricant ever invented. Well, almost. There are poppers. (LOL!)

LIVING IN GAY VALLARTA

I live and socialize in a welcoming and accepting environment. My world is LGBTQ+ and many, many allies. I don’t have the time or the space for those who don’t have an open, accepting and loving way of being.

I have for 20 years been part of a very large and very Catholic family through my husband. They weren’t always so open and understanding, but they have adapted and expanded their understanding by finding that there are multiple family members who are LGBTQ+.

I think that this family that I became a part of is emblematic of what has happened in the larger society across the city. People get to know gay neighbors, gay family members, gay coworkers, and the ability to hate, judge, blame, and stigmatize us melts away over time.

I find that the haters are mostly hiding behind social media platforms where they can hurl insults and hatred with anonymity. I don’t know who they are and don’t care to know. But I do believe they’re unhappy and dangerous people who ought to be watched because words - even anonymous words on social media - have the power to motivate sick people to do heinous things.

Encuentra nuestra versión en español en: outandaboutpv.com

THANKFUL FOR THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US

I think that we owe a huge debt of gratitude to a few people who came before us. But two people in particular stand out, Paco Ruiz and David Lansley. Paco and David were the original owners of Paco Paco (now Paco’s Ranch).

They were the pioneers who built the foundations of what has become the most vibrant and popular gay destination in Latin America.

The club Paco Paco was just the lynchpin of what they built. They ran a gay hotel, Descanso del Sol. They had a gay nude beach south of Vallarta called Paco’s Paradise. For a short time, they had a small after-hours club.

But most important was that Paco was probably the first gay activist or business owner who stood up to corrupt and homophobic police and city officials. He was a force to be reckoned with. He often accompanied drag and trans people to the local jail when they were rounded up on invented (or planted) charges.

He simply said “NO!” when city officials tried to shake down his and other small gay owned businesses. For all they did, they both died in relative poverty and obscurity. There are many reasons for that and blame to go around. But they should be recognized for the tremendous contributions they made.

1961

Filming of the Night of the Iguana by John Huston in Mismaloya.

Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor bought Casa Kimberly in PV after that (but note the “Casa Kimberly" you see now - it is not the same original building as it was destroyed and rebuilt).

Life Magazine carried photos of Liz and Richard that helped put Puerto Vallarta on the map for U.S. visitors.

As Elizabeth Taylor was friends with many of the Hollywood “gay mafia” her love for the city intrigued many, who made visits to Vallarta. This inspired many from the California gay community (Rock Hudson, Montgomery Clift, etc.,) to visit.

1982

Los Balcones Opens - First Gay Bar in PV

In 1982, a young Lesbian named Vicky Macedo made history. She converted her family home, where she had been raised at Juarez 182, into the first openly gay bar in Puerto Vallarta. Some old timers told us that The Piano Bar (also known at some point as The Sand Bar) was the first gay bar, but didn’t promote itself as a gay bar.

1989

Paco Ruiz opened his namesake bar Club Paco Paco

1995

Los Balcones introduces Drag Queen nights, and this is thought to be the first public drag queen contests.

1997

Apaches Martini and Cocktail Bar opened in November

Wayne Franklin opens Tropicasa Realty, one of the first gay owned real estate firms in the area.

1998

Bar Los Amigos Opened in October

Zona Romantica Guide for Club Paco Paco Newsletter was produced

Opening of Descanso del Sol Hotel with Rooftop Bar, popular after beach gay venue

Vallarta’s first gay circuit party, called Latin Fever, began in Puerto Vallarta in 1998. The five-day event was the first event to promote Puerto Vallarta extensively in the gay community in North America, and was created by Gilles Belanger (Toronto) and Will Gorges (L.A.)

1999

Mark Rome opens the Palm Cabaret

Ampas Neighborhood Association (ANA) is formed. The gay beach and that area falls into the Ampas community, and has benefited greatly from ANA.

Timeline for significant gay events that have happened in Puerto Vallarta

2000

Gay Guide Vallarta Publishes Online Website

Diana DeCoste opens up Diana's Tours, a lesbian owned boat tour company.

2001

Bar Frida opened in its first location, at 361 Lazaro Cardenas Blue Chairs Gay Hotel remodels and reopened in May

2002

Paul Crist purchased what is now known as Hotel Mercurio

La Noche Nightclub and Bar opened in January

Casa Cupula, upscale gay boutique hotel, opens

BeefDip hosts its first small gathering - and will celebrate 20 years in 2024 (taking two years off due to COVID-19)

Garbo’s Piano Bar opens in March

2003

Gay Guide Vallarta Begins to Print Guidebook

Vallarta Enfrenta el SIDA (VES, or Vallarta Confronts AIDS) was founded by Paul Crist.

2004

Bar NY (NYPV) opened to much fanfare in March of 2004, and quietly closed in November of 2004.

2005

Club Mañana opens where the Zenith Condo building is now (corner on Ignacio L. Vallarta)

2008

Vicky Macedo, founder of the first gay bar in Vallarta, dies.

Divas Bar opens in November

2008

The Swedes Bar Opens

2009

Solidaridad Ed Thomas, AC (SETAC) opened its doors in August

Los Balcones, Vallarta’s first gay bar, closes

Anónimo Bar opened, owned by Dan Bacchus

2010

Puerto Vallarta joined the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association to begin promoting PV as a gay tourist destination

Vallarta Enfrenta el SIDA (VES, or Vallarta Confronts AIDS) closes due to funding issues

Los Equipales Bar opens in what is now the Kooky Karaoke Bar.

Reinas opens for business

Ampas Neighborhood Association was reinvigorated due to concerns over development in the area.

Timothy Real Estate Group was created by Carl Timothy. Timothy had previously been a partner with Administradora de la Bahia/Timothy Fuller & Associates in 1999 along with Aubert C. Dykes, MD, T. Fuller Pentecost, Carl Timothy and John A. Evatz )

2011

GAYPV Publishes First Issue

Club Mañana closes under mounting financial pressures

CC Slaughter’s Opened in December

Don Pickens and Sid Goodman begin TaxiSafe program, the first official collaboration between PV Police and LGBT community sponsored by Casa Cupula and ANA. Results in dismissal and removal of PV police officers accused of abusing LBGT tourists.

2012

Nacho Daddy opened along with its upstairs theater

Spartacus Bath House opened in November

Puerto Vallarta Tourism Trust Launches International LGBTQ+ Tourism Campaign

Election of Mayor Arturo Davalos, first Mayor to officially work with the LGBTQ+ community.

2013

First Pride Celebration is held in Puerto Vallarta

ACT2PV opened its theater, then known as Act II Entertainment

La Margarita bar opens

In March, 2013, ACT LGBT had its first meeting (please see our story on the history of Vallarta Pride to read more about ACT LGBT, A.C.).

2014

January 2014, ACT LGBT officially became a civil association.

David Lansley, partner of Paco Ruiz and co-founder of Gay Guide Vallarta, dies

Puerto Vallarta Promotes Tourism at World Pride in Toronto

Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board Joins International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) and becomes first Mexican city to do so.

Mantamar Beach Club opens; Sapphire Beach Club opens.

Drag Derby, a fundraising event for the Ampas Neighborhood Association, holds its first event during the Pride Celebration week.

2020

La Catrina Cantina opened in May, 2020

2021 Studs Bear/Leather Bar opens The Corner Bar opens One Six One opens Elixir Mixology and Craft Cocktails opens

Blue/Reflections Bar opens

2022

Casa Cupula celebrates its 20th year anniversary by expanding and opening a new pool club area.

Bar Frida 4.0 (and restaurant) settle into their new (and 4th location) at Venustiano Carranza and Naranjo

2023

The Tunnel Bar Opens

First training of PV police for LGBTQ+ sensitivity

Encuentra nuestra versión en español en:

outandaboutpv.com

2015

Almar reopened after a $25 million reimagining and renovation. It had been closed since 2012.

Blondies PV - South Side opened for business

2016

Paco Ruiz, “father of Gay Vallarta” dies

Jalisco became the fourth Mexican state to legalize same-sex marriage, following Chihuahua, Coahuila and Quintana Roo; the capital, Mexico City, also recognizes same-sex marriages.

Los Equipales Bar closes

Mr. Flamingo Bar Opens

2017

Incanto Theater Opened

Out & About PV Begins Online Publishing

2018

Out & About PV Publishes First Print Issue

La ChaChaLaca Chatterbox & Bar opened (formerly Street Car Bar) in October

The Top Sky Bar and Restaurant Opened in March

Mercurio Swim shop opens

2019

Mark Page, co-founder of Gay Guide Vallarta Magazine, dies Industry Nightclub Opens

Los Otros Blondies Opens

CHRONICLING HISTORY OFTEN BEGINS WITH LOCATION PUBLICATIONS THAT HAVE CAPTURED EVENTS AS THEY HAVE HAPPENED. THOSE LOCAL EMBEDDED PRINT AND DIGITAL MEDIA REFLECT THE DAILY LIFE OF THE RESIDENTS.

Puerto Vallarta has three gay publications - Gay Guide Vallarta, Gay PV and Out & About PV.

GAY GUIDE VALLARTA

Mark Page and David Lansley started Vallarta’s first gay publication, Gay Guide Vallarta, online in May, 2000,

and began printing a glossy pocket sized guide and calendar in August 2003, that helped put Puerto Vallarta on the tourist map.

But in reality the publication probably started much earlier, with a guess around 1998 or earlier - when it was just a copied and stapled four or five page newsletter that was put out by David Lansley, the partner of Paco Ruiz. That publication was named “Zona Romantica Guide for Club Paco Paco” and then it transitioned into Gay Guide Vallarta by Lansley.

Ken Morrison, who was involved with Gay Guide Vallarta in the earlier days, explained the transition of the publication over the years.

He said Lansley had started it out as the Zona Romantica Guide for Club Paco Paco, promoting the events for Paco Paco and Paco Paradise. Then it became the Gay Guide Vallarta - and then became PV South Side. That didn’t make it, and all withered away. But then Mark Page combined forces with David and resurrected the Gay Guide Vallarta. First as an online guide and later as an online and printed magazine.

“Gay Guide Vallarta began in the 90s as a guide for gay tourists, it

was a time when gay life was in its infancy. David wanted to make sure tourists knew their options,” explained Morrison. “Lansley started the magazine with financial support from Victor “Vivi” Del Castillo (he wasn’t sure of the last name). Vivi took it over eventually and turned it into PV South Side and then went out of business.”

“In 1998 the gay scene was very hidden,” explained Nancy Page, Mark Page’s sister. “The bars had been closed down multiple times and the scene here was really quite small.”

Nancy said her brother Mark arrived in Puerto Vallarta in November, 1996. He was in the process of sai-

Mark Page, provided by Nancy Page

ling around the world - one of his life's goals - when he stopped at the port of Puerto Vallarta.

“And well he loved it here,” she said. “His plan was to sail around the world and end up at the Gay Gays in Amsterdam, but he decided to stay in Vallarta.”

She said he eventually took his sailboat and started a gay charter cruise company called the Rainbow Dancer.

“But Mark was never what you would call a people person,” she said with a laugh. “He was brilliant, and brilliant with computers but just not the outgoing type with people.”

Mark’s partner, Carlos Romero Diaz, fell ill with HIV, and Mark ended up selling the Rainbow Dancer so that he could take care of him.

“And he approached David Langsley and said, ‘David, let’s take the Gay Guide Vallarta to a whole new level and make it into this.”

And that’s when the present day Vallarta Gay Guide was born. Because Mark was an expert in computer programming (he had been one of the original computer programmers that helped design what is now known as Google Maps) and took that knowledge to build the magazine's website.

“My brother was friends with them and Mark did the sailing of guests to Paco's Paradise,” Nancy explained. “It was David's baby and Mark joined him by starting on the website. David did not have the capabilities to do a magazine but he sold the ads and did the distribution.”

“You have no idea what he did for this town,” Nancy said. “His impact on tourism here was astounding. He put a lot of his effort into the website and was an early adopter of the technology. Even back in 2012 they had more than 40,000 unique visitors come to the website per month. They were coming to look at hotels and bars, what was on the calendar and what was happening.”

Mark opened up Puerto Vallarta to the virtual world with the Gay Guide Vallarta website,

which was launched in the fall of 2000. His partner, Carlos, was able to help him put out the first print issue in 2003.

But in 2004 Carlos died from AIDs, and with his death, part of Mark died.

“He became a complete recluse,” Nancy said.

He continued with the magazine, and convinced his sister to join him in Vallarta, which she did so in 2012. She even convinced him to have two women on the cover of the magazine.

“Boy that created some talk in town,” she said with a smile.

But she added, Mark was sensitive to the needs of the community as a whole and built the magazine around those sensitivities.

“He wanted to have a publication that anyone could put on their coffee table and if their grandmother

came by they wouldn’t be offended,” she said. “The covers have always been understated and it was a nod towards the sensitivity of the culture here in Mexico.”

And she said, to this day, one of the things he started in the printed magazine was to let tourists know what to expect, and how to behave while in Vallarta.

“He didn’t want people to come here thinking it was the land of no laws, and to this day that message continues,” she said. “We did the magazine to make sure people were safe, and they were going into the right places that accepted them… we did an amazing job and I’m really proud of him and what he built.”

She said he was passionate about helping the gay community and had a pure heart and pure intentions with that goal in mind.

David Lansley passed away on Friday, July 4, 2014 at the age of

60. Paco Ruiz died in 2016 at 62 years old.

Mark died at age 64 from cancer in 2019, leaving the magazine to two of his friends and employees - Isaac Carachure and Jose Ramon Martinez.

Carachure said he and Joey started working as assistants for Gay Guide Vallarta in July of 2012. Their work consisted of translating the website to Spanish and helping David with the distribution.

“I’m really proud to see that four years later Mark’s legacy continues to live on and that Vallarta Gay Guide continues to thrive with Issac and Joey,” Nancy said.

Joey and I have been around Vallarta’s gay life since late 2008,” Issac said. “The biggest change in gay Vallarta has been to be accepted by the community and respected by police officers. One occasion, when we first arrived, Joey and I were told no PDA on the malecón. And we were only holding hands. Now the city and police department have been very welcomeing and inviting all the gays to the #1 gay destination. A big shout out to all of the activities we have that have helped make this difference. We have also seen how just a handful of gay businesses have grown to what it is now. The amount of tourists that want to move to PV has made the developers & real estate agents very happy along with the city.”

Issac added that when Gay Guide Vallarta started, many suggested that they change the name and remove the word “Gay”.

“People were still not used to seeing gay as the name of a guidebook/ publication,” he said. “But David and Barbie (Ken Morrison) didn't give in. They made a stand keeping it the way it is.

As you know, travelers need to investigate the destination they plan to visit. Back in 2000 when the internet was already making its way into the homes of Americans, Canadians and Europeans, gayguidevallarta.com was that connection to the gaylife in Puerto Vallarta. GGV

has told millions about our destination before social media was created. And once travelers arrived, the print guide book reassured visitors of our welcoming community.``

GAYPV MAGAZINE

GAYPV published its first issue in November, 2011. Tim Wilson is the founder and owner.

Wilson is proud of the work done by GAYPV and is proud to help spread the message out to the world that “ Puerto Vallarta is truly and uniquely one of the top LGBTQ destinations in the world.”

“In August 2021, GAYPV entered into an exclusive partnership with Commando from Los Angeles, California to expand the online reach of GAYPV and Puerto Vallarta via advertising from the gay dating apps,” Wilson Said. “Previously the two principles of Commando worked at Grindr and were veteran online industry experts who also have been visiting Puerto Vallarta for more than 20 years.”

Wilson said GAYPV was founded originally to connect businesses who self-identify as gay and gay friendly with their target gay consumer in PV.

“Gay friendly businesses (and by that I mean businesses that are not gay owned) were finally recognizing the importance of reaching the LGBTQ community,” he explained. “I decided to identify those appropriately to the gay consumer and help the company develop marketing strategies to effectively reach their target gay consumer. I always refrained from endorsing any business because I wanted the customer, not me, to decide which products were the best.”

He said that the mission of GAYPV was to “feature and highlight the evolving LGBTQ community in Puerto Vallarta. In 2010, gay travelers were embracing social media as they shared their travel experiences through photos and videos. GAYPV was the first publication that began sharing Puerto Vallarta to the gay community via Facebook and Youtube, reaching its peak in 2021 when

facebook deleted our page with 160,000 followers - offering no real reason or chance of appeal.”

He said that his magazine was also the first to put actual faces on the cover of our magazine.

“I felt it vital to feature the actual LGBTQ community who live, visit or impact Puerto Vallarta,” he explained. “Hence we are pleased to have featured Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias, Andrew Christian, the late Jeffrey Sanker, Michael Lucas, Eliad Cohen, Topher Dimaggio, Cheyenne Parker, the late Lesley Jordan, Bianca Del Rio and many other local people on our cover and inside the magazine.”

He also said that his magazine was the first to highlight the drag queens in our local cabarets, the transgender community, the bear community, go go dancers and strippers. Wilson said he feels like COVID had some positive effects on the Vallarta gay community, including a more diverse visitor crowd and more long term visitors who are remotely working.

“I noticed a younger and more diverse gay demographic visiting Puerto Vallarta that started with Semana Santa 2021 and Vallarta Pride 2021 and continues today. Because Europe and other major gay travel destinations were closed this younger, more diverse demographic discovered PV many for the first time,” he said. “The second perhaps lesser but more long term effect has been the ability for many people to work from home. This has led to an increase in a younger demographic actually living here that we would never have seen otherwise in Vallarta.“

Wilson went on to reflect that the dynamic and changing real estate market continues to have an impact on Vallarta .

“Everyone has their own opinion of whether this is positive or negative but let's face it, real estate development and everything that flows from that like the rental market has been booming for several years,” he said. “This has attracted yet another demographic to PV, a wealthier de-

mographic and that of course leads to new businesses and things to do. On the flip side, I personally know many guys that used to visit PV in peak weeks who haven't been in the last two years who can not afford to visit any more.”

OUT & ABOUT PV

Out & About PV went live with its online publication in November, 2017, and came out with its first printed publication in April, 2018. It is different from the other two gay publications in that it is a full sized magazine, not pocket sized, and its focus is on telling the stories of the LGBTQ+ Vallarta community and not on providing a guide or directory.

The first issue had the theme “Exploring the Beaches of Puerto Vallarta”. A launch party was held in March

2018 at Hotel Mercurio. At the event, there were drinks, canapes, and music by The Red Suitcases as we unveiled Puerto Vallarta’s newest print and web publication for the LGBT community and all of our friends.

O&APV started as a monthly magazine in 2018, but moved to publishing three times a year in 2019, and boosted its online presence. O&APV is a bilingual (English and Spanish online) glossy magazine with a focus on local LGBTQ+ news, entertainment and feature stories about the community and those who help make it.

The magazine was started by Jerry Jones, a permanent resident of Puerto Vallarta, who had previously owned Out & About Nashville magazine and ran it successfully for 20 years. Joseph Brant was the first editor and ran the editorial side of O&APV for the first year.

“The goal of Out & About Puerto Vallarta is to shine a light on the greatness and the complexity of this city through the lens of its LGBT residents and visitors,” Brant wrote in the announcement publishing the first issue.

The current staff (as of September, 2023) includes:

JERRY JONES

EDITOR/PUBLISHEr

Jerry has a B.A. degree in Journalism, a Master's degree in Public Administration. He has worked for several media outlets, and has had a long career in marketing and public relations in the healthcare industry. Jerry is also a licensed Advanced Emergency Medical Technician and FireFighter and has had a long work history in Emergency Services. He is the former founder of Out & About Nashville, a magazine he led for 20 years before selling it; He's a

founding member of the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce, and a board member of the Tennessee Equality Project and treasurer of the Tennessee Equality Project Founda-

tion. He is passionate about building the LGBTQ+ community. Jerry is from Nashville, Tennessee, and lives in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico.

OSCAR ALMEIDA CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER, VIDEOGRAPHER, SOCIAL MEDIA

Oscar is passionate about art, photography and all things social media. He oversees all visual elements for OAPV including photos and reels for print and social media. He is from Guadalajara and lives in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. He has been with the magazine since September, 2022.

ciatura en Diseño para la Comunicación Gráfica Egresado. He has been with the magazine since 2021.

a year round resident of Puerto Vallarta, his passions include; current events, politics, history, classic and indie film, local beaches, 80s and 90s alternative music, reading and rereading anything ever written by Ernest Hemingway and Hunter S. Thompson.

GERWIN RUTTEN SALES MANAGER

Gerwin makes his home in Puerto Vallarta and has been with OAPV since 2018. He oversees all sales and is also involved in renting properties for visitors to PV. He loves sharing his knowledge of this great city. Gerwin moved to Puerto Vallarta in 2017 to live here full time. But he’s been a frequent visitor since 2008, where he could vacation and enjoy his love of the beaches.

MARCO ENCINAS DESIGNER

Marco makes everything we do look beautiful and pleasing to the eye. With an extensive background in design, Marco oversees the publication design. He is a graduate from the Universidad de Guadalajara, Licen-

RANDE LEE EVENTS MANAGER/DIGITAL SALES

Rande is multi-talented, overseeing our event's division, planning fun events that showcase the fantastic culture of Puerto Vallarta. He's also responsible for selling digital products to help small businesses grow and reach our readership, and he writes about the people and places he encounters. He has been with the magazine since 2023.

Originally hailing from Ohio, Rande began his travels to Mexico with his parents in the late 1980s. Now

Encuentra nuestra versión en español en: outandaboutpv.com

Photo provided by: Christopher Maluck

WHILE THE PRIDE CELEBRATION IS RELATIVELY YOUNG, IT HAS GROWN TO ENCOMPASS A WEEK OR SO OF EVENTS, INCLUDING A PARADE, A BLOCK PARTY AND A DRAG DERBY.

The first pride celebration was held in Puerto Vallarta in 2013, with organizers - mainly local business leaders - determined to make it happen. The planning group included Bill Hevener, representing then BuenFlex Clothing; Oscar Moran, with Villa Mercedes Petit Hotel; Daniel Gomez, from Mijo Brands; Tim Wilson, with GAYPV Magazine; Roger Dubois, Tropicasa Realty; Armando Sanchez, Palmera Vacations; Gaby Escandon, Komunikas; George Dows, from what was Stonewall Bar; Paul Crist from Hotel Mercurio, Don Pickens from Casa Cupula and Ed Thomas of SETAC.

According to an article from GayPV Magazine (GayPV Pride Guide 2015)

“ACT LGBT A.C. was formed by a group of concerned business owners looking for new ways to promote Puerto Vallarta worldwide. Although first working under a different name, the group was founded by Laura Gelezunas of Media Diva International, Tim Wilson of GAYPV Magazine, Daniel Gomez of Mijo! Brands, Oscar Moran of RHOM Design and Bill Hevener of BuenFlex Clothing. At a second meeting, the committee added Christian Serrano of Gay Vallarta Bar-Hopping. From those initial meetings two ideas were born: The need to create a gay business association and to sponsor a Gay Pride event in Puerto Vallarta. The group recognized that the business community at large would not take the LGBT business community seriously until there was an organized legal association. Since the community had been unable to come together

without conflict in the past, the group decided to hold monthly meetings on what was happening in and around the business development community in Puerto Vallarta. This Group was called GEGPV.

The first meeting was held at Almar Resort Luxury All Suites & Spa on March 4th, 2013. At that meeting volunteers were solicited to form the first Vallarta Pride Committee.

Concerned about possible conflict within the community, the Pride Committee was separated from the business association to fundion under the name of DFEC (Diversity Fests Events Committee) although the steering committees had shared members. After the second meeting, luncheon and networking components were added. It was realized that there was a need and intrinsic value in just are-ating time to talk

to one another. This time ultimately proved to be deemed highly valuable and very useful to the members. The committee continued to listen to feedback to continue improving on what it could provide to the community.

The first committee meeting for Pride occurred on March 28th, 2013 at the SETAC offices. After a tremendous amount of work by the Pride Steering Committee, the first pride weekend was held in Puerto Vallarta from May 24th to 26th, 2013. Subsequently, ACT LGBT A.C. has been continuing its monthly luncheons and continues in its goal of providing a solid and permanent LGBT Business Association,”

The group was assisted by Blaire Osborne, Alfonso Davalos, Edgar Sanchez, Alain Chalut, Carlos de Niz (Karla Fifi) and Tom Luis from Bar Frida.

The first Puerto Vallarta Pride celebration was held May 24-26, 2013.

Tim Wilson, owner of Gay PV Magazine, said the organizing committee selected the month of May for several reasons.

“We wanted to extend the busy travel season in Puerto Vallarta - which for many years began to end after Semana Santa in April,” he explained “May was the group’s decision be-

cause the weather is still great and the summer rains have not started”

He also said that the committee recognized that Vallarta did not need to compete with the pride events in June - namely Mexico City and Guadalajara.

Casa Cupula hosted the first event for Vallarta Pride in 2013 that featured local drag star Diva Divine and a show by Broadway Bares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Other events included a Saturday same-sex commitment ceremony at Sapphire Beach Club and fashion show at Blue Chairs followed by a pride parade and block party in Lazaro Cardenas park.

The recent 2023 Pride celebration was perhaps one of the largest ever, with the theme of “Be Proud of your Nature” it included the first ever Miss Vallarta Pride pageant; a 5 K Race, a Queer Ball, the annual Block Party, Pride Parade and the Drag Derby. It also included a special Benito Santos & Mosma Moda Fashion Show which was held on the iconic pier.

Support the following advertisers who are supporting your local LGBTQ+ magazine.

SCAN THE QR CODE FOR A GOOGLE MAP OF YOUR SELECTED BUSINESS!

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS CELEBRATION

Isla Cuale - Nov. 1, 2023. Join the Fiesta! Scan the QR code for more details.

ART GALLERY

ATELIER 2020 - ARTE DE HOY

A refreshing breeze to Vallarta’s artistic venues, Atelier 2020 – arte de hoy, fulfills the need for a space focussing on contemporary abstract art.

GALERÍA DANTE

Galleria Dante is one of the largest fine art galleries in Puerto Vallarta (and the third oldest), representing more than 60 artists with an amazing collection that includes 85 percent Mexican artists. The Restaurant -  Di Vino Dante Tapas and Wine - describes itself as a meeting between the Mediterranean tradition and the growing wine wealth of Mexico.

FURNITURE/INTERIOR DESIGN/BUILDING

DECORACIONES SUÁREZ

With more than 20 years of experience, Decoracion Suarez can help you with blinds and curtains, custom made to fit your new home or condo. Installation provided.

SOLUTIONS MEXICO

The Easiest Way to Furnish Your Home In Mexico - Our experts help make it easy - from buying furniture to renting furniture. www.solutionsmexico.com

REAL ESTATE

TIMOTHY REAL ESTATE GROUP

Timothy Real Estate Group is a locally-owned and operated real estate brokerage with strategic sales office locations throughout the Bay of Banderas from the Romantic Zone to Sayulita.

DEREK CARKNER, REALTOR

RYAN DONNER & ASSOCIATES

Derek Carkner hails from Toronto, Canada and has been living and working in Puerto Vallarta for the last five years. He can ease you through the process of buying or selling a home with candid advice and a unique sense of humor. Looking to live in Paradise? Get in touch with Derek and see what his award-winning customer service can do for you!

HOGAR REALTORS

MARC SERRAO

The Hogar Realtors team is committed to listening to the needs and desires of our clients. We work in your best interest with honesty and integrity. Our boutique realty size enables us to provide the personal attention and care our clients deserve every step of the way.

MEXPAT REALTORS

Mexpat Realtors’ work culture centers around relationships, understanding of the clients’ timeline, sharing the joys of the Mexican lifestyle, while maintaining trust, transparency, and professionalism. We provide full spectrum marketing for properties that are comprehensive, modern, effective, trend setting and revered.

DONNER & ASOCIADOS

NEW IMAGE - NEW SERVICES - UNLIMITED OPTIONS

Contact our team of REAL ESTATE EXPERTS today: www. donnerandassociates.com

ENTERTAINMENT

MISS CONCEPTION

With a career spanning over twenty three years, Kevin Levesque as Miss Conception, has been delighting audiences around the world with his unique style of female illusion. New season at The Palm - TOONED OUTDecember 4, 2023 to April 4, 2024.

PV NOW ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE

Can’t keep up with all of the great shows and entertainment in Puerto Vallarta? Let us do the work for you!

Download this App from the Apple or Play store! For more information https://www.pvnow.mx

THE PALM CABARET & BAR

The Palm has been a part of Puerto Vallart’s entertainment scene for more than 21 years. It is Puerto Vallarta’s oldest live entertainment venue in Old Town.

JOHNNY PARADISO PRODUCTIONS

Presents an exclusive new season of entertainment at The Palm including Gaycation; the unauthorized musical parody of JAWS; Rock Hard; Evita Loca in Musical Mondays and Megan Murphy in Big Red Goes Pink.

HEALTHCARE/PERSONAL FITNESS

DR. CARLOS DIEZ

Health and Beauty Expert - Dr. Diez is an aesthetic doctor, and stays up-to-date on all the advances in regenerative aesthetic medicine, which allow us not only to look younger, but also to regenerate our quality of life.

EXPAT INSURANCE

Got insurance? Don´t become a GoFundMe campaign and make sure you have insurance. Brett LaMar is an insurance agent who represents multiple insurance companies offering Health and Life Insurance options for expats living abroad or for travelers outside of their home country of passport. Get a free quote at BrettLaMar.com or email Brett.L@expatinsurance.com

THRIVE WELLNESS IV AND MEDSPA

ThrIVe Vallarta is your Trusted IV Hydration & Vitamin Center in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. ThrIVe is the second location for this Customer Service driven International Organization who strives to make patients feel better. Our medical team consists of Anesthesiologists and Registered Nurses. ThrIVe’s first location is in Las Vegas, Nevada; the heart of Customer Service.

VALLARTA MEDICAL CENTER

With modern facilities and cutting-edge medical equipment, Vallarta Medical Center’s healthcare staff is ready to provide medical, surgical and hospital care.

RESTAURANTS AND BARS

AWAYSIS

The best spot in Puerto Vallarta for drinks,food and live entertainment!

Open Tue-Sun 3pm-12am. Check out our ad for more information.

BLUE - PV’S BOUTIQUE BAR

Daily Specials and great music with a DJ are waiting for you at BLUE. Open from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. Follow our social media for daily specials.

BAR FRIDA AND FRIDA’S KITCHEN

Join us at Bar Frida and Frida’s Kitchen with Chef Alberto Cuvea. Open 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Check social media for specials.

CANTO MODERN CANTONESE BISTRO

Your Favorite Chinese Classics and More! Opening Soon! Follow us on social media to stay updated! @cantopv.

DAIQUIRI

DICK’S ON THE BEACH

Daiquiri Dick’s on the beach is reimagined by Chef Wayne Elias & Chris Diamond, who have been restaurateurs & caterers in Hollywood for more than 30 years. Enjoy Some Great food & drinks right on the beach!

ELIXIR MIXOLOGY BAR

Elixir Mixology Bar predominant meeting and gathering spot for the lesbian and queer women in the community.

JUICY DRAGS

Offering all day breakfast, vegetarian, vegan and fun options for food and drinks. Juice bar, smoothies and snacks all served with either a Turkish or Mexican flavor.

LA CHACHALACA BAR

Located just a few minutes from the Los Muertos Pier and a few blocks from the gay beach area, La ChaChalaca Bar has an open-air patio and air conditioned bar.

LA TIENDA GRANDE RESTAURANT

Creative Cuisine Exalting Mexican Food by Chef Salvador Carrillo, the concept of La Tienda Grande restaurant consists of offering creative Mexican cuisine, where the flavors and aromas are mixed with a decoration that stands out for the small details recalling the ancient Mexico.

LET’S PHO PV

Vietnamese food served Vallarta style. In addition to Pho, you’ll find Tamarind wings, Rock and Roll Beef, garlic butter wings, homemade carrot cake, and even a Guava cheese cake made from scratch. Open Tuesday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Monday only for dinner).

LIX ICE CREAM

Lix has multiple locations in Puerto Vallarta and they offer delivery service. This homemade ice cream is some of the best, and with unique flavors sure to capture your taste buds.

MADERO BAKERY (POSTRERIA MADERO)

Special order cakes, cookies and more. Gay owned and operated. Delivery available. Check out our ad and contact us for your next celebration.

MASAME

Masame was born from the inspiration of Mexican cuisine, its garnachas and the joy of eating. Where our main objective is for our diners to enjoy the experience of Mexican food with its creative touch, its delight and eternal memories.

ONE SIX ONE

An upscale environment with a 'living room lounge' ambience, One Six One offers live DJ'd house music, craft cocktails, an outside patio and a rooftop.

QUE BOLA

This fantastic Cuban restaurant is under the direction of Chef Rogelio Ramirez. The food he prepares is based on recipes from his grandmother. On the menu you’ll find everything from the traditional Cubano sandwich, croquettes, to even a copa colita type of flan. Open 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday.

REFLECTIONS BISTRO

Its menu is a mixture of fast food-gourmet-Mexican, you can order from the mini pepperoni or cheese pizza to the cheese, spinach and tomato panini or the serrano ham.

STUDS BAR

Touting itself as the city’s largest, first bear and leather bar, Studs bar offers popular DJs playing the best in House & dance beats, nice leather couches, incredible lighting design and a very private area where the leather community can feel free and comfortable.

THE SWEDES

The Swedes has been a Vallarta classic since 2009. Known by visitors from all over the world as 'THE place to enjoy fabulous drinks', it is characterized by friendly service, casual dining and an interesting menu designed for all occasions.

TRATTORIA DI NUOVO

New location! Francisco I. Madero 441, Col. Emiliano Zapata 48380 , Traditional Italian Trattoria located in the heart of the romantic zone of Puerto Vallarta.

YAMADA

This Japanese Restaurant welcomes you to enjoy fresh sushi rolls or a hibachi meal.

SPAS AND FUN

SWELL BEACH BAR/CLUB

Swell Beach Bar is a restaurant, bar, and beer garden, making it a great spot to come in a group, as everyone can find something. This fuss-free beach bar is a choice spot for people watching on Los Muertos Beach and they also offer a couple of sun loungers. Soak up the sun in Vallarta with a beer to one side of you and a plate of coconut shrimp to the other.

HOLISTIC THERAPY PV

With Holistic Therapy PV, we ask for your invitation to provide treatments for your mind, body and spirit. Jose Oviedo, from Venezuela, and his team will help to listen to yourself and love yourself unconditionally. Offering Holistic Relaxing Massages, Deep Tissue, Magnetic Therapy and Access Consciousness. Jose & the Holistic Therapy team welcome you.

HAMAM TURKISH SPA

By appointment only Hamam Turkish Spa is a boutique authentic hamam spa that provides an oasis of tranquility and revitalization.

SPARTACUS

With more than 4,000 square feet, Spartacus is a men’s only gay sauna/bath house located in the gay district of Puerto Vallarta, Zona Romantica.

TOURS

TAMALES TOURS

Discover a day- on the Banderas Bay like no other. Tamale’s Tours creates a space to feel free, meet new people, and explore nature’s boundless beauty. Swim in the seas, lounge in the yacht's many open spaces, and mingle till you tingle. On board you will enjoy: Private chef on board for all meals and snacks; Premium, open bar for duration of the cruise; All water toys including snorkel gear, kayak, paddle boards, and a dinghy for tubing; Towels and sunscreen. https://tamalestoutourrs.com

VALLARTA EXPERIENCES

Offering Off the Path Tours & Photo Shoot. Join Ezeqkiel as your guide and photographer. Discover little gem towns, not far from Vallarta with a totally different atmosphere than the Vallarta you think or know.

VALLARTA FOOD TOURS

Vallarta’s number ONE tour with more than 2,600 five-star TripAdvisor reviews.

PUERTO VALLARTA WALKING ADVENTURES TOUR

We offer walking adventures in the greater Puerto Vallarta, Mexico area. We believe that walking, exercising, exploring, and adventuring is more important than just "touring" and "sightseeing." On traditional walking tours you are shown and told what the tour guides want to steer you to believe - and you only usually walk a couple of blocks. Our adventures allow you to explore and discover and ask questions about what you see and feel.

RETAIL STORES

MERCURIO SWIMWEAR

Mercurio Swim provides men’s swimwear of high quality, excellent fit, and limited production for local guys and tourists. At Mercurio Swim, we’re very serious about quality and quality control.

SIR AND SON

PV’s sexiest new lifestyle store, now open! Sexy fashion from all over the world. https://sirandson.com

PLACES TO STAY/RENTALS

CASA CUPULA

Casa Cupula is the finest hotel in the Zona Romantica, with a worldwide reputation for sophisticated luxury and relaxing hospitality. Nestled in the hilltop overlooking Banderas Bay, Casa Cupula is close to everything, but remains a private retreat.

CARDENAS SUITES

On your next trip...Stay Close to the Fun, Far From the Chaos! Book direct with code OUT23A and save 15%. www.CardenasSuites.com

HOTEL MERCURIO

Hotel Mercurio has been ‘home’ for LGBTQ guests for nearly two decades. Arriving for your stay with them, you’ll feel the warm and welcoming embrace of greeting beloved friends.

RENTALS PV

Offering apartment rentals in Puerto Vallarta, in the heart of the Romantic Zone, Old Town, just one block from the beach Playa Los Muertos.

SAMSON WATERS

Samson Waters offers vacation rentals, concierge services, and property management. With a staff that prides themselves on an ability to understand its guests needs and provide an experience that will surpass all expectations.

SPECIALIZED SERVICES

ROMAN VENTURA CHEF SERVICES PROFESSIONAL CHEF IN YOUR HOME

Professional Chef serving globally-inspired, Mexican-influenced cuisine. Dinners and events for 2-30 people in Puerto Vallarta and surrounding area.

INFINITY GABO MASSAGE THERAPY

Offering sensual, erotic and therapeutic massages, Marco at Infinity Gabo brings massage to a new level to help your body and mind heal emotionally.