2021 Travel Guide
Beaches Welcome All With Sun and Fun By Alejandro Chavez A favorite activity for many visiting Puerto Vallarta is spending the day relaxed on the beach. Depending on what you’re into, Puerto Vallarta has some options for you. So look no further and let us give you the rundown so you come prepared. Los Muertos Beach (aka the Gay Beach) Without a doubt, one of the most popular beaches in PV is ‘Playa Los Muertos’, PV’s own gay beach and very popular amongst gay travelers worldwide. It has topped many lists, including the ‘best gay beach’ list from Newsweek in 2019. It placed second just behind Hilton Beach from Tel Aviv, Israel. Why do people love it? PV’s Los Muertos beach is one the largest gay beaches in Latin America with a very open-minded and friendly ambiance to go along with it. The location is also perfect; it is located in ‘Zona Romantica’, the gayborhood of PV where you can find many restaurants and gay bars. If you want to find a spot to soak up the sun and spend the day, there are a few places you could go that will match your taste and what you’re looking for. From south to north, these are the gay or gay-friendly beach clubs that offer the basics (chair and umbrella, food and drink service) and more: Mantamar Beach Club. Known as the ‘party spot’, Mantamar offers a wide variety of services from your regular beach chairs, to lounge chairs, gazebos, cabanas, access to a pool, and DJs setting the mood. Ritmos Beach Café. Dubbed ‘Green Chairs’ for the color of some of its beach chairs, it is a favorite of many. Ritmos offers a more laid-back atmosphere at the heart of Playa Los Muertos. Known to have one of the best customer service on the beach. Blue Chairs. Being the first gay-friendly hotel in PV, the Blue Chairs beach club is very popular among foreigners and Mexican nationals. Although the beach area is smaller than its neighbors’, you can easily spot Blue Chairs for the color of its beach chairs. You guessed it, its blue! 10
2 0 2 1 Tra v e l G u i d e
Sapphire. A more low-key and relaxed spot to spend the day. Sapphire offers access to a pool, lounge chairs, and convenient day-passes. As you walk down the beach, you will find more places that offer similar services but do not target the gay tourist specifically as the spots mentioned above. If this sounds more like your taste, then by all means go and spend the day at any of those places. Remember that after all, PV is a very open-minded tourist town and it is very rare to encounter any issues relating to discrimination. Other Great Beaches The best beaches are down south of Puerto Vallarta along Bahía de Banderas. They may all not be within walking distance but are easy to get to. From the closest to furthest from PV, here is a list of the recommended beaches to visit and a way to get there: Conchas Chinas Beach. Discrete and just minutes away from Zona Romantica. Take in the picturesque scenery and enjoy the sunset to end a perfect day. There are natural pools that form along the edge of the sea where you could see fish and other marine animals. It is the closest beach south of Los Muertos Beach. Therefore, you can get there by foot if you enjoy an easy short walk. You can also get there by public transportation or taxi. Los Colomitos Beach. One of the hidden and small beaches in PV with turquoise waters. We recommend visiting for only a short time since it does not have any restaurants or facilities. Perfect for a quick swim and as a stopover for other beaches nearby. To get there you might want to get to Boca de Tomatlán first (a small fisherman town, also known as just ‘Boca’) and you get there by either taking a public bus or taxi, or you might even D e s t i n a t i o n P u e r t o Va l l a r t a
