Puerto Vallarta is alive with a buzz of international tourism, drawing huge numbers from the US and Canada as well as a growing European influx. Entering from the north you pass the airport and right away you see Plaza Marina; the first of many plazas you will encounter with many high end furniture stores, art galleries and chain restaurants. The first area of interest you will come across is the Marina. The area got its name, most obviously because it is built around docking facilities for thousands of boats of all descriptions from canoes, kayaks and jets skis to tour boats and multi-million dollar yachts. You will find all types of activities in this area. Check out the shopping and restaurants available at dock side and look the area up on the internet for some great resorts that make for a perfect all inclusive holidays if that is your style. Continuing along highway 200, now narrowed to the main street, you enter the Hotel Zone. This area of course is where you find a lot of hotels, many familiar American names and some Condos Puerto Vallarta. The beach here is gorgeous and you will find some great dining.

Cross over the bridge and you enter Centro. Here you will find shops too multiple to describe… jewelry shops, art galleries, clothing stores, more time share offers than you can believe, souvenir shops by the score, restaurants with just about any kind of food you taste buds desire. This is the most diverse area of town. On the right you will find the ocean with terrific views from one tip of the bay to the other while on the left the street is lined with shops. Check out the wonderful collection of statues all crafted from bronze, stone and concrete that adorns the wide sidewalk known as the Malecon. These wonderful works of art were all donated by local artisans to help renew and beautify this area after the hurricane of 2001, and indeed it has been wonderfully restored. At the south end of the Malecon you will find crafts, arts, snacks, music, street performers and in general warm hospitality offered up by the local merchants. Meander the side streets for hours and you will find delightful little discoveries guaranteed to satisfy your hunt for an unusual gift. If you get a chance take in the Art Walk, happening every Wednesday, a casual stroll of the many art galleries in this area complete with snacks and a drink offered at participating galleries. Just look for an Art Walk flyer, you will find them at shops all over this area.

Continuing south from the Malecon you will cross another bridge, over the River Cuale into Zona Romantica. I guess you could call Centro and The Malecon the center of this city. Zona Romantica is the heart, the magic, if you have not by now fallen in love with this town Zona Romantica will win you over. Here you can find the best Puerto Vallarta Villas!. Taste the flavors of Mexico at a variety of eateries, from roadside vendors where you can eat for a couple dollars to local Cenadurias, all the way up to five star North American style fine dining experiences on the beach. Don’t be afraid to explore here, both on a culinary level and on a cultural level. Try some local dishes like pozole, molcajete, fried cheese tacos, mahi mahi, it’s all delicious. Let one of the small sidewalk cafes or bars lure you in with offerings of great service, fabulous food and just a plain magical experience.

Above Zona Romantica on the hillside you will find lots of foreign influence again with beautiful villas and condos owned primarily by foreigners and ex patriots most of which can be rented.

Puerto Vallarta is no longer just a cute little Mexican town. It has grown into a diverse, culturally rich tourist destination making its mark proudly on the map. As world commerce grows and travel becomes more and more accessible to the masses Puerto Vallarta has kept pace and in many cases surpassed others as the place to be for your next exotic vacation. Go online and reserve your Puerto Vallarta Villa Rentals you’ll be glad you did!!

You’ll find plenty of ways to wait out the daytime until your next trip to the bars and discos. During the daytime you might be inspired to do some shopping or browse through the many art galleries in Vallarta. We have dedicated separate pages for those, so we won’t repeat much about those ideas here. Vallarta has many options for relaxation during the day including our gay beaches and many organized gay cruises and tours. Unless your accommodations have satellite TV, the half dozen channels that are in English on the cable system here just might not do! So, what else is there after TV in the daytime? Part of the reason to visit the tropics is to enjoy the outdoor life that our climate makes possible.
http://www.gay-puerto-vallarta.com

In this area you’ll find hundreds of gay men and women sitting under the palapas or on towels nearer the surf line, soaking up the hot Mexican sun and socializing with gays from all over the world. Both the blue and green chairs areas serve drinks and food. You don’t have to buy anything or pay, this is a public beach.

Once at the beach you’ll immediately come in contact with the many beach vendors, who are licensed and very territorial. There are various things being sold, all by differing vendors, since there are separate licenses for each kind of item. You’ll be offered fruit, ice cream, fresh pies, newspapers, silver jewelry, clothing items, tickets to cruises and tours, Mexican blankets, and many more items. This is the place to bargain, you should never pay the asking price, although even with great bargaining skills you won’t get as good a price here as when you shop for these items away from the beach. After a while it can get irritating to some, because these vendors keep coming around. Our recommendation is to stay relaxed and get used to saying politely (but firmly) “no, gracias” and don’t let it bother you.

The beach is easy to find, it is less than a quarter mile south of the pier located at the foot of Francisca Rodriguez Street. The blue and green chairs are marked on our map (see map). In case your gaydar isn’t working when you get there and you need help finding the place, the Blue Chairs flies a rainbow flag on top of their restaurant building. If taking a taxi to the beach it is best to tell the driver “Blue Chairs - Los Muertos.”

Situated on Mexico’s west coast it is a popular stopping off point for gay cruises adding to the ever changing panorama of hunky men.

It is hard to believe that only a few years ago Puerto Vallarta was a small town based on agriculture and fishing.

All that changed in 1963, when Hollywood director John Huston chose his site for the filming of Tennessee Williams’ “The Night of the Iguana”

Since then the population has grown from 12,500 to around 250,000 in 2002.

Yet, despite its rapid-fire growth Puerto Vallarta has managed to retain its charm. Cobblestone streets and white stucco houses give the old city a lovely European charm.

Wandering around on foot is easy, and Puerto Vallarta is one of the safest cities in North America.

There are plenty of wonderful gay hotels and bed and breakfasts. One of my favorites is Villa David, a lovely B&B at 348 Calle Galeana y Miramar.

Located in a quiet neighborhood it is within easy walking distance of all the finest attractions in Gay Puerto Vallarta.

The hacienda-style home is built around a central courtyard in Gringo Gulch on the hillside overlooking the beautiful Bay of Banderas.

The popular Los Muertos Beach is approximately a ten-minute walk for daylight swimming, sunning and entertainment.

Puerto Vallarta night life is centered on the Malecon (Boardwalk) area which is also within easy walking distance, saving time as well as bus or taxi fare and providing a chance to enjoy the beautiful city on foot.

Staying in the town allows an opportunity to interface with the friendly Mexican people.

A second potential scene, since discarded for a more appropriate mountaintop escape, was set in the canopy tours, as Brad and a bad guy zigzagged through the jungle, battling while suspended over treacherous-looking but spectacular canyon vistas. Shane got us invited to participate in the making of a promotional video for the gay market, saving us the fee ($79) and making us some fun friends at the same time. (An amusing note: the stars of the video were PV’s famous drag troupe, the Dirty Bitches. We were just background.) Like Brad, I share a fear of heights, but the views were so breathtakingly beautiful, and the guides so amusing (and good-looking) that I didn’t have time to be afraid. And afterwards I wanted to do it all over again! That is how we sometimes escape the small boxes of our minds—if we’re lucky.

Another important scene (which I’ve already experienced, but would like to repeat) is the snorkeling scene at Los Arcos, a triptych of domed rocks jutting up from the sea near the small town of Mismaloya, one of which has an arc that can be sailed through. If we can do it inexpensively, we will. It’s also interesting to note that the walkway to the radio towers at the top of the mountain in downtown PV is literally a minute above the casa where we’re staying. A walk up here on the last trip inspired a major scene that takes place in a fictional monastery at the top of the hill. I didn’t go all the way to the top this time, but I did go up quite a ways. The name of that street is Aldama. We had no idea we were so close when we rented this place on the Internet.
gay-puerto-vallarta.com

Puerto Vallarta is becoming gayer by the year and is now poised to overtake Acapulco as Mexico’s leading gay beach, the Times reported. There are now some dozen gay-friendly hotels and a glut of bars and clubs clustered along the aptly named Zona Romantica.

As for Mazatlán, it has been drawing American retirees and second-home buyers to its less-crowded beaches and cheap real estate. Few tourists show up, partly because there are few hotels. That’s changing. A half-dozen resorts are now in the works, including Diamond Beach, a $1.2 billion development with high-rise hotels, a golf course and condominiums.

www.gay-puerto-vallarta.com

Although, with the weak dollar and talk of a coming recession it may be better to plan the trip more domestically. There are many places to go here in the U.S. where we can enjoy beaches without the hassle of dealing with new passport laws and excessive travel abroad. Florida seems to be the most popular overall U.S. spring break destination with

There are a few destinations that come to mind at first when I think of a gay spring break. Key West certainly wants your business the month of March with many festivities going on for gays and lesbians. The problem with Key West is getting out to that island and it could be hard booking a stay at a gay resort since I am sure they are mostly booked up already.

Some places to go in Key West include the gay resort called the Island House (1129 Fleming Street) which can be found online at islandhousekeywest.com. They have quite a frisky website that makes it look like you will be in for a time of fun while staying at the property. Manhunt.net recently ran a contest for a free stay at this gay resort so it is working hard to promote its property. This clothing-optional Bed & Breakfast won the 2007 Planet Out Travel Award for best gay resort.

On the accommodations front travelers can expect to find gay-owned or gay friendly properties in Puerto Vallarta starting for as little as $75 per night along with bargains a plenty on the cobblestone covered streets of Old Town which is essentially the heart of Puerto Vallarta’ gay scene.

Finally, because gay Puerto Vallarta is also such a popular destination, it’s not difficult to find cheap fares (sometimes even at the last minute) if you keep an eye out for them. Can you say muy bien?

High end hotels such as The Four Seasons and The Ritz Carlton are creating luxury fractional ownership projects worldwide, and now Casa Cupula is doing the same for gay vacationers. Having established a reputation as one of the leading luxury gay resorts in the world since its inception in 2002, Casa Cupula is responding to a real need from guests: “We have many guests who have purchased homes and condos in Puerto Vallarta after staying with us,” said developer Don Pickens, founder, Milagro Properties, “but they regretted having to trade off Casa Cupula’s ambience and services because they wanted to buy real estate. Now we can offer the best of both worlds.”

The Private Residences at Casa Cupula has also found success with an unexpected audience: younger gay professionals. Many gay people in the US live in or near major cities, where the cost of buying a first home has grown out of reach for many young buyers. Twenty-seven year old San Francisco resident and financial planner Mike Gregg, an early buyer, recounted, “Buying into real estate in the Bay Area is out of reach for me, even on a professional salary. So I chose to make my first investment at Casa Cupula. I know I’ll use the vacation time, and when I can’t, they’ll manage it and rent it out for me. With rental income offsetting the costs, it can work out to a free vacation each year. And I still get the chance for capital appreciation.”

Often confused with timeshares, which are usually time-limited usage contracts, fractional interests offer fully deeded ownership in perpetuity in four-week periods. With a minimal capital investment buyers still own part of a luxury home of the highest quality

Exact figures on how much gay tourists spend annually vary based on sources — San Franciscobased Community Marketing, Inc., which this year releases the results of its 12th annual Gay & Lesbian Tourism Survey, estimates a conservative 5 percent of the $55 billion-a-year travel industry in the U.S. — but one fact remains indisputable: gay travel is big business.

On Dec. 6, HX Media aims to facilitate that big business by bringing gay travelers and travel professionals and vendors together for an Atlanta stop on the company’s touring Gay Life Travel Expo at the Sheraton Buckhead. HX Media is a sister company to Window Media, which publishes Southern Voice.

“It’s a one-night after work event that usually attracts 500-1,000 GLBT travelers and travel professionals,” says Vince Sandoval, HX Media’s marketing director for the event.

More than 30 travel-related vendors are scheduled to attend, and Atlanta is one of nine cities included in the Expo’s 2007 schedule.

“These are the cities that have an emerging travel industry where a lot of the locals are going on vacations and planning trips and tours throughout the year,” Sandoval says, noting that Expo organizers plan to expand the tour to visit 10 cities in 2008.

Included on the Atlanta roster is none other than local drag do-gooder Bubba D. Licious, who is scheduled to greet visitors as they arrive. Local juggernaut Delta Air Lines is also on board for the local stop for the second year in a row.

“We were involved in it last year and the exposure to the traveling segment is very good not only for the gay and lesbian traveler, but for Delta as well,” says Delta’s Timothy Johnston. “We wanted to pursue that market because it’s a very popular segment in the travel industry.”

DELTA IS JUST ONE COMPANY CAPITALIZING ON on the moneymaking potential gay travelers have to offer. In recent years, destinations themselves are clamoring in increasing numbers to court the gay travel dollar, says CMI’s Senior Research Director Jerry McHugh.

“The number of destinations that are interested in recognizing gay and lesbian travel as being an important niche market has gotten crazy,” McHugh says. “Twelve years ago, there were very few destinations that were doing any kind of gay and lesbian outreach. Now we see destinations that you wouldn’t even think about that are actively looking at gays and lesbians when they’re developing their marketing programs.”

McHugh credits the expansion to a growing understanding of gay economic power as well as an increasing acceptance of gay men and lesbians themselves.

“It’s pretty phenomenal,” he says. “I think a lot of it is due to people beginning to recognize that they would welcome [gay and lesbian travelers] to their communities, and that these are people that travel frequently and spend money when they travel.”

Among the preliminary results of CMI’s latest survey are lists of top 10 gay travel destinations, both domestic and international. The complete results are to be released in December at the firm’s International Conference on Gay & Lesbian Tourism, held in Ft. Lauderdale.

The Atlanta Convention & Visitor’s Bureau began marketing directly to gay business travelers in the 1990s and to gay commercial travelers in 2002, but Atlanta didn’t make the list. Getting it there, says ACVB executive vice president Gregory Pierce, would be a pricey endeavor.

“The top 10 are destinations that are tough,” says Pierce, noting that Atlanta historically has trouble competing with cities like New York, Miami and Chicago for vacationers across the board, not just with gay and lesbian travelers. The whole purpose of the Brand Atlanta initiative was to help get Atlanta on par with such destinations, he says.

“Unfortunately, there hasn’t been enough funding to really get the reach and frequency that we’re going to need,” Pierce says.

“We are trying to work on a long-term funding source … [so that] maybe we can move that needle enough, but I’m not particularly surprised that we’re not on the top 10.”

But Atlanta’s reputation and current marketing efforts, which include the website www.gay-atlanta.com, are enough to keep the city’s gay tourism industry healthy, he adds.

“The great thing about Atlanta is that it has been a gay travel destination for the southeast forever,” Pierce says. “For people who are in Augusta, Savannah and Macon, Atlanta’s Mecca.We already have a great base to build on, so that’s what made it easy.”

EVENTS LIKE THE GAY LIFE TRAVEL EXPO HIGHlight the increasing options for gay tourists, which can be difficult to sift through.

Jennifer Taylor, product manager for Vacation Express, one of the local vendors set to appear at the Expo, offers some advice.

She notes that Latin America is an increasingly popular spot for gay travelers, and that Puerto Vallarta — No. 2 on CMI’s list of international destinations — has long been a standard stop for both gay men and lesbians. Cancun is also rising in significance among both demographics, she says.

“Cancun has really kind of upped the ante,” Taylor says. “There’s a lot more hotels in Cancun that are actively pursuing that market segment, and I’m really pleased to see it moving in that direction.”

Taylor says gay travelers looking for nightlife should look to growing scenes in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, as well as established destinations in Puerto Rico and San Jose, Costa Rica.

For gay tourists with children, Taylor refers clients back to Cancun and its resorts with villas that provide both privacy and common family space.

“There’s so much to do in and around Cancun that the kids are never going to be bored,” she asserts.

For travelers over 50, Taylor recommends hotels and resorts that offer senior discounts, and notes that destinations with golf and spa packages are popular with the senior set.

If cost is no object, Taylor suggests exclusive destinations including St. Vincent in the Grenadines. For her clients on a budget, she recommends the various Hyatt properties.

“Hyatt as a brand in general is very supportive of the gay community,” she says, “and for the quality of service the price point is really very excellent.”