Puerto Vallarta 101

The short version

Fly into PVR, stay in the Zona Romántica, and you won't need a car. The gay beach, the bars, the piano bar and most of the gay hotels are a short walk from each other, and boats leave from the pier at the end of the beach for the coves to the south.

November to April is the dry, sunny season and the busiest. Vallarta Pride is in late May. Summer and early fall are hot, wet and quieter. The Good to know note on our stays page covers hurricane season, the marriage law and hotel visitor rules, so we won't repeat them here.

The Zona Romántica

The neighborhood south of the Cuale River (its official name is Colonia Emiliano Zapata, and some people call it Old Town) is where gay Vallarta lives. It runs down to Playa Los Muertos and the Los Muertos pier, the one with the tall metal sail, finished in 2013.

• Olas Altas is the evening stroll: sidewalk bars, people-watching, a slow walk to dinner.
• Basilio Badillo and Lázaro Cárdenas hold a lot of the bars and the Pride block party.
• Amapas, up the hill to the south, is where Casa Cúpula and the hillside condos are. The streets are steep, so pick your shoes accordingly.

The Malecón, the seafront promenade, starts on the other side of the river in Centro. It's a nice walk at sunset and where the Pride parade goes.

The beaches: Blue Chairs and Mantamar

• Blue Chairs (Malecón 4) sits at the south end of Los Muertos, and the stretch of sand in front of it is the gay beach. The adults-only hotel's beach club has chairs and palapas, and the Blue Sunset Rooftop Bar upstairs has drag shows, go-go dancers and the view. You don't have to stay there to have a drink.
• Mantamar Beach Club (Malecón 169) is the Almar Resort's beach club, with a pool on the sand, sushi and cocktails. Non-guests can buy a day pass. It hosts the big gay pool parties during Easter week, Bear Week and Thanksgiving; on a quiet weekday it's an easy afternoon on a lounger.
• Casa Cúpula's Pool Club, up the hill in Amapas, is open to the public and clothing-optional, with its own party weekends.

When to go

For how Vallarta's winter compares with Florida and the desert, see winter sun and New Year's.

Getting there and getting around

• From the airport: PVR (Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International) is north of town, about 20 to 25 minutes from the Zona Romántica by car. The taxis inside the terminal cost more. Plenty of people walk out over the pedestrian bridge across Highway 200 and get a street taxi or a rideshare on the other side.
• Uber: it works in town. At the airport, a late-2025 court ruling allowed Uber pickups at Mexican airports, but Vallarta drivers were still only dropping off at the terminal, which is why riders use the bridge. Check the app when you land.
• Walking: the Zona Romántica is small and walkable, but the sidewalks are uneven and the streets are cobblestone. Flat sandals make it harder than it needs to be.
• Buses: city buses run along the coast. In 2026 the fare is 11 pesos with Jalisco's "Al Estilo Jalisco" card, or 14 pesos without it.
• Taxis at night: they're everywhere in the Zona Romántica. Ask the fare before you get in.

The bars

Everything below is in the Zona Romántica, and you can walk the whole crawl. Things get going late: the clubs barely start before 11 pm.

• Apaches (Olas Altas 439): a long-running martini bar with a sidewalk patio and a 5–7 pm happy hour. The place to start.
• Anónimo Video Bar (Rodolfo Gómez 157): open since 2009, with sing-along music videos, cheap beer at happy hour and a late drag show.
• La Noche (Lázaro Cárdenas): three floors of cocktails with a rooftop garden and pole and aerial acts on some nights.
• Garbo Piano Bar (Púlpito 142): a small, grown-up piano and martini bar, open since 2002. Come after 10 pm when the music starts.
• Paco's Ranch (Ignacio L. Vallarta 237): the town's longest-running gay club, country and pop on the floor and full drag shows after midnight.
• STUDS (Basilio Badillo 283): a men-only bear and leather bar over three floors, and the home of Leather Fever.

The full list with tags and map pins is on our Puerto Vallarta bars page.

Pride and the big weeks

Vallarta Pride is a week in late May. In 2026 it ran May 17–24, with the parade on the Malecón on Thursday, May 21, at 4 pm and a block party on Lázaro Cárdenas that evening, and organizers expected more than 35,000 visitors. The official site still shows 2026, so 2027 dates are TBA. The gay hotels fill early for Pride week, so a refundable booking is a good idea while you wait.

The other big weeks are BeefDip Bear Week (January 24–31, 2027), Easter week, Leather Fever at STUDS in November and Thanksgiving weekend, when Casa Cúpula and Mantamar both throw pool parties. They're on the calendar below when we have confirmed dates.

Day trips

• Yelapa: a village with no road in, so the boat ride is part of it. Water taxis leave from the Los Muertos pier (about 45 minutes to an hour) or from Boca de Tomatlán to the south (20 to 30 minutes). Go for the beach, the waterfall walk and lunch on the sand. Check the last boat back before you order a second drink.
• Vallarta Botanical Garden: at Km 24 on Highway 200, about 35 minutes by car. It's open 9 am to 6 pm and closed on Mondays from April through November. The El Tuito bus from the Zona Romántica stops at the gate every 30 minutes, about 45 minutes and 50 pesos each way.
• Marietas Islands: the famous hidden beach (Playa del Amor) is a protected area. You can only go with a tour authorized by CONANP, Mexico's parks agency, numbers are limited and visits are short (about 20 minutes on the beach). Book a licensed operator, not a guy on the beach.
• Sayulita and San Pancho: surf towns to the north, about an hour's drive to Sayulita and ten minutes more to San Pancho. Sayulita is busy and fun; San Pancho is quieter.

Staying safe

• The US advisory: the State Department rates Jalisco at Level 3, "reconsider travel," but its May 2026 update puts no extra limits on Puerto Vallarta for its own staff. Read the current Mexico advisory on travel.state.gov before you book, and sign up for STEP alerts.
• February 2026: after a federal security operation in Jalisco on February 22, there were roadblocks across the state, flights were grounded and the US told citizens in Puerto Vallarta to shelter in place for a couple of days. Things returned to normal quickly, but it's a reason to have travel insurance and a hotel that will answer the phone.
• Nights out: the usual big-city rules. Keep an eye on your drink, take a taxi home rather than walking up dark hills, and leave the passport in the room safe.
• Same-sex couples: marriage is legal everywhere in Mexico. The Good to know note has the rest.

Going soon? Ask the guys in Travel & Trips what's open this week.

On the calendar

See all on the calendar →