PV Experiences

[notscb]

My husband and I are excited to be going to Puerto Vallarta for the first time on a cruise next month and was wondering if anyone had any tips, experiences, food recs, etc. that they could share from their time there, especially given that PV is known to be a popular gay tourism destination.

 

Has anyone been to PV, or been to PV on a cruise? What's it like? What is a must-see or must-do in the 12 hours we have to explore?

[CDNPolar]

9 hours ago, notscb said:

My husband and I are excited to be going to Puerto Vallarta for the first time on a cruise next month and was wondering if anyone had any tips, experiences, food recs, etc. that they could share from their time there, especially given that PV is known to be a popular gay tourism destination.

 

Has anyone been to PV, or been to PV on a cruise? What's it like? What is a must-see or must-do in the 12 hours we have to explore?

 

PV is in my mind the Gay Mecca of Mexico.  It is the only destination in Mexico that I care to travel to.  We have been there 3 or 4 times now, cannot remember, but not on a cruise, always an all inclusive resort.

 

You can walk openly in the streets holding hands and no one cares.  

 

You have "zones" in PV

• North Zone
• Nuevo Vallarta
• Marina Vallarta
• Hotel Zone
• Downtown Puerto Vallarta
• Romantic Zone - Old Town
• South Zone

I would suggest you target the Romantic Zone which is the most populated gay area, where the gay beach is and most of the hotels that cater to the gay clients.

 

This is is also where all the restaurants, and shops and interest is in my mind.

 

We stay at the Sheraton Buganvilias Resort (Google Map it) and then we walk south daily into the Zona Romantica and focus our time between the Sheraton and the Old Town.  To us, this is where all the fun and interest is.

 

We love Polo's Seafood Restaurant:  https://mariscospolos.wixsite.com/polosrestaurant. The seafood platter for two is amazing.

 

Have fun!  You will likely want to return for a week at a resort.

 

 

[Dobby36]

Agree with the above.  You may also see it described as “Zona Rosa” 

 

there are beach bars that will be full of LGBT folks, mostly gay men. More bars will open after dark but don’t get busy until 11 or so. Hard to take advantage in most cruise line schedules.  There are a couple saunas if that’s of interest, and of course plenty of eateries and shops along the boardwalk.  
 

For me, the main PV draw is that it’s charming and enjoyable, while also feeling safe for gay couples as the poster above notes.  I’ve stayed at Murcurio (budget gay male resort) and Almar (LGBT but upscale) and a few airBnBs. Prepare for some hills in the zona rosa, and cobblestone streets if you are walking.  (And heat!)

[CDNPolar]

... and the PV water supply is safe throughout the city in the restaurants and bars...  This is a plus for us.  

[RICHARD@SEA]

Parts of Mexico are now on the USA terrorist watch list - drug cartels etc...rapid crime also.

[Dobby36]

26 minutes ago, RICHARD@SEA said:

Parts of Mexico are now on the USA terrorist watch list - drug cartels etc...rapid crime also.

true, but the tourist areas including PV are noted to be excluded.  If they were regularly unsafe for tourists, the monetary losses would be devastating. 
 

 

[notscb]

On 11/9/2023 at 5:06 AM, CDNPolar said:

I would suggest you target the Romantic Zone which is the most populated gay area, where the gay beach is and most of the hotels that cater to the gay clients.

Thank you for the recommendation and for that seafood place- we will definitely be adding it to our list. It seems like there's a lot to visit in the romantic zone alone- we're hoping to do the boardwalk and take the day to just take it all in at this point.

[notscb]

On 11/10/2023 at 3:05 PM, RICHARD@SEA said:

Parts of Mexico are now on the USA terrorist watch list - drug cartels etc...rapid crime also.

Sure...and parts of the USA should be on the USA terrorist watch list. Mazatlan (the port)- was briefly discontinued until it got back under control. For the most parts, these ports rely heavily on the tourism dollar and are going to do what is needed to make sure tourists are safe.

Edited November 12, 2023 by notscb

[notscb]

On 11/9/2023 at 11:31 AM, Dobby36 said:

For me, the main PV draw is that it’s charming and enjoyable, while also feeling safe for gay couples as the poster above notes.

I think that's what I'm looking forward to experiencing- thank you for pointing this out. I'm excited to see the balance between the beach vibe and the town itself with the shops and food

[RICHARD@SEA]

On 11/11/2023 at 7:21 PM, notscb said:

Sure...and parts of the USA should be on the USA terrorist watch list. Mazatlan (the port)- was briefly discontinued until it got back under control. For the most parts, these ports rely heavily on the tourism dollar and are going to do what is needed to make sure tourists are safe.

The Mexican Drug Cartels do not care where the $$$$$ come from - I'm sure they are quite happy to have Americans & other nationalities spending in Mexico.  Cozumel is another town (along w others) that have been mentioned to be aware of.

 

Gay or not the gangs don't care.

 

Its a shame what has happened to Mexico & its charming towns over the last 20 years.... I won't travel to Mexico anymore  for many reasons...personal safety is #1

[notscb]

19 hours ago, RICHARD@SEA said:

The Mexican Drug Cartels do not care where the $$$$$ come from

Yikes. I'd just delete this post- I wasn't asking if you personally thought mexico was safe.

[CDNPolar]

Anywhere in the world today has it's safety concerns.  Go.  Enjoy PV.  Be diligent about your personal safety.  You will have a good time.  

[notscb]

Just an update for y'all:

My cruise on the panorama got cancelled so we decided to just go to PV and take the week there. I'm very excited and appreciate all of your positive suggestions 🙂

[CDNPolar]

Awesome that you have a backup and PV is worth a week.  We have been there several times.

 

Let us know what you think!

[nyonefivetwo]

On 11/26/2023 at 6:47 PM, notscb said:

Just an update for y'all:

My cruise on the panorama got cancelled so we decided to just go to PV and take the week there. I'm very excited and appreciate all of your positive suggestions 🙂

I hope you have a blast! On my last Panorama cruise, I spent some time at the Mantamar resort – the "home" to Pride and Bear Week in PV. I recommend checking it out! Nice beach chairs, strong drinks, and they definitely cater to the audience with the attractive bar staff and massage therapists (on the up-and-up...employed by the resort). Enjoy!!!

[notscb]

Update:
thanks again to everyone  who suggested fun things to do and see in PV.

 

We went for a week and a day and it was amazing. Stayed in the Romantic Zone- 10/10, will be going again. Did Mantamar, Diana's Boat tour, saw some whales, and had a ton of excellent food. Also felt safer there than we have walking around NYC or Toronto.

 

[CDNPolar]

8 hours ago, notscb said:

Update:
thanks again to everyone  who suggested fun things to do and see in PV.

 

We went for a week and a day and it was amazing. Stayed in the Romantic Zone- 10/10, will be going again. Did Mantamar, Diana's Boat tour, saw some whales, and had a ton of excellent food. Also felt safer there than we have walking around NYC or Toronto.

 

 

Love that you loved it!  

I have never been anywhere else in Mexico and it is mostly because PV has kind of spoiled me because it is so gay friendly, walkable, and the food and beaches and water is so amazing.

 

Glad you had such a good time.

 

What was the hotel you stayed in?

 

I have been to a few, but the one we book now is the Sheraton Buganvilias.  Big hotel, but they have a Club Floor with no kids and it is away enough from the old town that we feel a little less claustrophobic.  We love the old town but it is a bit tight and very people dense.  We like to walk around there but don't want to stay there.  

[notscb]

 

8 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

What was the hotel you stayed in?

We stayed in an airbnb in the romantic zone (called the Zenith). We were able to cook some of our own meals and the rooftop pool was a nice touch. We don't usually do hotels.

Edited December 22, 2023 by notscb

[CDNPolar]

2 hours ago, notscb said:

 

We stayed in an airbnb in the romantic zone (called the Zenith). We were able to cook some of our own meals and the rooftop pool was a nice touch. We don't usually do hotels.

 

Sounds nice.  We don't do Airbnb....  we only do hotels!  Haha

[dad son team]

On 11/10/2023 at 3:33 PM, Dobby36 said:

true, but the tourist areas including PV are noted to be excluded.  If they were regularly unsafe for tourists, the monetary losses would be devastating. 
 

 

 

Last time I was there we rented an apartment with VBRO and the owner was an American artist from California.  She said PV is very safe because the drug cartels keep it that way to launder money through the hotels and tourist sites.  It's plausible and she's lived there 20 years.

[RICHARD@SEA]

I find this conversation unbelievable - promoting ANYWHERE in Mexico simply supports the drug cartel controlled country that has its own citizens forced to leave their homes & be refugees...

 

Considering the LGBQ population that fought for rights & freedoms - I would hope there would be compassion & empathy - why not just vaca in Moscow - Its cheap now & the caviar is fabulous. I've cancelled trips to China & I won't do a mexico cruise(east or west coast) at any cost.

 

Disgusting & shameful

[CDNPolar]

I think that if you really want to look closely, there are many countries that have skeletons in the closet from recent history to past history and you could probably make a case for not travelling there....

 

The USA and Canada included - me from Canada - in our atrocious treatment even now of our indigenous peoples.  I won't venture into why travel to the USA could be considered the same - "disgusting and shameful".

 

I think that everyone has to make a decision about where they travel and why,  but just because we think we live in a modern world, myself as Gay, I am not willing to spend money in the USA for tourism because of current feelings around the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

 

This, as the above is just my opinion.

[fshepinc]

Puerto Vallarta is a safe and welcoming city for LGBTQ people. I've been there a dozen or more times -most recently in October. A visit to the Zona Romantica will reveal gay bars, clubs, restaurants, shops and even a few resorts. There are gay baths, along with several men's spas that offer legitimate services at very reasonable prices. On the negative side, unless you're on a gay cruise you'll likely miss out on most of the PV scene, as ships typically sail at 5:00, and many of the livelier places don't open until later. Fortunately the malecón and the beaches are beautiful, with lots of great food and places to hang out. You'll have a wonderful time!