One of the fundamental truths for serious travellers is that each great destination is unique and irreplaceable. Oh [dramatic pause], really?
We can’t always hop on a plane when we want to eat a meal in a grand European capital, stroll a gorgeous stretch of the Mediterranean or party like minor continental aristocrats. Yet North Americans who, for whatever reason, choose to forgo flying across an ocean don’t always have to compromise. There are great LGBTQ2S+-friendly destinations in Canada, the United States and Mexico that deliver on some of the promises of destinations on other continents—and then add in their own charm.
Here are six North American destinations that may not exactly mirror their foreign counterparts, but they can still scratch some of the same itches.
Toronto dupes for Melbourne
Born as practical industrial cities with a British colonial sensibility, modern glass buildings (and modern attitudes) have sprung up in these two metropolises over the last 20 or 30 years.
Both Melbourne, which has a metro population of 5.3 million, and Toronto, which has a metro population of 6.5 million, have reputations for a gritty work-hard-play-harder sensibility. These days, these two multicultural cities are also known for their queer art scenes, which overflow into the mainstream, and for their stellar globe-trotting food scenes. Both cities are not quite as glamorous (some would say frivolous) as their national rivals—Sydney and Montreal, respectively—but that can make them even more fun. Streetcars (aka trams) are one of the backbones of their transit systems and both have urban beaches—Sandridge and Hanlan’s, respectively—that are popular among gay and bi men. On the downside, some would say Lake Ontario does not compare favourably to the Southern Ocean, or Canadian weather to Australian.
DAYTIME DUPES
If you enjoy the art at the National Gallery of Victoria (180 St. Kilda Rd., Melbourne), you’ll love the Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas St. W, Toronto).
NIGHTTIME DUPES
If you party at Mollie’s Bar & Diner (103 Smith St., Fitzroy, Melbourne) for the sexy crowds packed in for weekend drag performances, you’ll love the iconic Toronto gay bar Woody’s (467 Church St., Toronto).
Read our insider’s guide to Toronto here.
Querétaro dupes for Toledo
Founded in 1531, Querétaro, the capital of the Mexican state of the same name, is one of the oldest colonial cities in North America. Unlike later Spanish colonial cities, which were laid out in a strict right-angled grid, Querétaro’s grid was laid out side by side with the twisting alleys of existing Indigenous settlements, giving the city a more medieval European feel than the rest of North America. The 17th and 18th century Baroque architecture scattered around the city centre adds to its continental vibe. These days, its UNESCO World Heritage–recognized downtown is full of fashionable cafés, restaurants and bars perfect for Southern European–style long lunches. Known as one of Mexico’s safest cities, Querétaro has become a hub for big international companies—all those foreign vice presidents like to have nice places to eat, drink and shop. Which means Querétaro, which has a metro population of 1.6 million, has a more cosmopolitan feeling than its hilly Iberian twin of Toledo, Spain. Toledo has a metro population of a half million people, with fewer than 90,000 living in its UNESCO World Heritage–recognized medieval core. Because of its proximity to Madrid, gay life is less lively in Toledo than in Querétaro. Interestingly, they both have historic aqueducts.
DAYTIME DUPES
If you like to gaze upon the contemporary art at Colección Roberto Polo’s Exhibition Hall ‘Santa Fe’ (P.º del Miradero 1, Toledo), you’ll love the Museum of Contemporary Art of Querétaro (Manuel Acuña esq Avenida Reforma Oriente S/N, La Cruz, Querétaro), which often features queer artists.
NIGHTTIME DUPES
If you hang out at the compact, gay-friendly nightclub Copeo Toledo (C. Alfileritos 13, Toledo), you’ll love the flirty and campy Maximiliano Cantina Gay (C. José Ma. Morelos 4 Ote, Centro Histórico, Querétaro) for its singalong soundtrack, drag queens and dancing.
Vancouver dupes for Hong Kong
The tightly packed urbanity of Asia is hard to replicate in North America, where cities tend to sprawl out rather than grow up. And Vancouver, which has a metro population of 2.7 million, is known for its laid-back work ethos, which seems miles away from the intensely competitive culture of Hong Kong and its population of 7.4 million.
Yet both Pacific Rim cities are known for their ultramodern high-rise architecture—look up at Vancouver’s glass towers, not down at its wide, tree-lined streets, if you want to imagine you’re in the Pearl of the Orient. Both cities also boast about their mountain views, sky-high real-estate prices and fantastic Asian cuisine. About a half a million Vancouverites have a Chinese background and more than 75,000 were born in Hong Kong. Just like Hong Kong, Vancouver’s metropolitan area is broken up by waterways, which gives visitors the pleasure of taking fun transportation options like ferries and water taxis in order to see the sights.
DAYTIME DUPES
If you enjoy hiking the 3.5 kilometres up Hong Kong’s The Peak, then try Vancouver’s 2.5-kilometre Grouse Grind.
NIGHTTIME DUPES
If you like to do karaoke at Singsing Bar (18/F, Oliv, 15 Sharp St. E., Causeway Bay, Hong Kong), you’ll love the Sunday karaoke at Numbers Cabaret (1042 Davie St., Vancouver).
Montreal dupes for Lyon
Though it’s tempting to suggest Montreal as a dupe for Paris, that seems a step too far—only Paris is Paris. Lyon, France, shares more points of comparison with the largest Francophone city in the Americas. Though Montreal’s metro population of 4.3 million pretty much doubles Lyon’s, the two destinations share the title of second-largest metropolitan area in their respective nations. Lyon, unlike Montreal, is not on an island, but its location at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers gives it an island-y feeling. Both cities have layers and layers of architectural history, with ancient neighbourhoods rubbing shoulders with modern ones. They both have landmarks—Basilica of Notre Dame of Fourvière in Lyon, L’Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mont-Royal in Montreal—topping hillside parklands on the edge of each city centre. Though saucisson is not a mainstay of Quebec cuisine, Montreal holds its own as a gourmet’s delight (poutine, anyone?), and it does steak and frites well.
DAYTIME DUPE
If you like the step-into-the-future atmosphere of Lyon’s Musée des Confluences (86 Quai Perrache, Lyon), you’ll love a walk around Montreal’s Biodome (4777 Pierre-de Coubertin Ave., Montreal).
NIGHTTIME DUPE
If nothing pleases you more than wandering the Presqu’île streets between Place des Terreaux and Cordeliers, flirting and people-watching in the local LGBTQ+ community, perhaps stopping for a drink at a sidewalk café, then you’ll love a longer walk down the pedestrianized section of Rue Sainte-Catherine between Rue Berri and Rue Cartier.
Reader our insider’s guide to Montreal here.
Puerta Vallarta dupes for Sitges
Sand and sun, check. Abundant cocktails, check. Huge numbers of foreign visitors, check. Festivals where bears completely take over, check and check. Although Sitges’ population of 32,000 is dwarfed by PV’s metro population of almost half a million, most LGBTQ+ visitors to the Mexican beach resort spend all their time in Zona Romántica, which has a cozy-enough feel and lively pedestrian-oriented streets. PV is bigger but more concentrated.
While Sitges has multiple beaches dominated by gay men (including clothing-optional ones outside of town), Puerto Vallarta has one big one, Playa de los Muertos, where you will, over the course of a visit, see pretty much all the fellow gay tourists who are there at the same time as you. Sitges has its “Judgement Square,” where gay guys congregate at night, sizing each other up. Meanwhile, PV has its “Blue Chairs” where the same thing happens, except during the light of day and in skimpier wardrobes.
DAYTIME DUPE
If no visit to Sitges is complete without a walk along Passeig Maritim, then take a stroll along PV’s sculpture-studded Malecón.
ACCOMODATION DUPES
If you prefer to stay at beautiful boutique all-male properties like the stellar Casa Brisa (Carrer de la Serra del Cadi 30, Sant Pere de Ribes, just outside Sitges), then you’ll love supersizing your adults-only experience at Almar Resort (Amapas 380, Zona Romántica, Emiliano Zapata, Puerto Vallarta).
Venice, California, dupes for Venice, Italy
The original Venice has 117 islands and 150 canals. California’s Venice, named after the one in Italy, originally had four islands scattered in a marsh and now has six canals. The history of Venice, Italy, goes back to 421 CE. California’s goes back to 1905; it was founded as a resort town that had, as a fun transportation option, gondolas, though they are long gone. It might hardly seem worth comparing the two cities. But if navigating the fellow tourists in Venice, Italy, seems like a nightmare—an average of 60,000 visitors each day, outnumbering the 50,000 locals—then maybe a relaxed California beach city of 34,000 people could be your queer dream. Sure, Venice is full of classic art, but there’s art in the Pacific Venice, including murals and graffiti on oceanfront concrete walls. And both cities have an array of shops selling kitschy souvenirs.
DAYTIME DUPE
If you fantasize about taking a gondola ride in Venice, you’ll find kayaking in the other Venice’s canals more affordable and healthier.
NIGHTTIME DUPE
Both Venices, though very friendly, suffer from a lack of LGBTQ+ venues. But they’re both close to other cities with nightlife. Hop a train from the original Venice to hit the dance club Q Bar (Vicolo dei Dotto 3, Padova) in about an hour and a half. If you’re in Pacific Venice, it’s a short drive (or an hour and a half transit ride) to the legendary bar and nightclub The Abbey (692 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood).
