Mexico used to be a socially conservative country, where machismo and the Catholic Church ruled hearts and minds.
But a shift has happened in the 21st century—maybe there was something in the salsa. More and more LGBTQ+ leaders have started coming out of the closet. In 2003, a national anti-discrimination law went into effect, protecting queer people from prosecution and setting off a wave of policy shifts geared toward recognizing and protecting LGBTQ+ people. In 2006, Mexico City legalized same-gender civil unions, and by 2022, all 32 Mexican states had legalized same-sex marriage. Social attitudes changed, too. Queer people have become emboldened to bring their partners to family functions, and their straight friends are more open to seeing drag shows at gay bars.
Like in other countries, attitudes and levels of safety vary from state to state, city to city, neighbourhood to neighbourhood, family to family. And Mexico is still grappling with issues of drug-related violence and violence against women and trans people. But more and more communities are dedicated to being LGBTQ+-friendly.
Sure, some of it is motivated by tourism. Resort areas built on hospitality increasingly need to welcome everyone without discrimination or judgment. But even communities where tourism is just a small part of the economy have become fun for LGBTQ+ foreigners to visit. It’s Mexicans themselves who are out there being their true selves and having fun doing it.
Here is our ranking of the top 10 LGBTQ+-friendly destinations in Mexico. The ranking is subjective, based on the number of LGBTQ+ venues and events, as well as the “queerness” of the vibe in relation to the size of the destination. You might argue with our ranking of Mexico’s gayest destinations. We’d love to hear why.
1. Puerto Vallarta
This Pacific Coast city of about half a million gets more than 6 million visitors each year. Though we wouldn’t dare make guesses about their sexual orientation and gender identity, LGBTQ+ people certainly make up a disproportionately high percentage of PV holiday makers—that includes heaps of Canadians, Americans and queer Mexicans, too. As a gay wonderland, it’s up there with Provincetown, Fort Lauderdale and Phuket. With a wide array of LGBTQ+-focused resorts, bars, restaurants, galleries and a sauna for gay and bi men, PV has everything a gay visitor would want in a city. But wait—it’s a resort town, too. So PV has all sorts of guided adventures (including a bar tour, nature hikes and gay cruises). Cruising the guys on Playa Los Muertos may be the PV’s signature activity, but it’s certainly not the only gay thing to do.
2. Mexico City
Over the last couple of decades, savvy travellers of all stripes have fallen in love with the Mexican capital for its cultural flare, especially its art and cuisine. With a metro population of more than 22 million, Mexico City is a destination any visitor could spend weeks in and only scratch the surface. Yet its main touristy neighbourhoods—Centro, Condesa, Roma Norte, Polanco, Coyoacán and Juárez—are all easily walkable.
CDMX is not just for culture vultures. Its LGBTQ+ scene is also amazing. Though many of the nightlife venues are concentrated in the Zona Rosa (which comprises about half of the Juárez district), there are queer-focused spaces and events scattered all across the city, whether they be upscale sexy, leading edge, naughty or just a rollickingly silly time. During Mexico City Pride, which usually happens in late June, the city feels like it’s almost entirely taken over by queers. But LGBTQ+ visitors don’t have to confine themselves to Zona Rosa or queer events to feel welcome—same-gender affection and handholding won’t raise many eyebrows anywhere in the core.
3. Guadalajara
Mexico City gets the number two spot only because it’s so big. Guadalajara, sometimes lovingly called “Gaydalajara,” has a metro population of about 5.2 million. But it does seem to have a disproportionately high level of queerness and a large number of gay and gay-friendly nightlife options, including one for cowboy lovers. Its Gay Village, near Avenida Chapultepec Sur, roughly between Avenida Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and C. Miguel Lerdo de Tejada, is compact and hopping, with some of the best drag shows you’ll ever see. The vibe is more relaxed than Mexico City—it’s a San Francisco versus New York–style thing—but that doesn’t mean it’s not cool. Their hosting of the Gay Games in 2023 showed that the city and state governments, as well as the LGBTQ+ community, want to show the city’s assets off with Pride.
Read our insider’s guide to Guadalajara here.
4. Cancún
This juggernaut of a resort area lured more than 20 million tourists to its sandy beaches in 2023—however bad you are at math, that’s got to include a lot of queer visitors. Almost everyone stays in the Hotel Zone/Zona Hotelera, a 22.5-kilometre strip of land and sand between the Caribbean Sea and the Nichupté Lagoon, lined with more than 100 hotels at various price points. Although many of your fellow guests (and probably the hotel and restaurant staff—the metro population is about one million) are LGBTQ+, there’s little overtly queer out on the strip. For LGBTQ+ life, head to the city centre on the mainland. The strip of Avenida Tulum between Avenida Cobá and the Bahía de Banderas Monumento a la Historia de México is the cruisy zone. It’s not quite a Gay Village, but it is home to two of the city’s longest-running gay bars and is also where new ones are likely to pop up (and they regularly do).
5. Riviera Nayarit
If you head north from Puerto Vallarta International Airport, you’re immediately in the state of Nayarit, which shares the Bahía de Banderas with Jalisco. Though there’s not as much gay nightlife here as in PV, Riviera Nayarit has attracted a devoted gay following for its alluring resort properties, which tend to be larger and more upscale than those in PV—Punta de Mita, in particular, has a reputation for luxury. For those who like to get off property, there are charming towns to explore, like Sayulita, known for its surfing and surfer culture; San Pancho, which is full of expats; and La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, which has several beach clubs. Riviera Nayarit is for those who love romance and relaxation more than the scene—though the scene is a mere cab ride away.
Read our story on Nayarit here.
6. Los Cabos
Like Cancún and Riviera Nayarit, Los Cabos is not based around an urban centre but spread across coastal touristic zones, which have a total local population of 350,000. There’s the artsy town of San José del Cabo, the party-hearty town of Cabo San Lucas and the coastal corridor connecting the towns, home to many of the larger, fancier resorts. The corridor is for visitors who mostly want to park themselves at their property and forget about the rest of the world. Cabo San Lucas is for those who want to mix it up and perhaps do some shots with bridal parties—it’s also home to the area’s only gay bar. San José del Cabo is for those who want some charm and to explore the local culture. Like Cancún and Riviera Nayarit, visitors will see few rainbow flags here; the welcoming attitude is in the experience itself, and in knowing that there are lots of other queers in the vicinity.
Read our quick guide to Los Cabos here.
7. Mérida
A decade or two ago, Mérida was seen as a low-key, unfussy and socially conservative city that was on the radar of travellers who appreciated its beautifully preserved historic city centre—and the folkloric dancing that happens many evenings in the central square. Most of the gay bars were banished to the outskirts of the city. But the Yucatán capital, which has a metro population of about 1.2 million, has become much more stylish, cosmopolitan and exceedingly LGBTQ+-friendly. Its gay bars range from lascivious to hilarious to cool. Though its street and market food remains delicious, there are also more high-end restaurants. Mérida is also an excellent base for outdoor adventures, including visiting cenotes, nature reserves and other cute towns. Just a four-hour drive from Cancún, it’s easy to roll Mérida into a larger vacation, adding culture and nightlife to the beach experiences.
Read our insider’s guide to Yucatán here.
8. San Miguel de Allende
The Mexican magic town that’s so charming you’ll think you’re in a Disney film. They even hide the department store out of sight of downtown, so its modern look won’t ruin your photos. San Miguel de Allende’s life as a tourist destination started out when it became something of an arts colony for American and Canadian expats, some of them queer. It’s since grown into a chic escape for those seeking inspiration and pampering at top-notch hotels, funky restaurants and indie boutiques. San Miguel is close to natural hot springs and is an excellent base for visiting nearby wineries and other historic cities like Querétaro and Guanajuato. [PAUL ADD LINK] Though you won’t see a lot of rainbow flags, be assured that many of the businesses are LGBTQ+-owned and that those same-gender couples having rooftop cocktails are friends of Dorothy.
9. Zipolite
A hangout for nudist hippies going back to the 1960s, this tiny beach village—“town” is too strong a word—has become gayer and gayer over the past two decades. It’s gotten to the point where Brooklyn hipsters in fashionable swimsuits swan around gay hangout Playa del Amor like they own the place, and the chic hotels are starting to outnumber the hostel-style guest houses. Yet Zipolite is too hard to get to (an hour’s taxi ride down curvy coastal roads from the nearest airport) and too small (you can buy meals, sunscreen and souvenirs, yes, but not anything you couldn’t get in a hotel gift shop) for it to escape its hidden-gem status. There’s still no ATM and many of the businesses are cash-only. Yet for those who want to unplug, let it all hang out and chill with (mostly) laid-back gay men from across North America, Zipolite is a magic place.
10. Acapulco
It’s hard to remember a time when Acapulco was a bigger LGBTQ+ destination than Puerto Vallarta—but it’s true. It was Mexico’s first dedicated resort town, with a history going back to the 1940s. The coastal city of 850,000 struggled for a decade, as safety concerns scared away loyal fans. But as Acapulco has been reinventing itself, it’s also brought the gay back. There are now several gay bars clustered around Los Deportes and Avenida Costera Miguel Alemán. Though tourism warnings suggest taking extra precautions in the state of Guerrero, there are still beautiful properties to stay at. The crescent-shaped Acapulco Bay is as pretty as it’s always been.
