Affordable Gay Vatn Towns

Contents:

• THE BT CARIBBEAN DTATNS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS
• UNR THE ‘GAYDAR’: 10 BT GAYTN DTATNS THAT MIGHT SURPRISE YOU
• THE WORLD'S MOST GAY-FRIENDLY BEACH CI AND RORTS
• THE 8 TOP GAY CIS FOR 2023
• BT GAY BEACH DTATNS
• I'M A GAY TRAVEL WRER AND THK THE ARE THE 5 SAFT, MOST QUEER-IENDLY CARIBBEAN TRAVEL STATNS
• 14 POPULAR GAY TOUR & VATN COMPANI
• AFFORDABLE GAY VATN TOWNS

THE BT CARIBBEAN DTATNS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS

While plenty of rorts wele diverse travelers, some really roll out the rabow rpets—whether they’re part of a gay-iendly brand; home to an out-and-proud LGBTQ+ staff; or part of a fabulo statn. The brand is a Gold Global Partner of the Internatnal Gay & Lbian Travel Associatn (IGLTA), and has been honored for more than a as one of the HRC’s annually ranked Bt Plac to Work for LGBTQ+ Equaly. Along wh Grand Palladium’s tramark ntemporary sign and range of on-se rtrants and entertament, gay and lbian guts n enjoy ameni like the Zentropia Spa & Wellns and s fully equipped gym, several pools and Jacuzzis, sports facili, and direct beach accs.

But rather than plan vatns to one of the dozen Caribbean islands where homosexualy is crimalized (surprisg, but te), most travelers simply prefer to vatn where they’ll feel fortable. LGBT travelers n take their pick of gay-centric beach to swim, sunbathe, and snorkel, pecially Happy Bay Beach and the clothg-optnal Orient Bay Beach (both on the French si), and Cupey Beach (Dutch si) where nu sunbathg is mon. ’Outsirs may thk of the old Conferate pal as a cy stuck s ways, but ltle do they know that Richmond, Virgia is anythg “g out” 2014, Richmond has emerged as the gay pal of the South.

UNR THE ‘GAYDAR’: 10 BT GAYTN DTATNS THAT MIGHT SURPRISE YOU

The Milwkee Gay Arts Center offers one-of-a-kd LGBTQ productns, and Walker’s Pot is settg self up to be the next big most renowned “gay statns, ” Santa Fe, New Mexi don’t have a go-to district like L. S., but ’s also home to North Carola’s annual Pri Ftival and the state’s Gay & Lbian Film if that’s not enough for North Carola, head wt to Asheville and fd an LGBTQ bohemian paradise smacked the Smoki.

Lolly known as the San Francis of the regn, the gay cultural landspe is vibrant, and the drag scene is easily among the bt the natn–jt watch “Kgs, Queens, and In-Betweens” cy is also a risg fashn mec, hog the third most fashn signers the untry, along wh retail giants like L Brands, Exprs, Victoria’s Secret and Abercrombie & Fch. ” It mt be somethg the over 140 gay-owned bs, rangg om B&Bs to bars to art galleri to cuty ice cream shops, the small neighborg towns of Sgatuck and Douglas are home to the largt gay rort the Midwt–and thanks to lol protectn of genr inty and sexual orientatn, you’ll be hard-prsed to fd anti-LGBTQ attus here. The cy created the first gay and lbian muny center the untry, and ’s Albany that was home to one of the earlit transgenr groups datg back to the cy may not have the crazy, never-endg nightlife of NYC, and may not have the sheer numbers of NYC, but, for general “Queer Life, ” Albany ranks seventh the untry–not to shabby for a cy overshadowed by the Big LGBT muny and the Mormon church hasn’t always seen eye-to-eye.

Condado Beach is San Juan’s top spot to experience Puerto Ri’s gay scene, and for a ep dive to the surroundg culture, there are no better acmodatns than those at La Concha Renaissance Rort. Jt 90 mut outsi of the natn’s pal, the gay-owned Inn at Ltle Washgton has hosted Capol Hill’s most prtig policians sce s lnch 1978 — and all tak is one be to unrstand what keeps the dignari g back year after year. Although urban statns tend to be most popular wh gay travelers bee of their rich cultural offergs, vibrant nightlife districts, and chic shoppg and dg, a number of the world's most gay-popular ci also enjoy picturque settgs on the water.

THE WORLD'S MOST GAY-FRIENDLY BEACH CI AND RORTS

From megaci wh skyscrapers on the ocean to relatively smaller statns on tranquil bays and lak, here's a ndown of the world's 20 bt gay urban beach statns (populatn 150, 000 or greater). Wh outstandg mms, distctive archecture (cludg several treasur by Antoni Gdi) a lively gay nightlife scene centered mostly around the sophistited Eixample district, and an abundance of stylish rtrants and hotels, Barcelona is a terrific statn for urban, yet there's a sweepg and betiful gay beach, Barceloa, jt mut om the cy center. It's jt a short drive south along the ast to vis some of the Southern Hemisphere's most betiful beach, cludg swank Camp Bay, which li the shadows of the Twelve Apostle mountas, and Clifton, which has a scene-y gay beach.

And as 's set on the eastern shore of Zealand Island, on Ørund (a stra that divis the North and Baltic seas), Copenhagen is close to a number of priste, wdswept stretch of sand, cludg such gay hangouts as Bellevue and Ishøj beach. For many years known primarily as Florida's "sprg break" pal, Fort Lrdale began an amb transformatn to a more sophistited rort statn startg around the early 1990s, which cid wh efforts to urt gay and lbian travelers.

One of the world's leadg gay and lbian statns, Los Angel is much more than a sgle metropolis - rather, 's an entire llectn of both sprawlg and many s scenic neighborhoods and adjacent ci.

THE 8 TOP GAY CIS FOR 2023

Here and funky Venice Beach, to the south, you'll fd que a few rtrants, hotels, and bars wh a mixed gay/straight followg, along wh one of the Wt's classic gay dive bars, Roosterfish. The regn has been eclipsed by nearby Fort Lrdale recent year's as the state's top gay statn, but you'll still fd plenty of gays and lbians livg and playg the parts - and visg durg the several big gay circu parti held South Beach each year, om Wter Party to Whe Party to Miami Gay Pri. The largt cy on the famoly swank and sophistited French Riviera, Nice (populatn 350, 000) is not que a gay playground on the same plane as such Euro-queer hot spots as Ibiza and Mykonos, but this stylish cy wh an outstandg variety of tony rtrants and shops do have a growg gay prence (this is also te, by the way, of nearby Cann, which is smaller but also is beg creasgly popular wh gay travelers).

S., and Canada, the romantic Mexin Riviera rort of Puerto Vallarta mak for an approachable, relatively affordable, and fectly fun and lively gay getaway om late fall through early sprg ( quiets down here nsirably durg the hot summer months).

BT GAY BEACH DTATNS

The gay scene here has grown steadily over the past uple of s, wh the most popular GLBT beach and several welg hotels, rtrants, and bars centered upon the charmg and historic Zona Romanti district. R Janeiro jtly renowned for s sugary beach, and a party-driven, ftive gay scene that's ncentrated chiefly around trendy Ipanema and the more touristy Copabana areas, both of which ont the ocean and are ial for glazg, joggg, or playg the sun and sea. Ipanema, wh s lonial-style buildgs and tree-led streets, is pecially charmg; you'll fd a number of LGBT-popular f and bars around here, as well as a stunng gay beach jt off Rua Farme Amoedo.

San Diego also has a rich cultural scene downtown, ol rtrants and slick hotels the Gaslamp Quarter, and outstandg mms and attractns leafy Balboa Park, home to the San Diego Gay Pri ftival each July. Sydney's gay scene is foced tradnally around Oxford Street, a 20-mute walk om the much-photographed Inner Harbour and Sydney Opera Hoe, but nearby ner suburbs like Newtown, Erskeville, and Glebe have sizable LGBT populatns and many mixed bars and rtrants. The weather at the beach, even summer, is often ol and wdy, and the surf n be vlent—even que dangero—pecially around gay-popular Baker Beach, a clothg-optnal patch near Prid Park that affords visors fe views of the Goln Gate Bridge.

In the hotel world, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marrtt and Wyndham, among others, all received perfect sr, too, so LGBTQ travelers have plenty of choic for where to spend their pots or by Jakob Owens on UnsplashIf you'd like more background rmatn on gay history and travel to Hawaii (albe a ltle dated now), pick up a py of "Rabow Handbook Hawaii: The Islands' Ultimate Gay Gui" to read on the plane.

I'M A GAY TRAVEL WRER AND THK THE ARE THE 5 SAFT, MOST QUEER-IENDLY CARIBBEAN TRAVEL STATNS

The old whalg town of Lahaa is a charmg place to spend an afternoon and is also home to the Old Lahaa Lu, which is practilly a cultural stutn at this urty of the Lahaa nature lovers, Haleakala Natnal Park has some of Hawaii's most spectacular hik and mounta-bikg trails, while the Mi Ocean Center is a great place for kids and adults alike to learn about Hawaii's unique mare environment and season tends to last om mid-December through mid-May, and Mi is the bt island om which to take tours like Pri of Mi's whale-watchg and snorkel tour, or Hawaiian Paddle Sport's outrigger noe and kayakg whale-watchg even though Mi has a quieter gay social scene than Oahu, visors n still easily jo the muny. At any time of year, travelers n drop by a gay-iendly bar like Vibe Bar and Nightclub or Three's Bar and Relaxed Retreats The smallt and least-populated of Hawaii's four ma tourist islands, Kai, is known as Hawaii's "Garn Island" thanks to s lh landsp and laid back pace.

14 POPULAR GAY TOUR & VATN COMPANI

Travelers n also support gay-owned properti by bookg a stay at a Parrish Kai home, ttage or ndo, or optg for a 17 Palms Kai vatn ttage, owned by Ross Marte and Jeff to Do KaiAmong the natural sights that attract visors here, Waimea Canyon is tly spectacular.

Hilo is served by jt one rrier om the maland (Uned om Los Angel), meanwhile, offers nonstop optns on multiple airl: Alaska om Anchorage, Bellgham, Oakland, Portland, San Diego, San Francis, San Jose and Seattle; Amerin om Dallas-Fort Work, Los Angel and Phoenix; Delta om Los Angel and Seattle; and Uned om Denver, Los Angel and San to StayAlthough you'll fd major cha hotels like the Wt Hapuna Beach Rort here as well as luxury optns like the Four Seasons Hualalai and the Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii Island is also known for s llectn of gay-owned and gay-iendly ns and B& gay-owned Lava Lava Beach Club is loted at the Kohala Coast's Waikoloa Rort, near many of the major rorts, but offers a more sual, e-as-you-are urty of Volno Mounta gay-owned Hale Ohia Cottag, meanwhile, are set on a seclud tate that dat back to 1931, and offer easy accs to Volno Natnal Park, which is jt a e away. As travel on the high seas ntu to bounce back om the COVID-19 panmic, gay and lbian travelers should nsir settg sail on a fun-filled cise vatn as their next planng a cise, vatners should first nsir what their ial sailg looks like.

AFFORDABLE GAY VATN TOWNS

Cisers should also thk about whether they'd like to travel aboard a gay-iendly mastream le, such as Celebry Cis or Virg Voyag, or opt for an all-gay, full-ship charter wh a third-party vatn pany. This le gets the stamp of approval om prev LGBTQ cisers, who praise the ships' genr-ntral bathrooms, onboard shows wh rint drag queens and diverse Voyag offers gay-specific sailgs through travel pani like Atlantis Events, but s more mastream erari still offer a welg, clive atmosphere that attracts LGBTQ cisers year-round.

For s all-gay cis, Atlantis charters megaships om popular l like Royal Caribbean Internatnal and Norwegian Cise Le, so cisers will have a fully immersive board, travelers n enjoy all the perks the megaships have to offer (thk: pools, hot tubs, sports urts and plenty of dg choic), pl special events like drag performanc, motivatnal speakers, LGBTQ movi on mand each b and high-energy circu parti across the ship.