It was my first time in Puerto Vallarta, and I have gotta say, I really enjoyed it.

The first half of my trip consisted of relaxing and taking in the setting.

I stayed in the Emiliano Zapata neighborhood, also known as LA Zona Romantica, or the Gay Zone. I love the cobblestone streets.

The city is built next to a hill which gives it a unique feel. The trees growing from every angle and the buildings flowing up the mountainside make for an enjoyable and visually stimulating place. It made for a very authentically Mexican village vibe. Playa de Los Muertos beach is great (and did I mention gay?!)

Boana Torre Malibu Hotel

I stayed at the Boana Malibu Hotel/Condominium, an AirBnb-like hotel where you rent each apartment for your getaway vacation. It’s owned by a gay Canadian couple. Although this hotel is visited by primarily gay vacationers, it is not a gay hotel.

The owner of the building made sure to tell us that our part of the building was not part of the complex per se, but he assisted in renting it out for the owner. I later found out why… It makes me chuckle when I look back on it. It’s a terribly cute place, but the A/C stopped working the first night into the trip. With tropical humidity invading our space, A/C is a must. However, we did not get it fixed. The shower handles for both hot and cold broke off, and some of the light switches didn’t work. It didn’t matter to me, as long as I had a good time… and I did.

This room is near the back of the complex, which means our view isn’t the best. However, I managed to enjoy every bit of it. Upon heading into the main building and taking a tour, the views grew more spectacular. Some rooms you can see as far as Playa de Los Muertos. I enjoyed Boana Torre Malibu very much, regardless of the flaws in my hotel room.

Playa de Los Muertos and Surrounding Areas

It rained on the second day, which means no beach time. This gave me time to explore some of the indoor venues, like the gay shopping stores, a few souvenir shops, and a couple of cute cafes. I also bought a great muscle shirt from one of the vendors near the beach. It’s got medusa on the front! I love it.

At the end of the first half of this trip, we stopped by Maia, an upscale restaurant with amazing food (Upscale but not expensive by American standards).

I  was looking forward to lounging on the beach, having several drinks, and checking out some of the gay venues around town.

Let Me Break It Down For You:

Playa de Los Muertos is a great beach! The surrounding area is full of great stores and restaurants. The streets themselves are cobblestone. They wind up the hill in a beautiful way.

Working out is easy. Check out my post on where to work out here.

There are many gay hotels, adult-only hotels, party hotels, and some gay-friendly hotels in the area. I’ve stayed at a couple: One called Amaca Hotel and Sapphire Boutique Hotel.

I’ve done a few reviews of the gay bars in town. Check out Bar Anonimo, Garbo, Blue Chairs, and La Cueva to name a few.

Check out my Travel Vlog below…

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