Wish You Were Here :: Our Hot Five Gay Beaches
Make all of your friends jealous by sending them a postcard from one of these great gay beach destinations!
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Gay Beach: Poodle Beach at the south end of the boardwalk for the boys, the state beach for the lesbians and boys with dogs.
Speedo-meter: 2 out of 5 Speedos
Best Restaurant: Planet X Cafe (PlanetXCafe.com) is always good for some campy fine dining.
Best Happy Hour/Drinks: They still pack ’em in at the Blue Moon (BlueMoonRehoboth.com), but the outside deck at Aqua (AquaGrillRehoboth.com) is where all the hottest men go.
Best Dancing: Head to the back dance floor of Cloud 9 (234 Rehoboth Ave, 302-226-1999).
Designated Cruising Spot: The end of the boardwalk after dark.
This small Delaware beach town has become a haven for gays from the Mid-Atlantic region. First-time visitors will likely find the crowds a little cliquish at first but most folks will warm up with a little time and persistence, not to mention alcohol.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Gay Beach: The end of Sebastian Street for lots of hot men (and their fans).
Speedo-meter: 4 out of 5 Speedos
Best Restaurant: You won’t find Bogart and Bergman at the Casablanca Café (CasablancaCafeOnline.com) but the food is good and its beachfront location makes it ideal for people-watching.
Best Happy Hour/Drinks: Lots of cocktails flow at Georgie’s Alibi (GeorgiesAlibi.com), the gay Cheers of Fort Lauderdale, or you can also butch it up with a cold beer at the sports-themed Sidelines (SidelinesSports.com).
Best Dancing: Live out your Roman fantasies while shaking your booty at Coliseum (ColiseumNightClub.com).
Designated Cruising Spot: Head to Slammer Club (SlammerClub.com) for great indoor cruising and steamy action.
Populated by a large number of gays who have aged out (or in some cases, been priced out) of the Miami scene, Fort Lauderdale provides a welcoming and casual beach destination. As an added bonus, there are dozens of delightful small gay hotels and guesthouses.
San Diego, California
Gay Beach: Black’s Beach (BlacksBeach.org) is a very popular nude beach where gay men (and some women) flock on sunny days.
Speedo-meter: 0 out of 5 Speedos (did you miss the nude part?)
Best Restaurant: Lesbian chef Deborah Scott serves up fantastic food at Kemo Sabe (3958 Fifth Ave, 619-220-6802) and for something more casual and campy, head to Baja Betty’s (BajaBettysSD.com).
Best Happy Hour/Drinks: Flicks (SDFlicks.com) is the spot for drinking and eye candy.
Best Dancing: Rich’s (RichsSanDiego.com) has been San Diego’s go-to dance spot for the past decade-and is still going strong.
Designated Cruising Spot: Balboa Park (BalboaPark.org) is a perfect place to connect with your nature-loving fellow homos.
Though located in historically conservative Southern California, San Diego has a very visible pink underbelly. In fact, its annual Gay Pride celebration is one of the city’s largest events.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Gay Beach: The "blue chairs" section of Playa Los Muertos.
Speedo-meter: 5 out of 5 Speedos
Best Restaurant: The Kit Kat Lounge (Calle Púlpito 120
223-0093) is a purr-fect place for a reliable meal.
Best Happy Hour/Drinks: When the sun sets, you will want to be at Vallarta Cora Hotel’s (VallartaCora.com) frisky poolside bar.
Best Dancing: Club Paco Paco (Club-PacoPaco.com) is legendary but don’t arrive until midnight if you are looking to really party.
Designated Cruising Spot: You can catch the attention of plenty of gay folks just walking along the Malecon, an open-air paved walkway along the downtown beachfront.
Puerto Vallarta was a virtual unknown Mexican fishing village until Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton filmed Night of the Iguana near there in the early ’60s and stayed together in PV during the shoot, under the media’s watchful eye. And as Michael Jackson will tell you, where Liz goes, the gays go.
Sitges, Spain
Gay Beach: Playa de la Bassa Rodona is right in the center of the city’s beach zone.
Speedo-meter: 5 out of 5 Speedos
Best Restaurant: Beach House (BeachHouseSitges.com) offers fresh and exciting dishes.
Best Happy Hour/Drinks: El Horno (Joan Tarrida, 6; 93 894 09 09) and Parrot’s (Placa Industira, 2) are two places that rarely disappoint.
Best Dancing: The Organic Club (Bonaire 15) is one of Sitges’ most popular large, late-night gay dance venues.
Designated Cruising Spot: Playa del Muerto is a gay nude beach about 20 minutes from downtown via taxi and walking. The woods behind the beach are very cruisy during the day.
While not as popular as Spain’s Ibiza, Sitges holds its own as a great beach destination. It is much less expensive to visit and its close proximity to Barcelona makes it easy to split time between both cities.
Copyright Next Magazine. For more articles from New York's hippest gay guide, visit www.nextmagazine.net
This article is part of our "Summer Vacation 2008" series. Want to read more?
Here's the full list»
