Sure, Puerto Vallarta is Mexico’s top LGBT vacation destination. And Cancun is a higher-profile Mexico beach destination for the general traveling public. But Mazatlan — the Pacific coast city on the beach — offers lots of unique charm (it’s called the “pearl of the Pacific” as well as the “colonial city on the beach”). And in an era when many gay bars and dance clubs have closed in response to the rise of social media, Mazatlan is one of the few destinations that actually has more gay nightlife now than it did the first time I visited, years ago.
During my most recent visit to this Mexico beach destination, I checked out the vibrant gay bars and nightlife. Mazatlan is not a gay-saturated destination like Puerto Vallarta, to be sure. You don’t go there for nonstop parties. But this city by the sea does offer fun after dark (and oh, straight people are more than welcome, too!). Here are some of the best gay bars in Mazatlan, Mexico.
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Divine Electro Club
Located in the Zona Dorada (the Golden Zone, where most of the Mazatlan beach hotels are), Divine is named in honor of the legendary drag queen. It’s a lively place with a powerful sound system, friendly staff and different activities on different nights — including drink specials, live music, karaoke, go-go dancers and shows. If you’re looking for a gay vacation on the beach that’s a bit more laidback than Puerto Vallarta but still offers some nightlife, this should be on your itinerary.
Lolly Pop
A parade of male and female go-go dancers flowed down the stairs and onto the circular stage when I visited this gay nightclub, located on the Malecon waterfront boulevard. Mazatlan’s newest gay dance club, Lolly Pop spins a mix of pop and electronica in both English and Spanish. Weekends are the time to visit, and the 100-peso (around $5) cover includes a free drink. Striped walls and flashing lights are the first thing that will catch your eye in this high-ceilinged venue, which has a small balcony with tables and chairs. It’s a dance club, but there isn’t much space to move, since the large circular stage takes up the center of the room.
Dancers took the stage three different times, each in a different colorful (and obviously skimpy) outfits — one of which involved unicorn horns, as if they were some sort of mythological sex symbols crossed with the cast of Avatar. Later, an actual male stripper jumped on stage, to slowly move his posing trunks for a full-frontal show before quickly disappearing.
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PPClub
Just across the street from Divine in the Zona Dorada, PPClub was originally called Pepe Toros, and it was for years the only gay nightclub in town. Today it has a different owner, but it’s still a popular place, with a mix of dance music, plenty of space to try out your moves on the floor, and even outdoor seating. (I enjoyed an especially fun drag show the last time I visited; since it was the week of Día de los Muertos, the performers donned Day of the Dead makeup and especially dramatic drag outfits to perform a variety of Mexican hits.)
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Vitrolas
One of Mazatlan’s longest-running gay bars, Vitrola’s is a laid-back and inviting bar (not a dance club), set in a historic building downtown. It’s a great place to go out with friends, take a table and enjoy drinks while savoring one of their much-loved pizzas, which are prepared in the bar’s own kitchen.
Another question you may ask about gay travel in Mazatlan: Is there a gay beach? The answer is no. You’ll need to bring your own rainbow spirit with you and stake out your own space on the wide, beautiful sands of Mazatlan.