Dan Allen of The Out Traveler put together some hot spot predictions for all-age gay spring break travel in 2007 that still apply in 2009 (reprinted on Gay.com: "Gays Gone Wild: A Spring Break Primer") -- check 'em all out, but know that you'll especially like Key West and Puerto Vallarta:
Gay Spring Break in Key West
Key West's live and let live legacy, which includes a shady pirate past, lives on in the shape of a gay travel mecca for those with a tooth for adventure -- this town at the literal end of the road (Florida's A1A) welcomes travelers from every walk of life without question; some are coming to the end of the road for good reason and some are just rocking it for a season. If that season for you is spring break, Gay Spring Break, organized by the Key West Business Guild, may be to your tooth -- tons o' GLBT spring break-specific events happening from the last of February through the first week of April, running the gamut from poker tourneys at club Aqua to women's movie night at Pearl's.Gay spring break in Key West has yet to truly take off, according to Jonathan Vatner, who journaled his gay spring break research in Key West for PlanetOut.com in 2007 ("So what if there are three dozen or 3,000 students here? It's a blessing that an event like this exists," Vatner noted); lack of established throngs, though, means you get to help establish the traditions that'll make memories (not many reports from 2008 – got one? Add it!),
- If you go to Key West -- You might rather drive to Key West than fly; my road trips down the Keys are some of the best I have ever made. With daytime air and water temps around 80, you'll want to get outside when you get there, but Key West is not about over-exertion, though snorkelers will find undersea paradises in the clear water (head out to the Dry Tortugas for a day), and a little hunting will turn up uncrowded beaches if that's your bag.
- Gay Spring Break in Key West -- get guesthouse links and event calendar (2009's will be up soon)
- Key West Photos and Gay Travel Guide
- "Key West: Where to play, eat, and stay" (Andrew Collins)
- Key West Fantasy Fest
Key West's beaches are social fun, but sand is skimpy (the Florida Keys are coral islands) and not the reason to go: the places to be have roofs, though not always walls -- those with both are largely on Duval Street, where tourists and locals alike dance 'til almost dawn. Get to the clubs by conch cruiser -- fat tire bikes with baskets where you can keep a flashlight for showing you the after-dark way home to your guest house, which are among the most interesting Key West temporary addresses.
The gay scene in Key West cooks year 'round (About's Guide to Gay Life, Ramon Johnson, reports that PlanetOut rated Key West the number two gay resort town in 2005), though October's Fantasy Fest is especially interesting time to visit -- and it can be a walk on the wild side. You can think some thoughts and see some things (with no idea what was up and the intention of passing through, I arrived in Key West on Fantasy Fest weekend, said, "What is this place?!" and stayed for six months).
Spring Break in Puerto Vallarta
Any time's a fine time to visit pretty Puerto Vallarta, but spring break is a supremely superb season in this jungle-meets-sand city by the bay. Puerto Vallarta's Zona Romantica is the heart of the gay travel scene here; book a gay whale watching trip through the Blue Chairs resort, and check out About.com's Gay Travel Guide's reviews on a couple of PV places you'll like in the Zona Romantica:
More sun and sand scene stuff for PV:
- Travel Info and Puerto Vallarta Photos
- Puerto Vallarta Hotels
- Puerto Vallarta Nightlife
- Puerto Vallarta Gay Bars
- Puerto Vallarta Beaches
- Puerto Vallarta Walking Tour Ideas
- What to Do Outside in Puerto Vallarta
More gay spring break and gay travel info:
- The Out Traveler: "Gays Gone Wild: A Spring Break Primer"
- About.com's Guide to Gay Travel
- Guides to Gay Fort Lauderdale
Get the basic spring break scoop and some spring break travel specifics, too:
