Puerto Rico is among the prime LGBTQ journey locations due to a heat and pleasant native inhabitants and quite a lot of nice homosexual bars, golf equipment, and actions year-round. Use the homosexual journey information to Puerto Rico beneath to assist plan a visit to San Juan and different components of the gay-friendly Caribbean island
Of all of the Caribbean islands, Puerto Rico is among the most accepting and LGBTQ-friendly locations. As an unincorporated territory of the United States, same-sex marriage has been authorized since 2015. And with over three million inhabitants, Puerto Rico has loads of homosexual and lesbian actions, bars, and points of interest for guests to simply uncover. There are even two totally different pleasure parades every year on the island!
Most of Puerto Rico’s homosexual bars and LGBTQ actions occur in San Juan—Puerto Rico’s capital metropolis. Because of its massive, city inhabitants and its many homosexual neighborhoods, it’s probably the greatest components to go to for LGBTQ vacationers.
Because of Puerto Rico’s Catholic traditions & historical past, the massive cities are most likely the most secure and most comfy hotspots for homosexual vacationers and LGBTQ locals alike. But different components of the island, together with Cabo Rojo on the west, and the Vieques island off the japanese coast are additionally in style LGBTQ locations.Â
9 Gay & LGBTQ Things to Do in Puerto Rico
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1. Stay on the LGBT-owned Coqui del Mar
This boutique visitor home (which can also be 420-friendly) is positioned within the Ocean Park neighborhood of San Juan, one of many few many homosexual neighborhoods of San Juan. Because Coqui del Mar is LGBT-0wned, it’s an excellent place to begin a Puerto Rico homosexual journey.
The Coqui del Mar has studio and fully-furnished vacation flats with all of your mandatory lodge facilities, plus some! Free wifi, free parking, free bike leases, flat-screen TVs, full kitchens, an out of doors BBQ grill obtainable to company, two swimming swimming pools, and a sizzling tub! The brilliant decor of the property and pleasant workers on web site, plus its location in Ocean Park, make it an excellent alternative for vacationers in search of a multi-day keep to essentially uncover San Juan.
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2. Visit throughout San Juan Pride at Condado
Always the primary weekend of June, San Juan’s annual pleasure competition, San Juan Pride, is a weekend of events, particular occasions, and exhibits. San Juan’s homosexual bars alongside Calle Condado all placed on their very own events and occasions, however the seaside golf equipment at Condado Beach (together with Atlantic Beach Hotel and Oasis Bar) additionally host afterparties following the parade.Â
Following Condado Pride in San Juan, the Cabo Rojo Pride competition takes place the second weekend of June. During the Cabo Rojo Pride, the sleepy beachside city turns right into a weekend of events, a pleasant comedown from Condado’s pleasure the weekend earlier than!
Parties throughout San Juan’s Pride normally begin the Thursday earlier than the Sunday-parade. This yr, there’s even a Naked Gay Weekend occasion—a clothes non-compulsory weekend with pool events & extra—throughout San Juan Pride (see extra beneath).
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3. Try your luck at Drag Bingo & win intercourse toys
San Juan’s hottest homosexual bar is Circo Bar—a raucous homosexual membership on Calle Condado. It’s very fashionable with vacationers, however don’t fear as a result of locals present up, too!
Circo Bar hosts Ru Paul’s Drag Race viewing events and is very in style on weekends for his or her late-night dancing with a few of the metropolis’s prime DJs, however Thursday nights are additionally a superb evening to go to. Every Thursday, Circo Bar hosts Drag Bingo throughout which you’ll be able to win intercourse toys and different enjoyable issues. With each drink buy, you get a bingo board so the sooner you present up and the extra drinks you get, the extra probabilities to win you’ve acquired!
Drag Bingo is hosted in each English and Spanish so it’s nice for vacationers—and a enjoyable alternative to hold with locals.
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4. Party Thursday nights on the queer pupil golf equipment
The Eleanor Roosevelt district is slightly additional south than the opposite San Juan homosexual neighborhoods of Condado, Santurce, and Ocean Park, however each Thursday evening it comes alive with the town’s LGBTQ inhabitants. Because of the very low-cost drink offers on provide, and the energetic road life, it’s particularly in style with San Juan’s many college college students. The bars of El Cojo, A Pedir De Boca, and La Esquina de Polo are all on the identical nook of Avenue Eleanor Roosevelt and Calle 12 de Octubre.
Each of the bars spills out on the streets—particularly throughout good climate—and a budget drinks make them nice spots to begin an evening out, round 9 or 10pm earlier than heading to different membership nights. The bar on the nook, additionally labeled Flavor’s, is very in style with lesbians.
These are fairly native homosexual & lesbian bars, and since you’re a bit additional out from the central San Juan neighborhoods, you won’t discover many vacationers within the space. It’s a extremely social vibe with plenty of enjoyable pop and dance hits on the small dance flooring; the right alternative to fulfill locals.
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6. Spend Sunday on the Gay Beach in San Juan
In San Juan, there are two essential homosexual seashores. The hottest is Atlantic Beach in Condado which is very homosexual each Sunday after 11am. Groups of buddies, LGBTQ households, and vacationers flock to the seaside each Sunday.
San Juan’s different homosexual seaside is at Ocean Park Beach in entrance of the Numero Uno Guesthouse. It is usually a bit cruisey late on weekend nights, in accordance with Coqui del Mar’s workers. Outside of San Juan, a naturist seaside is about 40 minutes west at Cueva las Golondinas.Â
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7. Enjoy tiki cocktails at Jungle Bird
San Juan’s homosexual neighborhood of Santurce is among the most energetic and energetic spots within the metropolis. It’s a gay-friendly space with many bars and golf equipment taking up the streets spherical La Placita sq. turning it right into a pedestrian-only zone. Street meals, salsa dancing, and low-cost drinks are the norm right here—and it’s very crowded!
But simply across the nook from La Placita is the tremendous hipster Jungle Bird 404 tiki bar. The enjoyable and funky environment, and elaborate cocktails, make it a cushty escape from the road bustle. An out of doors patio makes it particularly in style with teams of buddies. It’s one in all San Juan’s greatest cocktail bars.
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8. Party at San Juan’s homosexual bars & golf equipment each weekend
San Juan’s homosexual nightlife is quite a lot of enjoyable, and most of it occurs Friday and Saturday nights alongside Calle Condado within the homosexual neighborhood. Circo Bar runs late each weekend and attracts a few of the greatest crowds because the evening ends, so to actually get pleasure from San Juan’s nightlife, begin elsewhere and finish your evening at Circo.
Across type Circo, you’ll discover VIP—a smaller homosexual membership, and simply across the .nook is the SX Club. In the basement, SX is a stripper and go-go membership that generally fees a canopy. Bring money for ideas.
Outside of Condado, The Bear Tavern is simply off the hipster road of Calle Loiza (the place you’ll discover many various eating places and bars). Catering to bears, The Bear Tavern hosts drag exhibits and crowds are sometimes hanging out on their entrance patio most nights of the week.
For present homosexual membership and homosexual nightlife listings, test with locals. There aren’t many sources, sadly, however I discovered staying at a homosexual guesthouse helped level me in the appropriate course for the very best locations to occasion.
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9. Catch an alternate queer evening at El Local
One of the best nightlife spots in San Juan is the El Local bar within the Santurce neighborhood. It’s one of the crucial LGBTQ-inclusive areas with weekly drag exhibits (together with drag kings) and occasional karaoke. It’s a trns-friendly house with low-cost drinks in a hipster dive setting. It feels loads like attending a home occasion, made much more life like as a result of or the mismatched furnishings and glass circumstances displaying LGBTQ merchandise on the market.
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Puerto Rico is a good homosexual vacation spot. It’s been in style with LGBTQ vacationers for years, due to its proximity to the mainland USA with inexpensive flights, and a wealthy Latin tradition. The seashores, many homosexual bars, and pleasant locals make it much more welcoming.
For extra journey tips on Puerto Rico, see my photographs from San Juan, Puerto Rico.