Tamale's PV Picks
Here is a list of what to drink, eat, sleep, play, and see in this beautiful city.
Where to Drink
Anonimo
Three stories of fun! Large outdoor patio and a sexy, third floor where things go bump in the night!
Apaches
Great neighborhood bar right in the middle of everything. Best place to people watch! They make a mean martini!
Awaysis
Cute bar with live music and karaoke most nights. Open air and super friendly, and the have a great menu. Owners Gavin and David are fab. Gay owned and operated.
Blondies
Stop by for a slushie before heading to the beach, or even better, stop here after the beach! Always fun and filled with sexy people!
Diablito's
The best neighborhood bear bar in PV owned by the two cutest osos in town!
Elixir
This small, intimate mixology bar is great for a date or a small group. Spectacular cocktails and great snacks. Lesbian owned and operated.
La Catrina Cantina
A great LGBT venue with some amazing shows and local drag talent. Air Conditioned and very friendly.
La Chacalaca
A fun bar in a semi outdoor setting. Great music and great food.
La Noche
Come see a local queen strut her stuff on the first floor before heading up to the great rooftop patio to meet locals and visitors alike.
Los Amigos
Great, local gay bar. Popular with the local vaqueros. No circuit music here. All Banda, Ranchera, and Tejano music. Charlie is a great bartender too!
Los Otros Blondies
The best slushies in town and some super sexy servers! Be sure to check out their merch. So many cute items!
One Six One
This mixology bar has a cool lounge feel and boasts 3 floors, with some great outdoor space. House music every night from some great DJs. Be sure to check out the bathroom painted by yours truly!
Stud's Bar
Bear and Daddy dance club/bar in old town. The closest thing we have to a dark room in a bar in PV. 2nd floor is pretty active, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, when they do their jockstrap and Leather nights.
Tunnel Bar
New local neighborhood bar owned by Tamale, Sugarbaker, and Roger and Bryan from Anonimo. Thee place to hang in East Emiliano.
Twisted Palms
This little hidden jem is part dive bar, part chill lounge. They make some of the best martinis in town. Great place to go with a small group and have a conversation.
Where to Eat
Bonito Kitchen
The best asian food in PV, hands down. The location in old town has some of the best small plates and the staff is amazing. Their location in Jardines Vallarta has some excellent ramen too! Two locations.
Casa Nicole
One of our favorite breakfast spots in the Zone. Air conditioned inside or sit on the beautiful patio.
Cenaduria Celia
The best pazole in all of PV, hands down. You feel like you are in your abuelita's kitchen.
Coco's Kitchen
Everyone talks about this place and it's for good reason. They recently started serving dinner and everything we have had has not disappointed. And it's right across the street from Blondie's so go have a before or after slushie!
D'Cortes
The food here is exquisite and the flavors are spot on. Chef Polo Cortés makes you feel like you are guest in his house, while serving impeccable quisine.
El Bodegon De Pastas
I almost shouldn't be telling you about this place because they only have 4 tables and I can never get in! Honestly the best pasta I have had in Mexico. Everything is hand made and delicious. Owned by the cutest gay couple.
Frida's Kitchen
Now called Frida 4.0, this fabulous neighborhood gay bar has one of the best menus in old town. Super friendly staff and gay owned and operated.
Itamar
Some of the best seafood in Old Town. Great staff and awesome service. Tell Omar Tamale sent ya! Owned by the same folks that own Casa 449.
La Fina
Spectacular, elevated food with a rustic atmosphere. Every dish is amazing. If your grandmother was a chef, this would be the cuisine!
Le Cigale
This cute, French bistro next to the Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church has great menu items and a very attentive staff. Sit outside on their patio for a great evening meal with all the sounds of PV surrounding you.
Makal
Fine dining native Mexican cuisine done in a ver French style. the tasting menu is fantastic and comes in either 7 or 10 courses. They really know great food.
Marisma Fish Tacos
Hands down, the BEST fish and shrimp tacos in PV. They are on hand made flour tortillas and twice the size of an ordinary street taco. Female owned and operated.
Pechugon
The best rotisserie chicken on the planet. This chain offers the best chicken, roasted potatoes, and all the fixings at an amazing price. Many locations through out PV. Ask for extra napkins!
Pulpito 116
Everything on this menu is superb. And the presentation is spot on. Across the street from the original Blondies, stop by for a bite before or after a Blondies slushie!
Puro Peru
Puro Peru is a creation of Peruvian Chef Fernando Tomasini, offering a daily menu of delicious Fusion cuisine, classic Peruvian, Chinese (chifa), Japanese Nikkei. We cannot stop going back to this very cosy and rustic restaurant.
Sea Monkey
Great spot right on the sand where you can enjoy good, hearty street food. Excellent service. The owners are pretty soft on the eyes, too!
Soco's Cafe
Another great breakfast spot. Nestled in a great up coming area for some amazing restaurants.
Sonorita Olas Altas
My favorite place for tacos. Al pastor, birria, asada, veggie; you name it, they have it!
Tintoque
Gorgeous food and an even better view if you sit along the riverfront. The service is impeccable and the food is even better. Probably our favorite restaurant in PV.
Where to sleep
Casa Culpula
This LGBTQ hillside hotel offers views like no other. The rooms are great and the staff very helpful. They also throw naked pool parties Thurs-Sat.
Studios At Jacarandas
The Studios at Jacarandas is a brand-new collection of 6 luxury rentals in the heart of Zona Romantica. Located on a quiet street just minutes to the beach and the downtown restaurant and shopping district, The Studios offer a peaceful respite from Puerto Vallarta’s vibrancy. Luxury finishes, custom local craftsmanship, and a rain shower that is an experience unto itself, make The Studios the perfect spot for your tropical vacation!
Villa Sorpresa
Villa Sorpresa is a completely remodeled Complex nestled just a few streets up from Olas Altas and around the corner Basillio Badillo in Old Town of Puerto Vallarta. A short 3-minute walk, on flat terrain to the famous Playa Los Muertos beach and Puerto Vallarta oceanside boardwalk called the Malecon. Short stroll to restaurants, art galleries, coffee shops, local shops, nightlife and the gay district. Every unit features a fully equipped kitchen, walk-in shower with rainhead, WiFi, AC’s and TV’s with 100’s channels. Heated pool, bbq lounge and lush gardens await your arrival.
Zona Z Boutique Hotel
This very charming, beautiful, Boutique hotel, two blocks from the beach, offers some pretty spectacular rooms and the service is impeccable. Sig and Mark will take great care of you..;and they are pet friendly! So bring your fur babies! Call well ahead for reservations as they book up quickly.
Where to Beach
Destiladeras Beach Club & Restaurant
This is about a 60 min drive north in Nayarit and is by far my favorite beach to go to. Beautiful waters and you can walk out into the ocean for 100 meters before it gets too deep.
Ritmos (Green Chairs)
This is the beach club to go to if you want to meet new people and cruise cruise cruise! The staff are very attentive and their is enough eye candy to satisfy everyones needs. Great place for large parties to meet and lounge on the sandy beach. Get there early (by 11am) during high season to get some choice spots down by the water!
Sapphire Ocean B. C.
This is my go to beach club. The service is impeccable. the food is fantastic. And you can choose to lounge on the sand or sit by the pool for a quieter experience. Tell them Tamale sent you! A great place to relax and chill.
Xalli Beach Club
Xalli, pronounced Chaw-Lee, is the best kept secret in PV. (Don't tell anyone!) Just a 15 min drive south. Free valet parking. Amazing food. Fabulous private beach. Great service. Make a reservation before arriving.
Where to Explore
Amaria Villas
Nestled in the mountains along the Rio Cuale.. This gorgeous jungle oasis caters to those that seek a unique and custom-tailored experience that also embraces the local culture and traditions
Palo Maria
This moderate 45min hike along a dry riverbed leads to a beautiful swimming hole and waterfall. Picture is from there.
San Sebastian Del Oeste
A beautiful mountain town just an hour or so outside of Puerto Vallarta. If weather is permitting, rent some ATV's in town and take them to the to of the mountain, the highest elevation in Jalisco.
Vallarta Botanical Gardens
This is a must. Gorgeous landscaped hills surround a great restaurant and gift shop. You can hike to the river and take a dip, or hike along trails for hours. We saw coatimundi, snakes, macaw's, frogs, and so much more! You can even hand feed the hummingbirds at the restaurant.
Yelapa
Take a water taxi (the only way to get there. There is no road) from Los Muertos Pier to this beautiful, secluded beach with restaurants, gorgeous views, and lots of hiking trails. I recommend walking through town to the waterfall. it's a super easy hike and can be done on ATVs as well.
Where to be Entertained
Act2PV
Act2PV is the largest entertainment venue in the Banderas Bay, bringing you great entertainment for 2023/2024! With shows every night, this beautiful theater has something for everyone!
La Catrina Cantina
Local venue with local entertainment almost every night. They also have a fabulous Open Mic show. You never know who will stumble in and take your breath away!
Miss Conception
With a career spanning over twenty three years, Kevin Levesque as Miss Conception, has been delighting audiences around the world with his unique style of female illusion – “a Female Delusionist® if you will”, as Kevin puts it. Miss Conception’s one-woman, live singing shows, launched new each year in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and Provincetown Massachusetts, parody and celebrate some of the greatest characters, movies and TV shows of our time, featuring on-stage transitions from one character to another, with costume change that happen before your eyes. This is one diva that’s taking the world by storm. Tamale's Tours is a proud sponsor of her show.
Sutton Lee Seymour
Sutton Lee Seymour is New York City’s Live Singing Sasshole and she is spreading her comedy and chaos with merriment and madness. Dance the night way with Sutton Lee Seymour and her Dancing Ken Dolls! Nothing has been this CAMP since the Ethel Merman Disco Album (Google it).
The Palm Cabaret
The Palm Cabaret and Bar has been entertaining Puerto Vallarta audiences for years, and the 2021-2022 season will be no exception. Come see Miss Conception, Sutton Lee Seymore, Meghan Murphy, Betti & Bruce, Hedda Letuce, Branden and James, and so many more amazing and talented performers from all over the world.
Where to see my art
As well as running Tamale's Tours, I am also an artist. Please check it out. I do private showings at my studio in PV and ship worldwide via my website. You can also buy some of my custom made kaftans!
Where to get involved
GAYPV
They specialize in a complete event calendar featuring daily events and major parties now including happy hours. A directory of gay and friendly businesses with itemized categorization to help you easily find what business you are looking for.
Vallarta Gay+ Community Center
Our mission is to foster empowerment, health and wellness within the LGBTQ+ community. We provide equitable access to healthcare, education and support services, with focused care, for prevention and treatment of HIV and STIs. We fiercely advocate for our community’s equity and inclusion as a vital component of our region’s diverse society, providing a safe and inclusive environment to drive positive change locally and beyond.
Out & About PV
Out & About Puerto Vallarta is a print and online media outlet dedicated to providing news and information on the LGBTQ+ community of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico.
Vallart Pride
Vallarta Pride arises from the initiative to create an Association that promotes and defends equality for the LGBTQ+ community being much more than an exciting event full of fun and entertainment, as it includes cultural and artistic events, film festivals, sports, fashion shows and much more to celebrate the amazing diversity, promoting at all times, to feel proud of our nature. Accompanied by an impressive Pride parade that runs through the main streets of the city, showing the creativity of different companies and individuals that under an annual theme, decorate their vehicles and dress in the colors of the rainbow. This annual event has placed Puerto Vallarta in the spotlight as one of the main places in the world to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride.
Where to Shop
Thrive PV
At ThrIVe MedSpa, we are dedicated to enhancing your well-being and revitalizing your inner and outer beauty. Combining cutting-edge medical expertise with a luxurious spa experience, we offer a comprehensive range of rejuvenating treatments tailored to meet your unique needs. Our team of skilled professionals is committed to providing personalized care in a welcoming and serene environment. Whether you’re seeking advanced skincare solutions, aesthetics, or the restorative benefits of IV therapy, we strive to exceed your expectations and help you achieve optimal health and vitality!
Shops on the Rio Cuale
Walk along the riv er and shop at some for some local fare. All locally owned and ran.