Are you planning to spend your Pride holiday on the beach? You’re in luck! There are so many great beach destinations that fully embrace Pride month and embrace LGBTQ tourists. Grab your sunscreen and rainbow gear, because we are going to take you on a journey and explore the best coastal cities for the best Pride getaway.
San Francisco, California
San Francisco is a gay paradise and one of the best cities for celebrating Pride. The city is not located right on the beach but you can take a short walk to some of the great gay beaches outside the city like Muir Beach or Stinson Beach or Baker Beach which is famous for its nude section.
The main pride event in the city is an enormous parade and festival that occurs during the last full weekend of June. The celebrations draw more than a million visitors! There will be a parade of colorful floats down Market Street, music for dancing, and the street celebration in the Castro, the historic gay district in San Francisco. Do not forget to take a picture with the massive rainbow flag hanging over the Harvey Milk Plaza.
Provincetown, Massachusetts
Provincetown is a small beach town that is located at the end of Cape Cod and has been a tourist destination for the LGBTQ community for many years. Herring Cove Beach and Race Point Beach are two beaches that are traditionally very gay-friendly with gay sunbathers and vacationers all summer long.
P-town offers a lot of Pride events in June such as rainbow laser light show, dance parties, Pride Ferry, and Pride drag brunch. The celebrations end with the Provincetown Pride Parade + Block Party on the first Saturday after Memorial Day. There will be bright costumes, artists in the streets, and glitter all over!
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami is a notable hub for the LGBTQ community and most of them hang out in South Beach. Most of the gay bars and clubs are located north of the city. The 12th street beach is a gay beach resort. Gay beach at 21st Street would also be there with its rainbow flags flying.
MIami Beach Pride is held in early April to start the Pride season. It includes a mile-long parade down Ocean Drive, a beach party with a full line-up of music acts, and a Queer Art exhibition. The events spill over into Miami with festivities at venues such as the Wynwood Pride Factory and Azucar Nightclub.
Tel Aviv, Israel
Tel Aviv has become one of the world’s most gay-friendly cities. Hilton Beach is the city’s main gay beach and is a few blocks down from the Rainbow Hotel. It is full of gay beach sunbathers, volleyball players, and sweaty gym hotties.
Tel Aviv Pride is an official Pride parade in the Middle East. It hosts more than 200,000 visitors from all over the globe. The main parade happens on the second Friday of June from the gay beach to Charles Clore Garden. That is followed by a massive beach party with music performances that run well into the night.
Big fans of beach holidays? If you are not sure of where to go next, I wrote an article with my top 5 favourite beach destinations that you can check out after you’ve finished this one.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Puerto Vallarta is the perfect Mexican beach resort for the gay and lesbian vacationer. Romantic Zone, also called “Old Town,” is the gay Puerto Vallarta. It is in this area where you will be able to find the largest number of gay-owned bars and clubs as well as restaurants, hotels and shops. Gay beach is at Playa Los Muertos where you can find many gay men sunbathing and enjoying the beach.
Vallarta Pride is a week-long event taking place at the end of May with an art walk, fashion shows, sunset sailing cruises, circuit parties and drag shows. The festivities end with a large pride parade throughout the Romantic Zone and continuing to Lázaro Cárdenas Park where a giant block party is held.
Brighton, England
Brighton is a coastal town and only an hour’s train ride away from London; it is also known as the unofficial ‘gay capital’ of the UK. Brighton is very vibrant as a city in terms of having a high number of students as well as a very large queer community. It has also several districts where gays congregate such as Kemptown and St. James Street gay village.
Brighton pride is among the most attended pride events in Europe. It happens in the beginning of August. The grand opening of the festival features a parade with nearly 300,000 participants through the main streets of the city. The Brighton Pride festival also has a ‘Pride Dog Show’ with such things as ‘Waggiest Tail’ or ‘Golden Oldie’. That is just doggone adorable.
Key West, Florida
Colorful Key West is the ideal place for gay and lesbian tourists to unwind and let their hair down. It is a small island city that has been known to be very progressive and open minded for a long time now. It even featured an openly gay mayor as early as 1983! The area where most of gay community in Key West is concentrated is Duval Street. Gay Beach is the most popular one and it is located on the Atlantic Shore.
Pride Key West is a celebration that runs from the 6th to the 10th of June. Even Duval shuts down for block parties, street fairs, film screenings, drag brunches and burlesque shows. Float by the Pride Trolley Tour to understand more about queer history in Key West. It concludes with a party on Duval Street with lots of marching bands and costumes.
Sitges, Spain
Located just 35 km southwest of Barcelona, Sitges is a picturesque Mediterranean beach town that has been a popular gay destination since the 1960s. It’s home to over 300,000 LGBTQ visitors every summer! The town has two main gay beaches: Bassa Rodona and Platja de la Barra.
There are numerous Pride events held in Sitges but the biggest one is Sitges Gay Pride in mid-June. The 5-day event includes pool parties, drag shows, high heel races, a foam party, and more. The last day’s parade is the largest Pride parade in Spain with 50 floats and over 60 000 attendees.
Fire Island, New York
Located only a ferry ride away from Long Island is Fire Island, a 32-mile long barrier island which has been a haven for gay New Yorkers for many years. The island is not car-friendly and seems to be located on a different planet from the concrete jungle. It’s home to two main gay villages: Cherry Grove and the Pines.
The summer long LGBTQ events held in Fire Island Island culminate in the Fire Island Pride in mid-June. Festive celebrants go by boat from Cherry Grove to The Pines for a joyous parade. Get ready for tons of drag queens, half-naked men, and rainbow outfits. The beach parties and dancing continue well into the night. Stay for the first ferry back the next day and continue partying!
Can’t get enough of New York? Check out our bumper guide to NYC, the mecca of LGBTQ city destinations
Puerto Rico
Not only is Puerto Rico a beautiful Caribbean island with incredible beaches, it also has some of the most progressive LGBTQ rights laws in the region. The gay beach resort town of Boquerón on the west coast is a popular queer getaway. Nearby Cabo Rojo is home to several gay-friendly beaches like La Playuela.
Conclusion
Here are some of the best destinations to celebrate Pride by the sea! Gay nightlife and beaches: These cities offer the best of gay party and beach destination.
Pride shouldn’t just be considered as a time to party and have a parade but a time to unite as a community and show the world our diversity and to continue fighting for the rights of LGBTQ around the world. Whichever destination you choose to spend the holidays, travel safely and travel proudly!
