Gay beach

12th Street Beach, Miami, USA

Arguably the best gay beach Miami has to offer, 12^th Street Beach is an ever-popular meeting point serving the city’s most gorgeous queers throughout the year. Within either enclave however you’ll find a neat selection of gay beaches and a diverse mix of ages, professions, nationalities and kinks.

While it’s further from Playa Los Muertos, the remote location, lush jungle setting, and award-winning design make it a breathtaking retreat worth the journey.

One&Only Mandarina

4. Though it’s a short drive from Key West, the detour is worthwhile for travellers seeking tranquil luxury. From Beach 19, you can walk just 10 to 15 minutes south to the breezy beach bars of Fonte da Telha.

Where to stay

Just south of the Tagus River, the modern Crowne Plaza Caparica Lisbon (rates start at $177 or 32,000 IHG points per night) is equidistant to Lisbon's attractions and the queer social scene at Beach 19.

Ogunquit, Maine

Provincetown may be New England's best-known LGBTQIA+ beach destination.

Take a short ride across the river on the hand-cranked chain ferry, climb the staircase to the top of Mount Baldhead for a bird's-eye view of the area and then walk to Oval Beach, with its gentle golden dunes and stunning sunset views (you can also drive to the beach). For a more intimate luxury experience, the boutique Wedgewood Hotel & Spa offers a serene escape in the heart of the city, with a European-style spa perfect for unwinding after a day at the beach.

Rosewood Hotel Georgia

Mexico’s gayest resort town, Puerto Vallarta has been a community outpost since the 1970s when the Love Boat docked here and gay icon Elizabeth Taylor graced its shores

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Peace and privacy can be fantastic, including the right to doff your trunks and let it all hang out.
But sometimes we’re looking for a beach experience that’s more sociable. Purchased by new owners and rebranded and fully renovated in 2025, this stylish property has 17 rooms in various sizes and configurations, and perks include a saltwater pool, hot tub and a romantic new restaurant, Coastal Alchemist.

Quepos, Costa Rica

With its alluring mix of jungle-covered mountains, lush cloud forests and spectacular beaches, Costa Rica ranks among Latin America's top destinations for laid-back oceanfront vacations and eco-oriented adventure travel.

Sheltered by forest and hidden 400-steps below a huge cliff face, this undeveloped, 6-kilometre stretch of beach is totally removed from the stress of the city, freeing Vancouverites with its clothing-optional policy. Alternatively, get here via the walking trail down from the cliff road. This beautiful clothing-optional beach is set against gentle dunes and occupies an undeveloped span of the Costa da Caparica, which is blessed with sunny and generally dry (at least, from March through September) weather.

One of the friendliest and most LGBTQIA+-embracing getaways in the Asia-Pacific region, Guam legalized same-sex marriage in 2015 and has become a favorite wedding destination with queer folks from throughout Asia and even Russia.

Think Hawaii, but with fewer crowds and significantly lower prices. Although further from Baker Beach, all these hotels provide world-class service and amenities that make the slight detour an easy choice.

Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco

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What’s better than an afternoon spent on America’s sunniest shores, cooling off with a skinny dip in well-oiled gay company? The consistently warm waters of the Indian Ocean make this LGBTQIA+-welcoming city ideal for swimming, surfing, bodyboarding and sunbathing, and the tropical climate is mild year-round, though it can get muggy during Durban's wet summers (from October to April).
This lively and diverse port city on South Africa's east coast has plenty of oceanfront hotels and is just an hour or two by plane from Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Officially part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, this hilly island is dotted with cacti, shrubs and other flora that thrive in this semiarid climate. Beaches where you can sit close enough to strangers to strike up a casual conversation—and the people-watching is a full-on cinematic experience.
Here are 13 gay beaches around the world that are most likely to break out into party vibes.

Once you reach the stunning golden sand, you can bliss out for hours, often in near solitude — just keep in mind that the rough surf here makes swimming treacherous.
Paliku Beach is an especially enjoyable place to decompress after hiking the spectacular sea cliffs of Kauai's Napali Coast or the otherworldly red-clay bluffs of Waimea Canyon.
Where to stay
Delivering the ultimate splurge on an island with plenty of cushy accommodations, 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay (rates start at $1,022 per night) cascades down a seaside bluff in the exclusive Princeville resort district, near historic Hanalei, which served as the filming location for the musical "South Pacific." The spacious rooms have huge picture windows with views of the sea and surrounding mountains, and Bamford Wellness Spa offers a slate of blissful treatments.
The Marriott Kauai Beach Club (rates start at $516 or 71,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night) is set on an 800-acre tract of pools, gardens and beaches on Kauai's eastern shore, close to Lihue Airport.

The latter is close to Praia Mole, a crescent-shaped beach backed by emerald hills that LGBTQIA+ sunseekers flock to.
Although Santa Catarina Island has become a favored gay weekend getaway among those seeking a less party-driven alternative to pulsing Rio de Janeiro, which is less than 90 minutes away by plane, you can still find opportunities here for revelry.

Along the coast, there is an abundance of stylish resorts, from the tiny beach town of Jurere to the lively city of Florianopolis. Situated just minutes from the beach, it allows easy access to both the vibrant LGBTQ+ scene and Miami’s cultural highlights. The authorities have restricted chair rentals on the beach, so you might want to plant yourself at a beachside property like KUDO Hotel & Beach Club (33 1 Patong Beach, Shortcut Road, Phuket) to satisfy all your creature comforts.
Clothing optional: No

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Its refined atmosphere and impeccable service make it worth the drive to the beach.