Tulum, Mexico's captivating blend of boho vibes, Mayan ruins, and turquoise waters, attracts travelers from all over the world. But what about the LGBTQ+ community seeking a place to dance, sip cocktails, and connect under the Caribbean sky? Fear not, fabulous friends! Tulum may not have a dedicated gay district, but its inclusive spirit and vibrant nightlife scene offers something for everyone.
Happy Hour
Bar Menu
Rooms at Night
Where to find gay nightlife – While there are numerous gay events and DJs that rotate through the hottest nightlife spots in Tulum, Loba Tulum is the mainstay in town. Located in the upscale Aldea Zama neighborhood, this gay men-only hotel has an intimate bar on the ground level and two clothing optional pools on the rooftop.
The gorgeous hotel manager Gustavo also regularly hosts events like Naked Dinner, Massage Circle, and Sunday Tea Dance. Day passes and bar access are available, however, be sure to message ahead of time for availability. If you would like to stay in one of their eight beautiful rooms, book directly using code TWOGAYEXPATS for a free continental breakfast or two free cocktails per night.
Love is Love in Tulum
For Tulum's newest gay bar, head to Red Room. Located in town on Calle Sol Pt at Calle Jupiter Sur, this sexy hotspot offers amazing cocktails, strippers and drag shows. Check their Instagram for the latest happenings (and Google Maps pin).
Gay Nightlife in Town
Tulum Vibes
While long running LGBTQ+ night at Elixyr and gay bar Fruity Tulum have closed, don't fret as @fruitytulum hosts wildly popular gay popup events throughout the year. Fruity is the OG queer party in Tulum and attracts more locals than tourists from our experience.
Provenza Gay Bar in Playa del Carmen
In addition to gay nightlife in Tulum, our favorite gay club in the entire Riviera Maya, Provenza, is located in nearby Playa del Carmen. Travelers often ask us which is better, Tulum or Playa? Of course, we love Tulum and regularly staycation in Playa at The Fives Downtown, so if you have the time, we highly recommend splitting up your trip to experience the best of both gay-friendly beach towns.
Paradise Beach Tulum
Where to find gay-friendly beach clubs – Tulum is known worldwide for its spectacular beaches and free-spirited lifestyle. After visiting dozens of the best beach clubs in both the National Park and Hotel Zone, we have a few favorites.
Cinco Beach Club
First up, Cinco Beach Club is a local favorite, and it's also part-gay owned. Located in the National Park, we love the free valet parking and picture-perfect walk down to the beach. The food and service are always top notch as well.
Cinco Beach Club
Pina Coladas
Sunset Dinner
Menu highlights include fresh pina coladas and the shrimp or veggie tacos. We also enjoy coming for dinner and special events like the full moon party with live music. Compared with the rest or our list, Cinco is by far the most chill of the beach clubs.
Gitano Beach
Amazing Cocktails
While not exclusively LGBTQ+, Gitano Beach attracts a trendy, inclusive crowd with live DJs, creative cocktails, and a relaxed energy that flows from day to sunset. They also regularly hire drag queens to host events, so the sexy gay men come out in droves to show off their rock-hard bodies and Tuluminati fashions.
Another gay popular beach club is Ahau. Soak up the sun and dance under the stars at their beachside bar. With its swim-up option, creative cocktails, and stunning oceanfront location, it's the perfect spot for a pre-party or a relaxed evening with friends. We also love that it's pet friendly.
Private Plunge Pool at The Beach Tulum
To round out the best gay-friendly beach clubs in Tulum, Ziggy's at The Beach Tulum resort is a personal favorite. It's where we got married back in 2020. Beachfront suites are unbelievable, as is the restaurant and beach club. We like the flexibility to come up to a table to eat and then return to our reserved beach loungers under the swaying palms. If you stick around for dinner, prepare to be entertained with live music, a fire show, and more delicious food and drinks.
Tulum Ruins
Tulum's LGBTQ+ scene might not be the neon-lit extravaganza of Cancun, but its charm lies in its welcoming spirit and diverse offerings. No matter what you're looking for, Tulum will help you find it. There's a reason this magical beach town has emerged as one of the top LGBTQ+ nightlife destinations in Mexico.
Travel Resources
Hospiten Riviera Maya Emergency Room
Travel Insurance – Don’t forget to add global travel medical insurance that covers you while traveling outside of your home country. We recommend and use Safety Wing. They offer plans for travelers, digital nomads and expats. If you're already abroad, no worries. Safety Wing makes it easy to purchase insurance even if you are already abroad.
Most health coverage in the U.S. for example does not cover you in Mexico, thus it’s extremely important to protect yourself from out-of-pocket costs due to a medical emergency. We learned this the hard way which you can watch on YouTube: Our First Trip to the Emergency Room in Mexico. To learn more about Safety Wing, check rates and availability.
Hotel Discounts – Book with Hotels.com to save 10% or more on over 100,000 hotels with Member Prices. We regularly find better prices as a member and love the free room upgrades when available.
Travel Experiences – Discover authentic, unforgettable experiences and explore the world with Viator, a TripAdvisor company. We consistently use Viator in our travels, and they offer excellent customer service when needed.
Pro tip – When we visit a new destination, we like to see what tours are available from local providers. We suggest you sort or filter the results by rating versus recommended for you to find the best tours in the area.
Car Rental – Should your travel plans call for hiring a car, we use rentalcars.com to search the best prices among the major car rental companies. With flexible rentals, no hidden fees, and price match guarantee, we feel confident booking with them. Just make sure to book with your Chase Sapphire Reserve for extra protection like primary car rental insurance.
Virtual Private Network (VPN) – Enjoy unrestricted access worldwide, enhanced privacy, and complete security while on the go. More specifically, ExpressVPN hides your IP address and encrypts your network data so no one can see what you’re doing. One click, and you’re protected. In addition, ExpressVPN defeats content restrictions and censorship to deliver unlimited access to video, music, social media, and more, from anywhere in the world. For CNET's Best Overall VPN and our favorite for travel, we strongly recommend you add ExpressVPN to all of your devices.
The easiest way to support Two Gay Expats is to
subscribe
(free!) to our YouTube channel and tell your friends and family about us to help us grow (also free)!
And if you find our content helpful and/or entertaining, please consider
joining our channel membership
to directly support our videos and gain access to exclusive content. You can also
buy us a coffee
or two (and we love coffee)! We greatly appreciate your support!
Did we get something wrong?
Has a business we highlighted closed or perhaps something new and fabulous opened? Are
you interested in working with us? In all cases, we’d love to hear from you! Email us at
hello@twogayexpats.com.
Hi gorgeous, and welcome to our LGBTQ+ travel blog! We're Andy and Trai, a gay couple traveling the world with PRIDE 🌈 …and our rescue dog, Pattie!
After meeting in San Francisco in 2018 and later moving to Chicago, we decided to quit our jobs in 2021, sell everything, and become Two Gay Expats. For over two years, we explored the best of gay Mexico while waiting for our house, Casa Cangrejo, to be completed in Tulum. We got married at The Beach Tulum in 2020 and became Mexican permanent residents in 2022.
Today, we continue to travel around Mexico and the world to show you our favorite places. If you'd like to follow our adventures, subscribe on YouTube and join us on Instagram.
