The World's 20 Gayest Beach Cities

With plenty of direct flights from major cities in Mexico, the U.S., and Canada, the romantic Mexican Riviera resort of Puerto Vallarta makes for an approachable, relatively affordable, and infectiously fun and lively gay getaway from late fall through early spring (it quiets down here considerably during the hot summer months). The gay scene here has grown steadily over the past couple of decades, with the most popular GLBT beach and several welcoming hotels, restaurants, and bars centered upon the charming and historic Zona Romantica district. It's a great destination for relaxing, but you can also take Zip-lining, boating, hiking, and other adventure tours from several outfitters in town. The superb culinary scene is another big plus.

Poised to host the Summer Olympics in 2016, Brazil's second-largest city can be exciting, chaotic, dazzling, overwhelming, and sexy. Rio de Janeiro justly renowned for its sugary beaches, and a party-driven, festive gay scene that's concentrated chiefly around trendy Ipanema and the more touristy Copacabana areas, both of which front the ocean and are ideal for lazing, jogging, or playing in the sun and sea. Ipanema, with its colonial-style buildings and tree-lined streets, is especially charming - you'll find a number of LGBT-popular cafes and bars around here, as well as a stunning gay beach just off Rua Farme de Amoedo. This city of 6.3 million has a sultry tropical climate, with average temps in the upper 70s and 80s year-round.

Florida's leading gay and lesbian vacation destination on the Gulf of Mexico, the St. Petersburg region comprises a downtown fringing Tampa Bay that's undergone a significant renaissance as well as a string of eclectic - and often historic - waterfront communities from quaint Pass-A-Grille to artsy Gulfport to the tony resort of Clearwater Beach. One of the region's most beautiful beaches, Fort Desoto County Park, has a bit of a gay following, and there's also a great gay beach at Treasure Island, called Sunset Beach. Host each June to St. Petersburg Gay Pride, the largest in the state, the area is home to a diverse mix of gay-Friendly lodging choices, from grand hotels to elegant bed-and-breakfasts plus Florida's largest gay resort.

For easy access to beautiful beaches and an ever-growing gay scene, San Diego is the top urban destination on the West Coast. The city's bustling Hillcrest neighborhood is a hub of gay nightlife and retail, and you'll also find plenty of GLBT-frequented businesses in nearby North Park and University Heights. Head for the oceanfront communities of Pacific Beach and La Jolla, and you'll discover a gorgeous stretch of gold-sand beaches, with the gay-popular Black's Beach among the most spectacular. San Diego also has a rich cultural scene downtown, cool restaurants and slick hotels in the Gaslamp Quarter, and outstanding museums and attractions in leafy Balboa Park, home to the San Diego Gay Pride festival each July.

Among the top 10 largest cities in the Caribbean, sunny and vibrant San Juan (metro population 2 million) has the best gay scene and most welcoming attitude toward GLBT travelers. The capital of the U.S. commonwealth of Puerto Rico has beautiful beaches, especially in the Condado District, which has many of the city's gay bars and accommodations. Charming restaurants and shops line the narrow, hilly lanes of nearby Old San Juan, an ideal spot to spend a romantic evening of dining and dancing. One great approach to visiting here is to combine your trip with a few days on Puerto Rico's gay-popular resort island of Vieques, which is a short flight.

Arguably the gay epicenter of the Southern Hemisphere, scenic Sydney is a major business and cultural center that just happens to be flanked by some of the world's most gorgeous beaches. The city's advanced network of ferries, buses, light rail, and trams makes it easy to shuttle back and forth between popular sunning spots like Bondi Beach and Manly Beach. Sydney's gay scene is focused traditionally around Oxford Street, a 20-minute walk from the much-photographed Inner Harbour and Sydney Opera House, but nearby inner suburbs like Newtown, Erskineville, and Glebe have sizable LGBT populations and many mixed bars and restaurants. Gay visitors will also find a wealth of welcoming hotels and B&Bs in this city renowned for its annual Gay Mardi Gras celebration.

San Francisco is undeniably one of the top few cities in the world for gay travelers. As a beach city, it's still a place with stunning, rocky beaches along a sweeping stretch of the Pacific, but it's not exactly a great choice for sun-bunnies hoping to swim and lie in the sand all day. The weather at the beach, even in summer, is often cool and windy, and the surf can be violent - even quite dangerous - especially around gay-popular Baker Beach, a clothing-optional patch near Presidio Park that affords visitors fine views of the Golden Gate Bridge. San Francisco is nonetheless an outstanding place to live or visit if you want a balance of gay culture and gorgeous coastline that's great for jogging, beach hikes, and admiring the views.

On the one hand, Vancouver is far enough north and rainy enough during the winter months, that it's by no means a year-round destination for swimming and sunbathing. However, during those four or five months from late spring through early fall, this is one absolutely spectacular city for fans of beaches. There's the lovely beach at English Bay that's just steps from the gay-popular bars and restaurants of the city's West End, and Kitsilano Beach Park just across the water. And a little farther afield, Wreck Beach - at the foot of cliffs near University of British Columbia, is a favorite of gays and lesbians (and is clothing-optional). Few cities in the world boast a more dazzling natural backdrop.