Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve been spurring on summer with our annual picks for the world’s best gay beaches and the world’s best nude beaches. Now it’s time to hear (and see) what you, our dear and always vocal readers, think are the planet’s best gay coastlines.
As Labor Day approaches, one of the last great beach holiday weekends, we’ll be back next week with your choices for the best nude beaches.
Meanwhile, as usual: Enjoy the view:
While the Olympics are in motion our readers were eager to tell us to avoid Ipanema and head to Bahia instead. Porto da Barra is the ultimate go-to for sun, fun, and plenty of eye candy.
Photo Credits: mattmaximo on Instagram and r_kaver on Instgram

“What happened to Miami’s 9th Street Beach?” asked reader reesielover. We’re going to assume he meant 12th Street Beach, the hunk-filled white sand strip just off Ocean Drive in Miami’s famed South Beach, across from Palace Restaurant and Bar.
Photos by joshuamfagan on Instagram, giang315 on Instagram, Rick on Instagram
“And then there’s the gay beach at Ibiza …” suggested reader Thomas. Indeed there is, and it’s called Es Cavallet. About six miles south of the Ibiza Town on the party-crazed Spanish island of the same name, Es Cavallet is full of gay men, naturists, and many who qualify as both.
Photos by ryzhik_m, luiggi_net, victoriapeckham, lorenzo75018
“Chicago’s Hollywood Beach gets 10 times the number of people who show up in Lauderdale,” says an Anonymous writer, “It’s bigger, water cleaner, and no sharks.” We took a closer look at Hollywood Beach this year and we’ll get into the groove with those sexy, beefy Chicago boys all summer long!
Photo Credits: apexlm, todd.sf, fasttfreddie
Poodle Beach, Rehoboth, Delaware “Rehoboth Beach, DL is pretty nice place as well,” offered djdez2. The gay section at Rehoboth is known as Poodle Beach, and it’s located just south of the boardwalk. Lesbians prefer North Shores Beach…but we don’t judge.
Photos by chadregis, jakerunsdc, reflexblue
“I would cast a vote for Queen’s Beach in Honolulu,” said reader gaym50ish. Waikiki’s most popular gay beach is actually most commonly called Queen’s Surf — ironically not because of the gays, but because it was once the royal beach of Queen Liliuokalani.
Photos by diegohaeussler, mcoflyboy79, cathy6914
England may not be known for its beach weather, and Brighton’s beach furthermore consists of little pebbles rather than sand. But thanks to the heavily gay population in south coastal Brighton (less than an hour south of London), this is one of the nicest and most popular gay seaside hangouts in northern Europe.
Photo Credit chris_barmob, v.g.meier, moe.mohamed
robho3
Well call me old but I still like the beach at fire island.
DavidIntl
How could you possibly omit Maspalomas, at Gran Canaria? With open sex not only allowed, but encouraged, on the surrounding sand dunes?
Billy Budd
I live in Salvador , Bahia Brazil and I go regularly to porto da barra. But it is not as good as ponto nove in Ipanema in Rio.