Zachary Zane Author And Sex Columnist Visits Puerto Vallarta for the first time in November 2023. What was his reaction to PV after only 1 visit!
Where were you born and where do you live now?
I was born in Los Angeles and now live in Brooklyn, New York. (I’ve been in Brooklyn for six years now.)
Like so many of us, you fell in love with Puerto Vallarta on your first trip. What made Zachary Zane visits Puerto Vallarta?
I actually have only been once! My first time was in November 2023, but I’ve already scheduled a trip to return in March. For years, I heard so many gay men rave about how incredible PV is, but honestly, I didn’t get it. I found the guys who constantly spoke about PV a little annoying if I’m being honest. I just couldn’t fathom what was so great and magical about a city, that is, until I experienced it for myself. And now I’m obsessed, talking about how much I love it to anyone who will listen.
VACAYA is what brought me to PV. They do LGBTQ resort and cruise takeovers and were doing a hotel takeover in PV. I was invited as press to write about my experiences having sex, specifically in their floating red light district. (Every night, VACAYA chartered a double-decker catamaran that they transformed into a sex boat. There were sex slings, glory holes, and dozens of naked horny men aboard. There, I got—how do I put this delicately—some mad bussy.)
What places do you enjoy visiting in Vallarta?
So I plan to visit at least once a year, hopefully, more, if I can make some friends who have a place and invite me to visit! Of course, I loved Zona Romántica, the LGBTQ quarter downtown. My favorite bars there are STUDS (for the hairy, burly men), Industry (for dancing), and CC Slaughters (for late-night dancing). I had an absolute BLAST doing Jet’s Naked Beach Tour, and sucked so many penises in the “Cave of Love.” And the nude parties at Casa Cupula by the pool were a great way to meet people to go out with later in the evening!
Puerto Vallarta is definitely a sex travel destination. Would you comment on why that is based on your personal experiences?
I think it’s become a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. I’m not exactly sure why or how it became a sex travel destination for gay men, but it now has that reputation, so it definitely attracts gay men who want to have sex. But also, locals are now aware that it’s a sex destination, so they purposefully create sexy attractions for gay men. Not to mention that Spartacus is one of the most iconic gay saunas in the world!
What are other sex travel destinations you visit? Is Puerto Vallarta unique compared to those?
There are so many sex tourist destinations all over the world, but for gay men, there are fewer destinations. Berlin comes to mind, as there are wild, kinky gay parties there. But I think Berlin is more about kink and wearing all-black leather. It’s a very different vibe from PV, which is more light-hearted and colorful. I’ve been to Mykonos, which has a similar vibe to PV, but Mykonos is a lot smaller, more expensive, and difficult to get to. So it’s not really a place that many people can frequent multiple times a year, the way they frequent PV. Amsterdam, of course, has the Red Light District, and as a bi man, I’ve enjoyed some of the women there, but Amsterdam sex tourism isn’t for the gays. (However, Amsterdam does have one of my favorite gay sex parties called Meat Market, where all the bottoms get there early and wear hoods so they can’t see who’s fucking them. All the tops then can fuck any and every bottom they want to.)
I think PV actually has the most gay sex tourism of any of those cities between the saunas, bars, boat cruises, naked hotel parties, and more.
Do you know Only Fans collaborators who film their content here and why do they choose PV to collaborate?
I do! I think, gays like being able to fuck out in the sun and on the beach. Not to mention that there are just a ton of hot locals who live there who were seemingly down to shoot for OF. (I met a few of them on Grindr.) I think it’s just a fun location to visit as well, and if you have sex for work, why not bone in a place with gay dance clubs, nude beaches, and gorgeous men?
When did you discover you were an author?
This is a surprisingly challenging question! I think a part of me still doesn’t feel like an author, even though I have a critically acclaimed book, Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifesto, and two columns in prominent publications (Men’s Health and Cosmopolitan). Imposter Syndrome is very real!
Was your content sexual from the beginning?
From the get-go, it was pretty sexual. Though in the beginning, I wrote much more about sexuality, specifically bisexuality. There was very little bisexual content, especially in 2015, when I first started getting work published. At the time, the articles about bisexuality were essentially “10 Things to Never Say to a Bisexual Person” or “10 Myths About Bisexuality.” It was a lot of content geared toward straight and gay people trying to convince them that bisexuality was real. But there really wasn’t much about the struggles bisexual men face with dating, how to come out as bisexual, and when you can call yourself bisexual. In other words, there wasn’t any bi content actually for bi people. I really was one of the first to write about bisexual men in a way that really helped them.
So yeah, initially, I just wrote about bisexuality, but then veered out to all sexuality and writing about sex more specifically.
What do you enjoy most about giving advice on relationships and sex?
It may sound corny as all hell, but I love being people’s sexual Sherpa. I love helping them get over sexual shame and reach a place of embrace and acceptance. I won’t go as far as to call in my life calling, but it’s something that brings me immense joy. My book, Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifesto, has been out for eight months now, and I still get messages nearly daily from readers about how my book changed their lives. These messages keep me doing what I’m doing because, Lord knows, I also receive a lot of hate from people about my work. Sex, especially gay sex, is polarizing, after all!
Zachary Zane is a Brooklyn-based columnist, author of the new book Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifesto, and sex expert whose work focuses on sexuality, lifestyle, and culture. He writes “Sexplain It,” the weekly sex and relationship advice column at Men’s Health as well as “Navigating Non-Monogamy,” the monthly relationship column at Cosmopolitan. His work has been published in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, Cosmo, GQ, OUT, and many others.
Author: Tim Wilson
Wilson is the founder of GAYPV.com and www.gaybartour.com and has been the leading LGBTQ+ travel and lifestyle authority in Puerto Vallarta since 2005. With over two decades of local expertise, Wilson specializes in being a community advocate and leader for Puerto Vallarta , and local cultural insights that only a long-term resident can provide. He has dedicated 20+ years to advocating for safe, inclusive travel in Banderas Bay, establishing GAYPV as the region's most trusted resident insider.. His work has been cited by major travel publications, and he is widely recognized as a trusted insider voice on Puerto Vallarta’s vibrant LGBTQ+ scene.
