Gay travel guide
Miami Gay Guide: South Beach Bars, the Gay Beach & Where to Stay
Miami's gay scene is more concentrated than people expect. Stay in the right ten blocks of South Beach and you can walk to all of it.
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Where to Stay in Miami
Stay anywhere between 10th and 15th Street near Washington or Ocean Drive and everything below is a ten-minute walk.
The Gaythering
1409 Lincoln Rd
LGBTQ-owned, adults-only, on Lincoln Road, with its own sauna, hot tub and bar downstairs. It's the only actual gay hotel in Miami and it's the easy answer.
Gay hotelAdults onlySauna
Miami Gay Bars & Clubs
Twist
1057 Washington Ave
The best bar in Miami and it isn't close. Two floors, seven bars, three dance floors, no cover ever, open daily until 5am.
Best night: Saturday is the peak; Thursday is Latin night
No coverDancingLate nightPalace
1052 Ocean Dr
There since 1988, does drag right on the sidewalk, across from the gay beach. Touristy, iconic, worth it once.
DragIconicBeachfrontBar Gaythering
1409 Lincoln Rd
Where the locals actually drink. Trivia, bingo, Drag Race viewing, Sunday T-dance.
Best night: Sunday T-dance
LocalsTriviaT-danceR House
2727 NW 2nd Ave, Wynwood
Gay-owned restaurant that turns into a serious drag venue, and the best food of anywhere on this list.
DragBest foodAzucar
2301 SW 32nd Ave
The main Latino LGBTQ+ club. Reggaeton, salsa, drag, no tourists.
LatinoReggaetonNo tourists
The Miami Gay Beach
12th Street, off Ocean Drive between 11th and 12th, marked by the rainbow lifeguard tower. Directly across from Palace and two blocks from Twist, which is why everything clusters there. For clothing-optional, Haulover is 20 minutes north, and the gay crowd is at the north end.
Miami Drag Brunch
Palace runs it basically daily with bottomless mimosas and queens performing in the street. R House Saturday and Sunday is the better meal.
Miami Beach Pride 2027
April 9 to 11, 2027. Parade Sunday April 11 at noon on Ocean Drive.
Winter Party Festival: March 5 to 8, 2027.
Your questions
What is the best gay bar in Miami?
Twist at 1057 Washington Ave, and it isn't close. Two floors, seven bars, three dance floors, no cover ever, and it's open daily until 5am, with Saturday as the peak night.
Where is the gay beach in Miami?
12th Street, off Ocean Drive between 11th and 12th, marked by the rainbow lifeguard tower. For clothing-optional, Haulover is 20 minutes north and the gay crowd is at the north end.
Where should gay travelers stay in Miami?
The Gaythering on Lincoln Road is the only actual gay hotel in Miami: LGBTQ-owned, adults-only, with a sauna, hot tub and bar downstairs. Otherwise stay between 10th and 15th Street near Washington or Ocean Drive and everything is a ten-minute walk.
When is Miami Beach Pride 2027?
April 9 to 11, 2027, with the parade on Sunday April 11 at noon on Ocean Drive. Winter Party Festival runs March 5 to 8, 2027.
What the Locals Say
What people told us on camera about Miami Beach, Florida, plus approved reader recommendations. Nothing pulled from review sites.
Street interview quotes are being added here as the clips go up. Reader recommendations appear here once they are reviewed.
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