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The historic center of Guadalajara has lots of big open public spaces and pedestrianized streets which make for great people watching. In the evenings, the pace slows down but the crowds remain so there is almost a carnival-like atmosphere. Photo by Doug Dosdall

Jalisco state has several great destinations for LGBT travelers to explore so we've split up our destination pages into the following:

• Guadalajara - Mexico's second city rivals even the capital for gay life and entertainment.

• Puerto Vallarta - The beach resort famous for its gay nightlife and gay beach.

• Ajijic and Lake Chapala - An emerging spot popular with LGBT artists and retirees.

• Costalegre - laid back beach towns south of Puerto Vallarta don't have gay nightlife but offer gay friendly tranquil getaways.

• The Rest of Jalisco - don't forget the rest of the state, small colonial towns with history

And if you're looking for a quieter but very gay friendly getaway, you might consider the Nayarit Rivierra, the string of smaller beach towns such as Sayulita in Nayarit state north of Puerto Vallarta.