May/June 2005 | Travel Queeries

Q I’ve just started learning Spanish, and I want to go abroad to Spain or a Latin American country to study at a language school. Are there any companies that organize gay (or at least gay-friendly) Spanish language holidays?
SCOTT ELLIS, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England

A Based in Nerja, just across from Morocco on Spain’s southern Andalusian coast, gay-run Quorum (011-34-95-252-3788) offers one- to 24-week Spanish courses starting every week throughout the year. Cooking and flamenco classes, weekend excursions, and lodging options are available. Closer to home, the gay-owned Todos Santos Inn (011-52-612-145-0040), a traditional hacienda nestled in the quaint colonial Baja town of Todos Santos, Mexico, offers a basic 10-hour beginner program. The bohemian town of Cuernavaca, an hour south of Mexico City, is home to a plethora of Spanish-language schools, including Cetlalic (011-52-7-313-2637), which offers queer-only language weeks and home-stay options for gay and lesbian students. In Costa Rica the gay-owned and -operated Arco Iris Spanish School (011-506-686-6948) offers one- to four-week classes in the affluent Rohrmoser neighborhood of San José. Its Partners in Learning program hooks you up with a Costa Rican outside the classroom for practice in everyday situations. Buena suerte!

Q This summer I’m moving my long-distance girlfriend (and Pete, her 160-pound rottweiler) from Tampa, Fla., to my home in the Rockies. Any tips on traveling on long road trips with pets—and new girlfriends?
DANIELLE DARBO, Boulder, Colo

A Have your new belle shuttle Pete around on short day-trips to get him used to the car. Plan pit stops at least every two hours and always leash him when you get out of the car. You can search over 30,000 pet-friendly accommodations at Pets on the Go and also on the online hotel databases at Travel Pets and Pets Welcome. Another option: Ship Pete cross-country! Pet Air and Pet Transporter offer affordable and humane pet-shipping services. As for the girlfriend, you’re on your own!

Q My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Cancún or the Maya Riviera on the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. Can you recommend any gay-friendly resorts?
BLAIN WRIGHT, Newark, Del.

A We recommend the Maya Riviera rather than Cancún, the latter being home to lots of cement buildings and rowdy spring-breakers. The Maya Riviera is the name of the coastline south of Cancún that stretches for about two hours’ drive to the dramatic Mayan ruins of Tulúm, perched high on a seaside cliff. Large luxury resorts are popping up along the Maya Riviera, but there are also a number of smaller, gay-owned properties. Try the spiffy 30-room Aventura Mexicana Hotel (Avenida 10 at Calle 22, Playa del Carmen; 011-52-984-873-1876), a gay-owned lodge near the beach with a poolside restaurant under a thatched roof, two Jacuzzis, and rooms starting at just $44. Splurge on the junior suite with private terrace for $135! Also, the gay-owned Casa de los Amigos is a private villa on the Isla Mujeres right off the coast. It’s a clean stucco structure with a rooftop patio and full amenities, for $330 a week.

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