South Beach or SoBe is the heart of Gay Miami. The gayborhood is flanked by the ocean on one side and a rainbow of pastel-colored hotels, restaurants and bars on the other side. South Beach is home to the largest concentration of gay-friendly businesses and hotels, and is the hotspot for nightlife and fabulous dining. Swanky meets sexy on the sun-splashed playground.

Coconut Grove was once the epicenter of gay and lesbian life in South Florida, before South Beach took the wheel. The neighborhood still maintains its reputation as a gay-friendly area of Miami just 10 minutes South of downtown on Biscayne Bay. Coconut Grove is home to the famous Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, which hosts November’s White Party, the hottest gay event around. (Side note: Madonna called this pocket of Miami home for many years.)

Coral Gables, while not nearly as gay-centric as South Beach, is a cute neighborhood with trendy restaurants, shops and a couple of lesbian and gay nightclubs. Ladies, check out Bohemio Club which is known as a “Latin nightclub for women and the women who love them.”

In South Beach, the gay beach is located between 12th Street and Ocean Drive. Just look for the rainbow flags. This strip of sand is dominated by gay men, who come here to see, be seen and catch up on gossip from the night before.

There also is a nudist beach at the North end of Haulover Beach, which is situated between Sunny Isles Beach and Bal Harbor. Gays seem to hang out more at the northern end of the nudist area.