For a long time I think St Martin, the french side, was the winner hands down. We’ve been going there for years. The last two times however it felt like the island has been kinda discovered and more crowded with stereotypical tourist types that don’t attempt to mesh with the destinations norms. It’s still a great destination but I’m wondering if people think other destinations have become more relaxed with respect to men in thongs the past couple of years?
I’m looking for people’s experiences and assessment of acceptance from recent trips. For the sake of this thread, leave out experiences from walled-off all-inclusives, as each one kinda has their own norms and it’s rarely a good representation of the destination as a whole. Also we prefer to wander and explore.
I’ve travelled to San Juan three times in two years. Main reason is it’s still a US region. Second is close proximity. I wear thongs with no issues at airbnb pools and the beaches. Old San Juan at night on Fridays and Saturdays is such a fun place to have dinner and drinks and talk to locals. I plan on visiting more of the islands, likely west area Cabo Rojo and go to the natural pools. Thongs are normal there. Many women wear them and have seen a few males wear them aside from myself
I will second the Puerto Rico vote. It’s a great place. Thongs are everywhere on the island with the women. I’ve seen a few men wearing thongs as well. I’ve been everywhere,
To every city in Puerto Rico and never had an incident about my thong wearing. It’s great!
Definitely watching this thread because I’m considering the Dominican Republic. I’ve gotten mixed reviews from friends, mostly to stay at an all inclusive and set my expectations low for the food quality.
We’ve got a history of travel to St. Martin going back to 1990, always staying at Club Orient. Going nude on the beach and wearing thongs or g-strings at the restaurants and shops on the textile section of Orient Beach. Well over a dozen trips mostly in late spring. We’re headed down in November for the first time. We’ll be keeping everyone posted.
The French Caribbean (St Bart, Martinique, Guadeloupe) have always been friendly to thongs and topless swimming and sunbathing for me and my GF. Puerto Rico was thong-friendly for both of us as well.
My wife and I have had the chance to travel to the Caribbean and, especially, Mexico, several times. At all the places I mention below, she’s been able to wear sheer thongs, string monokinis, or translucent micro G-strings without any issues. At most of these places, you’ll usually see women wearing thongs, and my wife is usually the one wearing the tiniest swimsuit, but it’s never been a problem. The same goes for the resorts. I usually wear square-cut Speedos, which is what she likes the most.
Mexico:
Riviera Maya: Tulum, Playa del Carmen — even going topless is no problem here. As for adults-only resorts: Breathless Riviera Maya, Temptation, Yucatan Princess.
Zipolite–Mazunte: There’s even a nude beach, with a laid-back, artsy/hippie vibe.
Cabo–La Paz: There are tons of secluded beaches where you can basically have your own private nude beach without any problem. It’s not officially legal, but when there’s no one around, it’s not really an issue.
Caribbean and other places:
Dominican Republic: We prefer Samaná over Punta Cana — more nature and no problems with what she wears.
Costa Rica: Same as Cabo — you can find plenty of secluded beaches. Our favorites are the ones around Guanacaste and Uvita.
Puerto Rico: Vieques is spectacular — there are beaches with hardly anyone around and tons of nature. Cabo Rojo, on the west side of the island, is another great option.
My other post covers it but Puerto Vallarta is one of the most Thong Friendly locations in Mexico as one specific pocket caters to the LQBTQ crowd. It is friendly for all and both m/f can wears thongs without hesitation. The sand and water isn’t like more tropical locations but the vibe makes up for it!
I’m not sure what time-frame is recent for this post. I’ve traveled to many locations in the past 10 years in the Caribbean and countries near Mexico. Turks & Caicos, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Thomas, St. Johns, Eleuthera, Belize, Costa Rica are all places in that region I’ve traveled to. My wife and I wore thongs nearly 100% of the time when going to the beach and never had issues with anyone. We stay at VRBOs and beach hop around the islands when we travel. We tend to avoid the highly crowded areas on a beach simply because we are there to relax and don’t want to be around crowds. I’ve seen more women wearing thongs in the past few years when we travel. In all that time I have not seen another man in a thong in any of these destinations. I’ve had locals and other travelers talk to me while I’m on the beach wearing a thong and not one time have I ever received a negative comment. The only time I saw another man wearing a thong was a few years ago when I was at a beach in Lake Havasu, Arizona. Thong away, be the trend setter! You only live once.