Latinx Travel Writers and Content Creators You Should Be Following
In honor of Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15), Vacationer wanted to take a moment to acknowledge all the amazing queer Latinx travel writers, content creators, and influencers living their best lives and inspiring us and thousands of other LGBTQ+ folx with their wanderlust and passion for exploration.
We understand that capturing the Latinx perspective with regard to travel is a difficult thing. Latinx is a term designed to cover so many countries and cultures that may only share the Spanish language as a point of commonality. People in my homeland of Puerto Rico, for instance, do not have the same point of reference as those from Ecuador or Mexico for example. So, for this article, we tried to reach out to as many creators with ancestry that reaches back into as many Latinx cultural backgrounds as possible, and still, we realize this list won’t capture every perspective. Vacationer embraces diversity so let us know your favorite LGBTQ+ Latinx travel-related content creators who we may have missed.
That being said, here is our roundup of queer Latinx travel experts you should be following right now!
Jamie Valentino
Jamie Valentino is an accomplished travel writer and sex/ relationship columnist. Originally hailing from Bogota, Colombia, he grew up in Miami, then spent a good chunk of time in New York but is now, quite literally, a citizen of the world.
“I typically travel to new cities for a month or more at a time. In the past couple of years, I’ve lived in Tulum, Luzern, Milan, Barcelona, and Guadalajara. Currently, I reside in Medellin. I’ve been able to submerge myself in local culture while maintaining a healthy mix of spontaneous and planned adventures.”
When asked why he’s dedicated his life to traveling he said:
“Moving to new cities is like a constant metamorphosis of who I am. This growth occurs in your self-esteem and fearlessness that builds up inside you. In my early twenties, I always said I refused to live anywhere besides New York – and I’ve felt power realizing that I can be happy in plenty of cities. I’ve made some of my current closest friends in my travels. There’s so much to see and discover; when you open yourself up to the world, you can’t even imagine the experiences.”
Valentino has documented his metamorphosis in a memoir anthology which he has nearly finished writing. Excerpts from it have already been published in Vice, Elite Daily, Canada’s Xtra Magazine, and Australia’s CH-Void. He has also been curating Q.Digital’s 2022 Pride in Places series for GayCities and has been working on features for Business Insider, Queerty, and Giddy.
Learn more about Jamie on Instagram and his website jamievalentino.com.
Liz and Adrienne
This married couple has been documenting their adventures in travel for years on their Instagram page @amorandadventure.
Liz, an artist, was born in Mexico and immigrated to the USA at 25 years of age. Adrienne, a doctor, is a California native and the daughter of a Chilean immigrant. They speak “Spanglish” as their primary language.
Utilizing a travel style that is a mix of both organized and spontaneous, the two have explored many places in North America, Central America, the Caribbean, Greece, and their favorite destination, Vietnam. “We love pho and cave exploring. We loved the freedom of renting scooters and driving around rural Vietnam. Everyone we met was very kind.”
When asked about concerns over the travel industry the pair said:
“We hope that traveling becomes more inclusive to women, Latinx travelers, and LGBTQ+ people. We hope that our visibility on social media will help other Latinx LGBTQ+ travelers explore the world and increase acceptance of people like us. “
Paul Rubio
Paul Rubio is a first-generation American with Cuban roots on his father’s side and Ukrainian roots on his mother’s side. Having already traveled to 133 countries, Paul considers Ecuador and the countries of East Africa amongst his favorite travel destinations. In fact, he’s previously lived in Africa and continues to return there one month annually.
Paul’s fascination with Africa began at a young age. Already an avid reader at 5 years old, he had subscriptions to nature magazines which fueled his imagination and wanderlust. “I was so obsessed with exotic wildlife and the fascinating places these creatures called home. I knew then that I wanted to travel the world and was already planning my first trip to Kenya at age 5, which came to fruition when I turned 20 through a scholarship.”
A Harvard graduate with a Master of Public Administration and a Master of Economics, Paul traded in left-brained austerity for right-brained creativity in 2008, embracing his passion for travel writing full-time.
“I’m proud to see my byline regularly in Condé Nast Traveler and to be on the masthead at AFAR. Both outlets allow me to travel in search of the world’s most authentic and exciting experiences and write about it.”
Since becoming a full-time writer, he’s won 25 national awards for both his writing and photography. Paul is also an active member of The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the North American Travel Journalist Association (NATJA).
You can learn more about Paul’s work and travels by following him on Instagram and checking out paultheprotraveler.com.
Vivian Perez
Co-founder and CEO of Ladies Touch Entertainment & Travel, Vivian Perez is a travel expert that has put her knowledge to great use. With her ancestry rooted in the Dominican Republic, this former New Yorker is now operating her business out of Sacramento.
Ladies Touch has been around since 2006 and was started due to a lack that Vivian found in the travel industry. “Travel was not what I thought I’d be dedicating my life to, but I saw such a need for an LGBTQ Women’s Travel group, especially for women of color, so I decided to give it a try. That first trip turned into us managing over 12 group trips a year.”
When asked what the travel industry could do better she said:
“The travel industry has to advertise as well as market, to Latino travelers. Include us in your marketing materials, make us visible, etc. A lot of Latino travelers follow and attend our [Ladies Touch] trips because they see people like themselves in our marketing- whether it be flyers, videos, or posts… If you want more Latinos simply show us more in your materials.”
Vivian added that she is happy to fill this gap in the industry because through arranging travel, she has seen people meet their life partners and best friends, so she will continue to dedicate her life to creating spaces for our community around the world.
One of the places Vivian has helped create space in is Puerto Vallarta, where Ladies Touch Events officially kicked off Lesbian Pride this year with attendees streaming in from around the globe. Puerto Vallarta is not a place known for a big queer women’s community but hopefully, that will now change.
Next year Vivian and Ladies Touch will go to Cape Town, Puerto Vallarta, Cartagena, Curacao, Greece, Egypt, and South Africa. Details will be posted on their website in the coming weeks.
Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
Lola Anna Méndez
Lola Anna Méndez‘s work has been published in USA Today, The Washington Post, Fodor’s, and CNN Traveler, amongst several others. She is also a prior Vacationer of the Week.
When asked what informs her love of travel Lola said: “I often say that I’m traveling the world to form my own worldview and develop an understanding of the globe’s many cultures. I’m deeply influenced by the places I visit. I learn things daily from people who are generous enough to share their way of life with me. I adopt the things that improve my life—mostly in the sustainability space.”
When quizzed on her favorite destinations she said that she’s loved all 77 countries she’s had the pleasure of seeing but if forced to pick it would be: “India for food, Thailand for culture, Antarctica for nature, Morocco for architecture, Indonesia for waterfalls, and Rwanda for wildlife.”
Currently, Lola is working on a travel guide to Montevideo, Uruguay, for Lonely Planet, a project she is quite proud of and grateful for given her background as an Uruguayan-American with Charrúa ancestry.
Be sure to check out her website missfilatelista.com and follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
H Luiz Martinez
H Luiz Martinez is the founder of Eat Your Colors, a free culinary travel magazine that he shares on his website.
“Travel is a great way to experience cultures outside of one’s own,” said Martinez, “I always say that if you want to get to know a culture, expeditiously- eat their food.”
The Dominican Republic and Mexico are destinations H Luiz frequents the most when vacationing and he traces his ancestry to Puerto Rico, Sicily and Brazil.
When asked about the inclusivity of the travel industry to queer and Latinx people, the culinary traveler had a different take:
“I believe that the travel industry is inclusive of our Queer and Hispanic Communities. As of 2020, U.S. Hispanics travel 2-3 times more a year than non-Hispanics do and spend an average of $300 or more per person. Latinos and Hispanics also have strong ties to where their ancestors came from, so the desire to visit those places is strong. The airline industry has that information and so a lot of marketing goes into the Hispanic Communities.”
He continued “As far as Queer Communities, PINK Dollars still rule. I’ve seen it with my own eyes for the past 30 years. Even in homophobic countries, where Queer native citizens are often vilified and marginalized, there is great care in treating Queer Tourists with the utmost respect in the travel industry (hotels, resorts, restaurants, adventure tours)- at least to their face. Money still rules and Pink Dollars are at the top.”
Up next for Martinez are more “H. Luiz Gastro Tours” and “H. Luiz Holiday” Tours which you can read all about in Eat Your Colors.
Be sure to follow him on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
Diane Rodriguez
Diane Rodriguez is a trailblazing trans activist and politician from Ecuador. She served as an alternate member of the National Assembly of Ecuador from 2017 to 2021 and is the transgender chair of the Silhouette X Association, an organization that coordinates and manages actions in pursuit of equality and social tolerance toward LGBTI individuals in Ecuador.
Diana has also extended her advocacy work into the travel industry: “ In 2021 we launched Proud Destinations from the Ecuadorian LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, a space that seeks to identify tourist spaces in Ecuador where LGBTI people will not suffer discrimination. So far we have identified: Montañita, the Galapagos Islands, and Mindo as inclusive places with tourism diversity.”
Diane and her partner, a transman, started a family together and so they are in a unique position to see the gaps and areas of improvement available to the travel industry. When asked how hotels, airlines, and companies could improve with regard to trans people and families she said:
“The education of staff about trans families, the availability of non-binary bathrooms, using appropriate names and pronouns of the trans person, among others, are fundamental elements to achieve inclusivity for trans people.”
She also recommended that these institutions seek advice from local LGBT Chambers of Commerce and Tourism otherwise they are “bound to fall short of meeting the needs of trans people.”
You can find out more about this visionary on her website dianerodriguez.net and you can follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
