Yes we are at the start of the cold season in the Northern Hemisphere, and it is so freezing that a getaway to the warm countries is in order soon… where should we go?
To welcome 2017 in the way it deserves, I prepared a selection of my favorite hot spots to visit this long gay winter season: 5 places around 3 continents. Plenty of options for everybody!
Here are the Scruffy suggestions for the best holidays in this very happy new Gay Year!
Gay Winter Holidays: Gran Canaria
There is only one place in Europe, very convenient and affordable, where is Summer all year around: it is Gran Canaria!
You know I love Maspalomas Beach very much: the perfect place for a dip in the Ocean any time of the year. The Yumbo Center oganizes a great New Year’s Party, and in general all winter is packed with people escaping the cold season from Northern Europe.
If you are looking for a bit of gay winter action Gran Canaria is definitely the best option. Between February and March the island of Gran Canaria is the stage of a few big events: The Carnival of the city capital of the island, Las Palmas Carnival, Maspalomas EuroCarnival which takes place in the Yumbo Center, Maspalomas Bear Carnival Immediately after… so many events, so much fun! Check out the Scruffy Guide to Maspalomas to find out more about Gran Canaria and its gay life!
By Sergio Scardia – Full Story at The Scruffy Italian Traveller
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Gran Canaria is a notorious gay destination in Europe, specifically in Playa del Ingles in the South. The island has always been a beacon of tolerance whilst in the olden days, mainland Spain used to have an extremely hostile conservative attitude led by the Catholic Church. The Canary Islands were a popular place to exile people who broke social rules and thought differently.
During the harsh, repressive Franco years, Gran Canaria was too far away from the mainland to bother with, so they turned a blind eye to homosexuality there. From the 1960s, tourism really started to take off, attracting more and more foreigners and therefore even more tolerant attitudes.
Today, the island is a playground for the gay boys, particularly in the famous Yumbo Centre a shopping mall in Playa del Ingles full of mainly gay bars, clubs and boutique Clone Zone type shops. Theres so many gay hangouts in Yumbo Centre to choose from, we’ve sifted through some of our favourites in our gay guide to the best gay bars, clubs and events in Gran Canaria.
The Canary Islands are renowned for the many pride events, carnivals and orgies of colour that take place throughout the year. Some of the most colourful of all include Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas in Gran Canaria in February, offering up the sort of atmosphere that can rival Rio along with some mind blowing drag queen competitions.
We love our carnival party fun atmosphere and after the Lou Queernaval in Nice, we were keen to discover more, but Spanish style.
THE CARNIVAL OF LAS PALMAS
Drag queen fever has taken over the world, especially since THAT iconic Miley Cyrus VMA performance. The Drag Queen show at the Las Palmas Carnival in Gran Canaria includes spectacular performances from drag queens drenched in glitter, OTT lipstick, fabulous platform heels and some of the best lip syncs you’ll ever see.
When we told our friends we were going to Gran Canaria for a summer break, the reaction went along the lines of…
“You’d better return with plenty of STDs otherwise it NEVER happened!”
OR:
“Oh yeah Gran Canaria… one of my mates came back absolutely RUINED – literally: he got pissed with a few blokes he met in the sand dunes and ended up spending the entire night there!”
Gran Canaria certainly has a fierce reputation and is hugely popular with the gay boy party crowd.
And for good reason: Maspaloma Pride is one of Europe’s largest annual gay events. The beach near the sand dunes of Playa del Ingles is THE place to hang out during the day and then it’s on to the infamous Yumbo Centre in the evening – a shopping mall gay playground filled with bars, clubs and Clone Zone type shops.
However, there is a completely different side to the island, begging to be discovered. Most will base themselves in Playa del Ingles and not make it past Yumbo or the sand dunes. So here’s our 5 things you didn’t know about Gran Canaria to inspire you to venture out beyond the pink Playa Del Ingles bubble.
With its year-round temperate weather, there’s never a bad time to visit the gayest Canary Island of them all: Gran Canaria. Known around the world for its rugged landscape and the friendliness of its locals, the destination – which covers a landmass of just 1,560km squared – is most famed for its paradise-like beaches.
Here, we look at five of the best – from the gay beach on the doorstep of the island’s most buzzing town, Maspalomas, to the secluded nude beaches favoured by locals…
Playa de Montana Arena
Its name translates to ‘Sand Mountain’ because of the large mound overlooking it, offering unrivalled privacy and isolation. It draws a varied crowd and is favoured by many local LGTBIs living in the south. About half the people who go to this beach sunbathe in the nude.