Madrid

Best of Gay Spain – The Globetrotter Guys

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Gay Spain - The Globetrotter Guys

As a gay couple, Spain is our number one country in the world to travel to. We have visited and lived in gay Spain and the level of comfort as a same-sex couple has consistently been incredible. We have never felt discriminated against, never felt uncomfortable and never had to second guess ourselves no matter where we have travelled to – for us, this is a priceless feeling.

In 2018 we lived in Madrid, Barcelona was one of our very first holidays together 10 years ago, Sitges is one of the best prides we have been to and we have been to Gran Canaria more than 7 times – this country has a special place in our hearts. There is an inherent feeling of safety, acceptance and normality when it comes to being gay here.

In our ‘Best of Gay Spain Guide’ we want to celebrate all the amazing destinations we have travelled to and share our best recommendations with you. First, let’s take a quick look at gay rights for some context:

Gay Spain: Rights and Culture

When it comes to LGBTQ rights in Spain, these are all very positive. Same-sex intercourse has been legal here since 1979, unsurprisingly this happened the year after democracy came to this country and they said good riddance to their dictator Franco. It was also the third country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage in 2005 and discrimination protections run nationwide.

Full Story at The Globetrotter Guys

Gay Spain Travel Resources

Gay Spain – The Best Things to See and Do – The Globetrotter Guys

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Gay Spain - The Globetrotter Guys

As a gay couple, Spain is our number one country in the world to travel to. We have visited and lived in Gay Spain and the level of comfort has consistently been incredible. We have never felt discriminated against, never felt uncomfortable and never had to second guess ourselves no matter where we have travelled to – for us, this is a priceless feeling.

In 2018 we lived in Madrid, Barcelona was one of our very first holidays together 10 years ago, Sitges is one of the best prides we have been to and we have been to Gran Canaria more than 7 times – this place has a special place in our hearts. There is an inherent feeling of safety, acceptance and normality when it comes to being yourself in this friendly country.

In our ‘Best of Gay Spain Guide’ we want to celebrate all the amazing destinations we have travelled to and share our best recommendations with you. First, let’s take a quick look at gay rights in Spain for some context:

Gay Spain: Rights and Culture

When it comes to gay rights, these are all very positive. Same-sex intercourse has been legal since 1979, unsurprisingly this happened the year after democracy came to Spain and they said good riddance to their dictator Franco.

Spain was also the third country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage in 2005 and discrimination protections run nationwide. The laws here are also reflected in the culture of the people. In most destinations we felt that no one even noticed we were a gay couple – it was simply by the by.

Full Story at The Globetrotter Guys

Gay Spain Travel Resources

Gay Friendly Madrid Hotels – The Globetrotter Guys

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Axel Hotel Madrid - The Globetrotter Guys

Madrid is well known for being a beautiful and open city and you will easily find gay friendly Madrid hotels. It’s a bit odd to need to talk about being gay friendly in Madrid and we would use the term quite loosely here.

The city is so open and such a safe haven for gay travellers that we can say with confidence that pretty much all hotels will welcome all types of traveller without batting an eyelid.

It feels like asking the question ‘is your hotel gay friendly‘ is a bit redundant in Madrid and you would probably get some quizzical looks for asking – it feels ingrained in the culture here.

However, there are always hotels that are naturally more popular with the gay community, whether because of their brand or by their proximity to the gay area of Madrid.

We have focused on hotels that are in close proximity to the city centre and Chueca (the gay district). Here is our shortlist of gay friendly and gay hotels in Madrid to book for your next trip:

Axel Hotel Madrid – Adults Only

If you are looking for a hotel that falls in the category of ‘gay hotel’ then look no further. Having stayed at Axel Hotels in Berlin and Gran Canaria this would be our first choice, especially since it is specifically aimed at gay travellers and brands itself as ‘hetero-friendly’. The rooms are stylishly decorated, insta-worthy and come with the very cheeky ‘do disturb’ signs if you want to hang them on your doors!

Full Story at The Globetrotter Guys

Madrid Gay Travel Resources

Gay Madrid – The Globetrotter Guys

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Gay madrid - Checa - The Globetrotter Guys

The main gay area in Madrid is called Chueca and is named after Federico Chueca who could be considered Madrid’s first gay icon.

The area spans about 1km north of Gran Via (one of the main streets) and east to west between Calle Hortaleza and Paseo de Recoletos. The main bulk of gay bars in Chueca are found within ten minutes walking distance of Plaza De Chueca – where the metro station is found.

Chueca is walkable from the ‘city centre’ (Plaza Del Sol) or just a couple of metro stops. It is obvious you have arrived in the gay area given that the walls of the metro station in Chueca are painted floor to ceiling in rainbows!

Related: Madrid Gay Bars

What will you find in Chueca?

Being the main gay area in Madrid, Chueca is home to the majority of the gay bars and clubs(20+), many gay oriented shops, coffee shops, cafes, restaurants, gay saunas and cruising clubs. There is plenty to do to keep you busy!

It is also where you will find one of the many main stages and performance areas during Madrid Pride as Chueca becomes the focal point of the city and a vibrant hub of activity during this time.

Full Story at The Globetrotter Guys

Madrid Gay Travel Resources

Madrid Gay Shopping – The Globetrotter Guys

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Addicted & ES Madrid

When it comes to gay shops in Madrid, the majority are focused on clothing and apparel showcasing some of the best gay clothing brands around such as Addicted and ES Collection.

Madrid’s gay scene is unapologetically sexualised, so it’s no surprise that these shops reflect that scene. The list gay shops in Madrid below focuses on shops found in the gay area of Madrid, Chueca. This is also where you will find the majority of the gay bars and clubs in Madrid.

It is definitely worth checking out these gay shops and picking up some new gear when visiting Madrid, we don’t have many of these shops on offer at home in the UK!

Gay Shops in Madrid

One of our favourite brands for swimwear, Addicted and ES Collection are both high quality Spanish brands. The shops sells everything from underwear, to swimwear, t-shirts, vests/tanks, shorts, jeans, sports gear and Addicted now also has a fetish collection.

Full Story at The Globetrotter Guys

Madrid Gay Travel Resources

Gay Spain – The Best Gay Cities – The Nomadic Boys

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BLOG - Gay Spain - The Best Gay Cities - The Nomadic Boys

Madrid Pride…Barcelona Circuit…Sitges gay nude beaches…Gran Canaria Yumbo Centre…a mere humble sprinkling of gay highlights happening across Spain each year!

We’ve been coming to Spain religiously every year since we came out as baby gays. We love it here. Not only is it one of the most gay friendly countries in the world, but there is always a fantastic party taking place across all the major cities and islands. Spain also has some of the world’s most famous gay parties like Madrid Pride (one of the largest Pride events in the world) and Barcelona’s Circuit Party (the biggest international gay festival in the world).

Whilst Spain hosts some of the best mega parties on our planet, what we also love about the country is the variety of different events on offer. So whilst the muscle boys will thrive at the Circuit parties, bear gays and their fans are also spoilt for choice in Spain. The country has some of the biggest and best bear events, in particular, the Bear Carnival in Gran Canaria every March, and the Sitges Bear Week every September.

In short, the Spanish know how to throw a decent party…especially a gay party! These are some of the best places in Spain to check out for gay events and parties:

Madrid

The Spanish capital is famous for being the best gay city for partying in Spain. We love visiting Madrid, whether it’s for Pride, or just an ad hoc weekend of partying. Either way, we know that a visit here is always going to be a lot of fun.

The Madrid Pride (“Orgullo Gay de Madrid”) takes place every year in June/July, and it is huge. It is not only one of the best Pride events in the world but also one of the largest. Every year, around 3-4 million people descent on the Spanish capital from all around the world. We absolutely love it because as well as guaranteed beautiful weather (remember to pack plenty of sunblock cream!), the entire city gets involved and it becomes one giant rainbow street party. The focal point is around the gay neighbourhood in Chueca, where the bars spill out into the streets, and free outdoor concerts take place.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Spain Gay Travel Resources