Spain

Barcelona Gay Bars – The Nomadic Boys

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Having been the birthplace of the LGBTQ movement in Spain, Barcelona is a hot favourite for gay travellers moving across Europe. It has a rich history, fabulous sights, a gorgeous beach and a super hot nightlife at all the Barcelona gay bars.

There is so much variety across the city for when you’re hitting the town. You don’t even need to be the biggest party animal. You can be fairly chilled and still find a comfy corner to spend the evening. Bear in mind, the Spanish do things quite late, so if you’re planning an evening out and about, be sure to factor in an afternoon dolly nap siesta!

This is our comprehensive guide to the best gay bars in Barcelona, which you can see there are plenty to choose from!

Where is the gay neighbourhood of Barcelona?

Tucked into the centre of the Eixample district is the glowing “Gaixample” (pronounced gay-sham-ple) gay neighbourhood of Barcelona. This is where most of the gay bars of Barcelona can be found. The area is more specifically defined as being between Carrer de Balmes, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, Carrer del Comte d’Urgell and Carrer d’Aragó.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Barcelona Gay Travel Resources

Barcelona’s Gay Beaches – The Globetrotter Guys

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Barcelona is widely known as one of the most gay-friendly cities in Europe, attracting tens of thousands of LGBT tourists every year. Given its coastal location and year-round climate, its hardly surprising that out of 4km of beaches, more than one has become known as ‘Barcelonas gay beach.’

In fact, both gay locals and tourists to Barcelona are spoilt for choice. Barcelona has no less than 3 gay beaches (with one being very long and technically three in one!). Barcelona’s gay beaches have also been deemed blue flag beaches, awarded for their high levels of cleanliness, environmental standards, safety and facilities.

One of the biggest selling points is how easily accessible the gay beaches are, right on the city’s doorstep. You can easily reach the gay beaches in Barcelona using the cheap public transport regardless of the neighbourhood you are staying in. In fact, one of the things that we loved most when we visited was that we didn’t have to choose between a city sightseeing break or a beach holiday – Barcelona combines the best of both!

Barcelona’s Gay Beaches

Out of the 3 gay beaches in Barcelona, 2 have become more officially known as ‘gay beaches’. The third is still a very popular choice for both gay locals and tourists, so for the sake of this article we will include it in our list as an ‘unofficial gay beach.’

Barcelona’s Gay Beaches #1 – Mar Bella

Mar Bella is known as THE gay beach of Barcelona and is most definitely the go-to choice of both the local LGBT community and visitors. Mar Bella is a little bit further from the city centre than the other beaches, which is possibly why it has become one of Barcelonas only nudist beaches. Being a nudist beach is probably why it has also become the popular gay beach too!

By Sion & Ben – Full Story at the Globtrotter Guys

Barcelona Gay Travel Resources

Barcelona Gay Shopping – The Nomadic Boys

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If you go to a city like Barcelona and don’t overdo it with shopping, did you even really go on holiday? We sometimes bring an extra suitcase with us just so we can fill it up with all the new clothes, art pieces and *cough* toys we find along the way!

The Barcelona gay shopping scene is fantastic for gay shops, with loads of different options. Whether you want to buy new speedos, harnesses, a few tank tops, or just something for a quick jerk-off(!), there’s always plenty to discover.

Sure, sex shops can seem quite intimidating from the outside, but hey, we’re all human. We all have desires, and these places are committed to helping you fulfil them. So shop til you drop using our guide to the best gay shops in Barcelona.

Gaixample, Heart of the Barcelona Gay Shopping Scene

The gay village of Barcelona is located in the large residential Eixample neighbourhood, bordered by the following streets: Carrer de Balmes, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, Carrer del Comte d’Urgell and Carrer d’Aragó. This section of Eixample is nicknamed, “Gaixample” (pronounced “gai-sham-ple”). Read more about the gay scene in our comprehensive gay guide to Barcelona.

To get our bearings, we always look for the main Axel Hotel which is right in the heart of Gaixample, then work things out from there. Most of the shops in this guide are located in and around Gaixample. You could also orientate yourself on one of these gay tours of Barcelona!

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Barcelona Gay Travel Resources

Gay Sitges – The Nomadic Boys

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New York City may have Fire Island, but Barcelona has Sitges!

Sitges is a charming gay seaside town located around 40km (25miles) south from Barcelona. It has many antique shops, bespoke coffee shops, tapas bars and lots of queer hangouts. Located in the Catalonian region, it’s a delicious mix of the refreshing sea air, coastal scenery and local spirit, with modernist touches.

Did we also mention that Sitges is all about beaches, beaches and more beaches?! The town has gay beaches, nude beaches, gay AND nude beaches aplenty! For such a small town (population is less than 30,000) Sitges not only has a large LGBTQ community living here, it receives thousands of gay tourists each year. This is one of many reasons why we rate it as one of our top destinations in Europe. Whether you come here for your holiday or visit as part of a day trip from Barcelona, Sitges is one gay mecca you cannot miss!

This is our comprehensive gay travel guide of Sitges – a place we think is easily one of the most gay friendly travel destinations in the world.

So just how gay is Sitges?

Sitges is leading the pack in terms of its attitudes towards the LGBTQ community. Whilst Spain is already one of the gayest countries in the world, being one of the first places in the world to legalise same-sex marriage back in 2005, Sitges manages to stand out ahead of other cities for many unique reasons.

Not only does Sitges have a huge gay scene, but the locals are also extremely gay-friendly. Although…they don’t really have much of a choice: every year they get a pink invasion with thousands of LGBTQ travellers descending on the city during the summer months, especially during Pride in June and the Bear Week in September.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Sitges Gay Travel Resources

Barcelona Gay Restaurants – The Nomadic Boys

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Barcelona is a cosmopolitan and exciting city, with a vibrant gay scene. We love coming here to party, celebrate Barcelona Pride, relax and stuff our faces! With such a great mix of people and culture, it makes sense that Barcelona also has a thriving foodie scene.

The unique blend of Spanish, Catalan and Meditteranean cuisine, along with Barcelona’s seaside location, make this a wonderful spot for a gastronomic holiday. You will get to try the freshest seafood, the most delicious tapas and many other types of food from all over the world.

The main gay area of Barcelona can be found in Eixample (often nicknamed ‘Gaixample’), with many fabulous gay hangouts to check out. A word of warning, most restaurants in Barcelona are closed on Sunday, but we’ve included the best ones that still serve food on the day of the Lord (a day when we’re usually nursing a heavy hangover and craving a bit fat greasy burger…!)

During our visits to Barcelona, we’ve managed to experience lots of excellent gay owned restaurants, as well as those with a mostly gay clientele, which serve up the most delicious dishes. These are our favourite gay or gay friendly restaurants which we tried and loved in Barcelona.

Restaurante D’Divine

Restaurante D’Divine has been going strong for around 13 years and is the best place to come to watch a drag show with your meal. Whilst the menu is a bit limited, the cocktails are delicious and the shows, hilarious!

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Barcelona Gay Travel Resources

Gay Barcelona – The Nomadic Boys

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Barcelona is one of the most open and diverse cities we’ve ever been to. Not only is it tolerant towards gay travellers, they practically roll out the red carpet for us! With a booming gay village, loads of excellent hangouts and fantastic festivals, Gay Barcelona is a pumping city begging to be consumed.

We’ve begun to consider the city as a second home – its frivolous nightlife scene, the large LGBTQ community and stunning weather make it impossible to stay away for too long. Here is our detailed guide to Barcelona for gay travellers following our many visits to this fabulous Spanish coastal paradise.

How friendly is gay Barcelona?

In short – very gay friendly!

In our opinion, we think Barcelona is one of the most gay friendly cities in Europe and in the world. Historically, it is the birthplace of the LGBTQ Pride movement of Spain, where activists in the 1970s took to the streets to demand their rights. This ignited a pink wave throughout the rest of the nation and began to increase visibility for the Spanish LGBTQ community. Today, Barcelona continues to be a pioneer across the world for gay rights – a textbook example for other places to follow on its treatment towards queer travellers and citizens. This is one of many reasons why we rate it as one of our top gay destinations in Europe.

With an exquisite gay scene, filled with clubs, bars, eateries, hotels, and bathhouses, the city is a thriving mecca for LGBTQ culture. On every corner, there is some nod to queer identity. Whether this is a statue honouring one of the country’s most beloved queer writers or a rainbow flag flying outside a bakery, Barcelona is a city which appreciates its gay community.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Barcelona Gay Travel Resources

Barcelona Gay Beaches – The Nomadic Boys

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We love going to the beach – and the Barcelona gay beaches, only solidify our love for the seashore.

With its epic beach parties, stunning crowds, beautiful weather and lots of activities, Barcelona has a beach to suit every mood. There are beaches for when you need some private time or for when you want to become the life and soul of the party. Each beach has a unique energy and attracts different crowds. However, they all have one thing in common: they’re all fabulous and worth shouting about!

This is our guide to the best gay beaches in Barcelona to check out:

What is the official gay beach in Barcelona?

Barcelona is well-beloved for its beaches and is recognised globally for how incredible they are. In fact, National Geographic has listed it as the number one best beach city in the world.

Whilst only two out of Barcelona’s beaches are considered officially “gay”, we found that every single one we went to is gay-friendly. The official gay beaches of Barcelona are San Sebastian and Mar Bella. However, there are a few others to check out, particularly as you head into Sitges.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Barcelona Gay Travel Resources

Barcelona Gay Saunas – The Nomadic Boys

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Being one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world, it’s no surprise that there is such a huge variety of gay bathhouses to choose from in Barcelona.

The fascination with hot, steaming rooms dates back to the bathhouses which could be found all around Europe in medieval times. Back then, people would go to saunas to bathe, socialise and unwind. At one stage, they even began to believe saunas held magical powers. With that idea put out into the universe, the Church quickly turned around and said a big hell-no to sauna use, which led to the closure of many bathhouses across Europe.

Over the past century, saunas have grown more popular than ever, particularly within the gay community…what could be sexier than a boiling room, filled with steam and naked guys just hanging out? They’ve become an important staple of the LGBTQ community, a safe haven where you can come for action and to explore your sexuality or simply just to chill.

The gay scene of Barcelona in “Gaixample” (pronounced “gay-shample”) is vast, brimming with many queer hangouts and of course, plenty of gay saunas. Why they are so popular here is mainly a result of the intense recession the country has faced over the past decade. This led to high unemployment rates, particularly among young guys, who as a result of this have had to live with their parents to save money, making it hard to bring back a date (or two!). Hence the rise in demand for gay saunas across the city.

In this guide, we’ve put together the 6 best gay saunas in Barcelona to check out where you can connect with locals, bears, otters, twinks or whatever and whoever takes your fancy!

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Barcelona Gay Travel Resources

Find the Sitges Gay Beach! – The Globetrotter Guys

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Find the Sitges Gay Beach! - The Globetrotter Guys

Sitges is one of our favourite small Spanish towns. It’s also one of the most gay friendly towns we have been to with some great gay beaches.

The thing we like most about the gay beaches in Sitges is that they are easy to access. We have found that in many destinations, the gay beaches are quite hidden and it can take a lot of effort to find them. However in Sitges, the main gay beach is right in your face in front of the town centre.

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Best Spain Gay Pride Events – The Nomadic Boys

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Best Spain Gay Pride Events - The Nomadic Boys

Shirtless men dancing on floats. Drag queens lip-syncing for their lives. Friends running through the streets with faces smeared in glitter and dressed in rainbow colours!

Pride is as much a party as it is a protest. Often used to highlight issues where LGBTQ citizens are not granted the same rights as their straight peers, such as blood donation, the existence of conversion therapy, or loose discrimination laws, the Pride march is a fantastic way to get society to listen up, and address the issues at hand.

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