Gay Travel

Canoeing in the Kawartha Highlands – Out With Ryan

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Fall breeze. autumn leaves and pure Canadian wilderness. This is exactly what you’ll discover when you go canoeing in the Kawartha Highlands this season. This provincial park is the ideal place to re-connect with mother nature in any season, but especially in fall and late-summer; the most beautiful time to explore Canada, in my opinion.

Not only was this my first canoe trip in the Kawartha Highlands but also my first overnight canoe trip ever!

I learned so much from my 2 nights and 3 days canoeing, portaging (which I thought at first was a fancy word similar to apres-ski) and camping my way around the Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park, specifically the Serpentine Lake Loop.

Canoeing in the Kawartha Highlands

My good friend Chris Mitchell invited me and a group of our travel blogger friends on a camping trip where we all experienced canoeing in the Kawartha Highlands together, and oh boy, this oasis didn’t disappoint.

We have a saying in the LGBT+ community: There are friends. And there’s family. Then, there are friends who become family. This trip is where my travel blogger friends, Chris, Kimberly, Kathryn, and Kevin became family.

Full Story at Out With Ryan

Ontario Gay Travel Resources

Rock Cottage Gardens B&B Inn

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Rock Cottage Gardens B&B Inn

PRIVATE B&B COTTAGES IN EUREKA SPRINGS

The Rock Cottage Gardens Bed and Breakfast Inn, including a small wedding chapel and 5 private cottages, is a uniquely historic Eureka Springs landmark with a Thomas Kincade-like rock cottages.

The mainhouse residence is complete with formal living and dining gathering rooms for guest enjoyment and 5 individual private cottages, each with 2 person Jacuzzis, dedicated flat off-street courtyard guest parking, surrounded by 6 lovely garden areas with a fountain pond on 0.6 acres providing a peaceful setting for guest relaxation. Our location is a comfortable 10 minute walk to downtown Eureka Springs shopping, art galleries and restaurant venues.

See the Rock Cottage Gardens B&B Inn Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Eureka Springs Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals

The Stephansdom Cathedral in Vienna – Keep Calm and Wander

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The Stephansdom in Vienna is, perhaps, the most-visited of all tourist attractions in the city. Apart from its towering Gothic tower, its multi-colored roof tiles are ones that you will recognize instantly. When I asked a friend who lives there now on where I can take a photo with my rainbow wig, she didn’t blink an eye to highly recommend this Cathedral. And being an obedient friend, I went there early morning to avoid the crowd. 

The Stephansdom cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic archbishop of Vienna. For visitors, they call it St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

As you can see from its facade, the Cathedral is obviously of a Gothic architectural style. 

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Austria Gay Travel Resources

Gay Beirut – The Nomadic Boys

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Lebanon is one of the most liberal, progressive and gay friendly places in the Arab world. This is saying a lot for a country where homosexuality is still a crime. However, by comparison to its Arab neighbours, Beirut has the best (albeit quite underground) gay scene, including one of the largest gay clubs in the Middle East called POSH.

We visited gay Beirut from Cyprus to celebrate Stefan’s birthday over a long weekend and absolutely loved the food, the people and of course the many gay parties. This is our gay guide to Beirut featuring the best gay bars and clubs, events, gay friendly hotels and best things to do.

Gay Rights in Lebanon

Lebanon doesn’t have the best track record with regards to LGBTQ rights. Homosexuality is illegal, there are no anti-discrimination laws, there is absolutely zero recognition of same-sex partnerships and the LGBTQ community are banned from openly serving in the Lebanese army.

On the plus side, proactive steps are being taken by judges and some politicians to decriminalise homosexuality and it was declassified as an illness in 2013. In addition, the right to change legal gender was introduced in 2016. From our experience travelling in the Middle East, Lebanon definitely ranks as one of the most gay friendly Arab countries, but remember, this is an extremely conservative region of the world when it comes to LGBTQ rights.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Middle East 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

Brandenburg Tor in Berlin – Keep Calm and Wander

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The Brandenburg Tor is the first tourist attraction I visited on my first day in Berlin. It’s an imposing neoclassical gate that appears conspicuously in almost every postcard in the city. Throughout its existence, the Brandenburg Gate bears witness to a tumultuous history of the city and country. And at the same time, it’s an eyewitness to the historical events of a unified European continent.

There were only very few people when I arrived at the gate. The morning sun was just beginning to appear, and its rays peeked through the wide gaps. I was mesmerized by the play of lights and shadows as I looked up, admiring its magnificence. It reminded me of chiaroscuro paintings of Caravaggio and Rembrandt.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Germany 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

Big Sky, Montana for Queer Families – 2TravelDads

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Big Sky, Montana brings to mind epic ski trips and exclusive mountain getaways in the snow, but did you know that it’s much more than that and it’s actually an incredible summer destination? Summer is considered the off-season in Big Sky but it’s just another cycle of fun. The Big Sky Resort is the ideal home base for that fun, and visiting off-season is perfect for getting the best deals and having the most diverse experiences. Here’s a complete plan for spending 4+ days and it’s all the best things to do in Big Sky, Montana.

We actually went twice in one summer, so we know this town well. Whether it’s a part of your Montana road trip or you’re adding onto a trip to Yellowstone National Park, the Big Sky Resort is easy to work into your Montana travel plan. Check it out!

We were welcomed by Visit Big Sky and Big Sky Resort, but are sharing our ideas and opinions at our own behest and discretion. We were hosted, yes, but we loved our time there! Also, there are some affiliate links in this article so, at no cost to you, we may get a small commission if you book something we recommended.

Full Story at 2TravelDads

Montana 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