Greece has been, without a doubt, one of the biggest trends in global gay travel for the past three years. The mind-blowing beauty of the country, in combination with welcoming Greek hospitality, has made Greece a beloved destination for the global LGBTI community. Not only for its mainstream destinations, but for its alternative choices as well. Here, Destsetters, in collaboration with Gay Star News, gives exclusive advice for your most memorable gay holidays in Greece.
Unofficial Gay Beaches Are the Top Attraction
Beach and sun are by far the main characteristics of Greece that spring to mind for all travelers — and naturally for gay men as well. But what could be a better combination than an idyllic beach with sexy Greek men to flirt with? All around Greece, you will find unique, local, unofficial gay beaches; these are usually unorganized beaches (mostly nudist) which have become gay hotspots for locals and tourists.
The island of Crete is without question the king of gay beaches in Greece. It features more than two or three in each one of its regions, giving you the chance to meet and flirt with more and more gay people.
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Athens has the most organized gay scene in Greece, with a variety of gay bars, saunas and cruising spots that will satisfy even the most demanding traveller.
Men in Athens are considered among the most handsome and stylish in Europe. And they’re really open to tourists — not only for flirting, but for showing them around the city, too.
Gay life in Athens is mostly gathered in the center of the city, around the two main neighborhoods of Gazi and St Irene’s Square. Both offer great entertainment choices, and you can easily walk from one to the other.
Flickr – Pedro[/caption]
A staggering 26.5 million people visited Greece in 2015 – making it the ninth most-visited country in Europe. And in 2016, the Cradle of Civilisation looks set to beat its own record. Not bad for a country that’s suffered a lot of negative press in recent years.
And while thriving tourism provides the Hellenic Republic a wonderful beating pulse, it’s not its only blessing. Staggering landscapes, fascinating history and hospitable locals aside, let’s be very British a moment. We need to talk about the weather.
Because Greece really does enjoy the best of both worlds.
Sun abounds throughout the year – but temperatures fluctuate enough to make each season feel unique.
Corfu is a beautiful green island in the Mediterranean, as you already know if you are avid readers of my blog. The island itself is pretty big, almost 600 Km², which make Corfu the 7th biggest island of the whole Greece. The total coast surface is 217 km, so you can imagine there is plenty of great beaches all around the island to choose from: Corfu comprises over 120 beaches!
I didn’t have time to explore them all, although I wish I had. But, as per my custom, I asked the locals which beaches were unmissable: here you can find my very own list of the 3 nudist beaches not to miss if you happen to visit Corfu.
Nudist Beaches of Corfu – Issos Beach
Issos is an idyllic beach on the southwest coast of Corfu; that part of the island is dominated by golden sandy beaches and shallow turquoise waters. And of course Issos has these features plus something more: it is by far one of the best nudist beaches of the entire island!
Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly tour operatorsy:
At GaySail we organize about 50 gay sailing cruises a year, all over the world, for single gay men, -couples, -friends and private gay groups. We sail in Greece, Croatia, Ibiza, Virgin Islands, St. Martin & St. Barth, Bahamas, Brazil and Thailand.
With our team of 22 fully licensed gay skippers and gay cooks/co-skippers we can offer you a wonderful one- or two week gay sailing vacation. We offer regular GaySail sailing cruises but also a lot GayNudeSail sailing cruises and GaySail Exclusive luxury sailing cruises, both monohull- and catamaran yachts. Cruises with gay skipper only, or skipper and cook for breakfast and lunch. Something for everyone!
No sailing experience needed. If you like, you can take the wheel and learn to sail and navigate, if you just want to relax, soak up in the sun on the front deck, watch out for the dolphins, it’s your holiday!
We usually sail about 6 hours a day. Most of the time we anchor for lunch and swim. At night we dock in little in local harbor and have dinner in the local restaurants of we stay overnight in a bay under the stars and have dinner on board.
I love Greece. I visited the country a few times in the past (especially the gay heaven of Mykonos). Last summer, as you know, I joined Saltyboys in their amazing gay nudist sailing cruise around the Saronic Gulf. In that occasion I appreciated also Athens and its fun nightlife.
From the Greek capital, before heading back to Italy, I took an easy (and very cheap) flight: I was not sure about what to expect in Corfu island. Corfu is situated in the Northern Ionian Sea, just below the start of the Adriatic Sea, between Greece’s mainland and Italy. It is actually just in front of the area of Southern Italy where I live, Puglia.
Despite its proximity to where I live, I had never been to Corfu island before: it is just a few hours ride on a ferry with daily connections all year long. Corfu island also offers a very similar landscape to the one I am accustomed to: green and authentically Mediterranean! As soon as I landed in Corfu, I was astonished by its breathtaking green scenery!
If you have been to Greece before, possibly you have visited the Ionic islands, and their dry landscapes. Forget about it: Corfu is nothing but green! If you have never been to Greece, I would then suggest to use the amazing town of Corfu island as an entry point to start exploring this beautiful country. Or, as I did, as the last stop before heading back home.
Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay:
Travel at the speed of you. Leave the tour buses behind. With The Blue Walk discover new places, have authentic experiences, and reconnect with a simpler way of moving through life. Enjoy leisurely, small-group, walking vacations along beautiful coastlines, village squares, and open spaces of Europe.
Less about history or architecture, our passion is sharing the sights and surroundings of select destinations. Live large on the French Riviera, tour Northern Italy via rail, island hop through Greece.
Discover the meditative quality of walking by large, lovely bodies of water, the expansiveness of taking in the canopy of blue sky. Take time on your own to explore an out of the way gem or sit quietly over a coastal outcrop. It’s your vacation. We create opportunities for unique experiences that touch the heart and mind to be remembered long after returning home.
No hiking boots or backpacks required, just lovely walking trails, coastal meandering, and urban strolling. Based in 4 and 5-star hotels, travel with a friendly group of like-minded people who soon become friends. Our vacations, perfect for couples, multi-generational, friends, and solo-travelers alike, are designed with lots of options to serve a variety of activity levels.
Gay Athens life is lively and interesting. And the Boys, oh the Boys… If you are looking for a place full of Scruffy, Hunky, Beefy types… oh well don’t look any further! Athens is the TOP destination for your next holidays (Or at least long weekend if you happen to live in Europe!).
Most of the life in Gay Athens happen in Gazi area. Gazi takes its name from an old gas depot that stands in the area: no worry, the gas depot is not in use anymore since 1984. Since then, the area has become more and more gentrified, and nowadays it is a trendy area, plenty of restaurants, bars and clubs targeting the young crowds, and the gay crowd obviously.
To get to Gazi is easy: if you are staying in the centre of Athens, you can definitely walk to Gazi Square from anywhere, as its position is pretty central. Another option is to get there through underground: Kerameikos station has its exit right in the middle of the square! And it is around this square that most of the life of Gay Athens happen! Be aware: as in the Southern European tradition, the nightlife in Gay Athens starts very late! So, don’t rush! Have a siesta, a late dinner, and get ready to enjoy Athens until very late!
Usually Athens is the starting point of many trips around the Aegean sea and its beautiful islands: not many visitors decide to give a go to a tour around the city. Wrong choice: the Greek capital is definitely worthy to go around and enjoy!
A visit to Athens should start with a visit to the Acropolis: the heart of the millennial history of the city! It is also the best point to enjoy an amazing view over the metropolis! Only from the Acropolis and its Parthenon you can realize the majesty of the Greek Capital, a really huge city surrounded by both the sea and the mountains!
Despite being such a big city, the center of Athens is definitely walk-able! Soon after visiting the Acropolis my suggestion is to get the underground and start a walking tour of the center of the Greek Capital from Omonia Square. Walking along Panepistimiou road, you will find a few of the main sights of the city: the Huge Adrian’ s National Library of Athens, the beautiful Academy of Athens, the National History Museum.
Susan Wright for The New York Times[/caption]
On the island of Lesbos, the slow and rustic rhythms of Greek life rule. Sheep block traffic as they amble across mountain roads, bells clanking. At a seaside tavern, diners nibble on freshly caught calamari under the generous boughs of an old mulberry tree.
This is a routine Sunday afternoon at Myrivilis’ Mulberry tavern in Skala Sikaminias, a fishing village of about 100 residents on the northern tip of Lesbos, Greece’s third-largest island. It’s a sharp contrast from last autumn, when the restaurant’s calamari fisherman was busy hauling sea-soaked asylum seekers to dry land, and waiters turned tables into makeshift hospital beds for shipwrecked survivors treated for hypothermia.
Since last year, more than a million Middle Eastern migrants (mostly Syrians, Afghans and Iraqis) fleeing war and uncertain futures have risked their lives crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey on flimsy boats to reach Greece. More than 1,100 people drowned on the way. Nearly 60 percent of migrants landed on Lesbos, thrusting a quiet vacation island into newspaper headlines.