10 of Europe’s bt statns for LGBTQ+ travellers this Pri season | Gay and lbian travel | The Guardian

Contents:

• GAY SPA - OUR 6 FAVOURE PLAC TO EXPERIENCE LGBT SPA
• GAY AND GAY-IENDLY HOTELS SPA
• GAY AND LESBIAN HOTELS IN SPA
• THE BT LGBTQ- AND GAY-FRIENDLY HOTELS BARCELONA, SPA
• THE WORLD'S MOST GAY-FRIENDLY BEACH CI AND RORTS
• GAY BARCELONA: OUR GUI TO THE BT LGBTQ SPOTS THE CY
• GAY IBIZA · HOTELS
• GAY SPA TRAVEL GUI
• GRAN CANARIA · GAY HOTELS
• GAY MALAGA

GAY SPA - OUR 6 FAVOURE PLAC TO EXPERIENCE LGBT SPA

Wily looked upon as a mol natn for gay rights Europe ( 2013 the Pew Rearch Center ranked Spa as the most gay-iendly untry the world, ) Spa ntu to ph the envelope for equaly and tolerance, wh laws place to protect same-sex marriage, adoptn, and transgenr rights. Add to the mix some of the world’s largt, most wildly fun Pri Ftivals and a rich cultural history that liv on the passnate, diverse untry today, and you’ve got all the makgs for an epic gay Spa getaway that will quickly have you returng for more.

Gay BarcelonaAh, Barcelona—easily gay Spa’s most veted statn, a cultural playground of archectural masterpiec, world-class Catalan cuise and sweepg whe sand beach. A smopolan cy wh distct, laid-back Mederranean vib, Barcelona promot an atmosphere of tolerance and diversy, of which perhaps the bt example is Catalonia’s landmark Anti-Homophobia Act. A geo gay Barcelona getaway n be had anywhere the cy, but the ever-popular Eixample neighbourhood—also known as Gayxample—is the epicentre of the cy’s most sought-after gay-popular tablishments.

Photo: EnBarcelona promot an atmosphere of tolerance and diversy, of which perhaps the bt example is Catalonia’s landmark Anti-Homophobia ActWe wouldn’t blame you for makg a beele straight to Barcelona’s 4. ) Due to their central lotn, the gay Barcelona beach always attract a crowd, but that also means there are plenty of handsome, sun-kissed men around, too.

GAY AND GAY-IENDLY HOTELS SPA

Be sure to stop by Chirguo BeGay while you’re there, a gay Barcelona stutn servg up lic drks and beach a gay party not soon fotten, time your vis to Barcelona over one of s world-renowned ftivals. Every Augt, some 100, 000 people scend on Barcelona for Europe’s largt gay ftival and ten days of rto good tim punctuated by themed dance parti and epic DJs.

Gayxample’s central lotn mak an excellent base om which to explore Barcelona’s highlights (the bt of which we’ve outled our gay Barcelona Cy Gui). Then there’s TWO Hotel and Axel Hotel, both sleek gay acmodatns that promise a warm, welg atmosphere wh plenty of opportuni for mglg wh like-md travellers.

GAY AND LESBIAN HOTELS IN SPA

It’s all very elegant wh jt the right dose of bchery, showsg why Sg is one of Europe’s most sought-after gay holiday statns; the Spanish Tourism Board is an excellent place to start planng your Sg erary. The heart of Sg gay district is Old Town, specifilly along Calle Montroig, but Sg’ notoriety as gay Spa’s premier retreat means the entire town is hugely to gay beach, Sg don’t disappot.

Every summer, Sg hosts a rivetg Pri Ftival, wh other notable gay events cludg Europe’s largt Bear ftival and a gay-popular luxur acmodatn the heart of gay Sg, Hotel Casa Vilella offers stately rooms and sweepg Mederranean views.

Other notable gay ftivals Madrid clu We Party, a wter event held every New Year, and the crilly acclaimed LGaiCeMad, Spa’s premier LGBT+ film ftival. Photo: Florian WehMadrid is the beatg heart of gay Spa, arguably one of the world’s most gay-iendly ciStart your exploratn of gay Madrid Chue Square, easily distguishable by the plethora of billowg rabow flags that rate most tablishments. Madrid’s most gay-popular square is also one of s most fashnable, so expect plenty of avant-gar boutiqu, alternative sign labels, and sy we bars.

THE BT LGBTQ- AND GAY-FRIENDLY HOTELS BARCELONA, SPA

For a full list of our favoure spots Chue, don’t miss our -pth gay Madrid Cy keepg wh Spaniards’ satiable appete for stylish nightlife venu, Madrid offers snazzy gay hnts of all styl and siz. A refurbished cema turned ntemporary gay club, Marta, riño, promis strong imbibements crafted by equally toxitg staff a unique, always lively atmosphere. That said, like most gay Spa nightlife, ’s bt to arrive after Mary Rebec EllttRoom Mate Osr Hotel might not be an official gay hotel, but s central lotn Chue mak an uber-popular optn wh the LGBT muny.

Room Mate Osr Room Mate Osr Room Mate OsrGay Ibiza is what you make of —wildly fun wh a smopolan edge and home to azure waters, swaths of protected terra, and stunng whe sand beach4. ) This long whe sandy beach surround by dun is also where you’ll fd Chirgay, a gay Ibiza stutn that dol out qualy food and boozy tropil cktails. A large variety of mouthwaterg mocktails mak this a particularly unique optn for those cled to absta for an Purple Hotel is Ibiza’s premier gay adults-only hotel, an elegant way to experience the bt of Ibiza’s gay scene whout sacrificg style the procs.

THE WORLD'S MOST GAY-FRIENDLY BEACH CI AND RORTS

Gay ValenciaValencia might not be the first statn to e to md when you thk of gay Spa, but jt a few days the untry’s third-largt cy may very well change that.

GAY BARCELONA: OUR GUI TO THE BT LGBTQ SPOTS THE CY

Home to a burgeong gay scene full of flourishg gay bars, fashnable gay travellers and, of urse, a distguished Pri Ftival, Valencia has all the buildg blocks of a fascatg gay getaway—not to mentn s strikg futuristic archecture, vibrant Old Town, nt regnal cuise, and dazzlg goln sand Madrid and Barcelona, Valencia don’t have a distct gayborhood. Photo: Willian Jten VasncellosCafe las Horas is a verable stunner, drippg wh glterg chanliers and chic Parisian fluencValencia gay nightlife is synonymo wh The Me, one of the cy’s premier gay bars.

La Boba y el Gato Ranc is a laid-back gay bar distguished by the not-so-subtle giant rabow flag out ont, attractg a cent crowd earlier the eveng.

GAY IBIZA · HOTELS

We also love Trapezz Gay-Friendly Cafe for s expansive terrace and ultra-iendly Botani Hotel Boutique is an enchantg art hotel ntled the heart of the gay-popular Carmen district.

Caro Hotel Photo: John Fornanr Caro HotelOnce a sleepy fishg village, today Benidorm is a lively gay astal retreat idyllilly suated Spa’s Alinte regn6.

Quat, walkable Old Town doubl as Benidorm’s gay village, a laid-back nglomeratn of mellow gay bars spillg over wh tourists, expats and Spaniards alike.

GAY SPA TRAVEL GUI

Another famo gay beach is Ra Conill, a sheltered ltle spot that, due to the secln, also attracts Maxiian PazakWh some 50 gay bars and clubs, attemptg to list all Benidorm’s top nightlife spots seems an effort futily. The Catalan pal is home to the origal Axel Hotel, which opened s doors 2003 and proclaimed self the first gay hotel cha not only Barcelona but also Spa and even Europe.

GRAN CANARIA · GAY HOTELS

Wh warm weather, betiful beach and an energetic gay nightlife scene that rivals major ci 100 tim s size – Torremolos is the perfect place to party or enjoy a beach vatn. In the summer months, the gays go shg to this seasi town pecially durg their annual events like Torremolos Pri, Mad Bear Beach Weekend, Delice Dream and Wonr Beach Ftival.

Also loted at the gay beach is a great rtrant and bar lled Chirgay where you n enjoy an credible va sangria or lunch while takg the geo views of all the guys tanng on the beach. One of the bt thgs about Madrid Pri isn’t jt s immense size but also how the celebratn brgs everyone together, gay and straight and everyone else on the spectm.

As if Madrid’s extravagant pri event isn’t reason enough to vis, there are also plenty of annual gay parti throughout the year cludg the WE Party Ftival, which hosts multiple parti over a week’s perd Madrid durg New Year's and gay pri. From private rooms and apartments to LGBTQ-iendly hotels, you have the optn to stay the heart of gay districts as well as other neighborhoods the plac you vis.

GAY MALAGA

GAY AND LESBIAN HOTELS IN Spa Spa’s liberal polics has given gay people equal rights the untry for marriage, adoptn and anti-discrimatn protectn, one of the first the world.

Many ci Spa hold a gay pri ftival cludg Barcelona (March), Gran Canaria (March), Ibiza (June), Loveball Ftival (Augt) and Canary Islands (May).

Although urban statns tend to be most popular wh gay travelers bee of their rich cultural offergs, vibrant nightlife districts, and chic shoppg and dg, a number of the world's most gay-popular ci also enjoy picturque settgs on the water. From megaci wh skyscrapers on the ocean to relatively smaller statns on tranquil bays and lak, here's a ndown of the world's 20 bt gay urban beach statns (populatn 150, 000 or greater).

Wh outstandg mms, distctive archecture (cludg several treasur by Antoni Gdi) a lively gay nightlife scene centered mostly around the sophistited Eixample district, and an abundance of stylish rtrants and hotels, Barcelona is a terrific statn for urban, yet there's a sweepg and betiful gay beach, Barceloa, jt mut om the cy center.

It's jt a short drive south along the ast to vis some of the Southern Hemisphere's most betiful beach, cludg swank Camp Bay, which li the shadows of the Twelve Apostle mountas, and Clifton, which has a scene-y gay beach. And as 's set on the eastern shore of Zealand Island, on Ørund (a stra that divis the North and Baltic seas), Copenhagen is close to a number of priste, wdswept stretch of sand, cludg such gay hangouts as Bellevue and Ishøj beach. For many years known primarily as Florida's "sprg break" pal, Fort Lrdale began an amb transformatn to a more sophistited rort statn startg around the early 1990s, which cid wh efforts to urt gay and lbian travelers.

Sce that time, more than a dozen gay men's rorts have opened wh a few blocks of the cy's betiful oceanont beach, as have several luxury high-rise hotels.