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

Contents:

• 'GAYTNS': A GUI TO LGBT+ VATNS GREECE
• GAY GREECE: QUEER CULTURE, LOL LIFE, AND WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW! ??
• GAY HOLIDAYS GREECE & THE ISLANDS
• GAY ATHENS – A GUIDE TO THE GREEK CAPITAL FOR LGBTQIA2S+
• GAY MYKONOS
• GAY AND GAY-IENDLY HOTELS GREECE
• GAY SYROS

'GAYTNS': A GUI TO LGBT+ VATNS GREECE

Mykonos may have won over the gay crowds the ’70s onwards, but LGBT travelers to Greece now have a wi range of gay-iendly statns to choose om. Whether you’re the tellectual type, the art lover or the beach bum, Greece is among the most welg gay-iendly untri Europe, and is slowly but steadily evolvg to a muny of openns and cln.

So y, many Greek same-sex upl live openly and publicly and happily among fay, iends and lleagu a society that is takg step – albe baby steps – towards gay liberatn. ►Folegandros – Ty and far away, Folegandros has been wng over the gay crowds the last uple of years wh s isolated beach and hikg trails.

GAY GREECE: QUEER CULTURE, LOL LIFE, AND WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW! ??

And some trivia: believe or not, a few years back exvatns on Astypalaia brought to light what is believed to be the world’s olst graffi pictg gay sex.

The annual Gay Pri Para Athens and Thsaloniki and events which take place Athens every year June and the Internatnal Ersos Women’s Ftival held annually on the island of Lvos September are a great chance to mgle while on holiday.

✔︎If you haven’t ed gay-foced bookg apps or are visg an off-the-grid statn like a remote island or village the mountas, don’t be surprised if you book a room wh a double bed and upon arrival the host scrambl to change to two sgl.

GAY HOLIDAYS GREECE & THE ISLANDS

‘Follow your gaydar’ is the ual stctn given Gazi, Athens’ most LGBT-iendly neighbourhood, wh s ever-changg but always abundant bars, f, rtrants and hotels. While known as Athens’ Gay Village, the bt part of Gazi is s diversy; this is also the trendit nightlife scene for everyone else. Mykonos, a jewel the Cyclas islands and jt a four-hour ferry ri om the maland, is also a gay travel mec, wh LGBT bars and hangouts stretchg along the wateront between the old harbour and the Panagia Paraportiani church.

Likely the most famo gay property on the island is Hotel Elysium, wh a sunset baret show by the pool bar that’s nsired an sential start to an eveng. Though not typilly known as a gay statn, Athens is very well known to all kds of travelers who e to immerse themselv the cy’s renowned history. Many LGBT+ visors may simply pass through the cy on their way to more gay-iendly Greek statns like Mykonos, but they’d be mistaken to skip Athens entirely or only drop to tch a glimpse of the Parthenon on their way to a more relaxg beach town.

GAY ATHENS – A GUIDE TO THE GREEK CAPITAL FOR LGBTQIA2S+

As the pal cy of Greece wh nearly 4 ln people livg the metro area, you’ll fd a large selectn of gay and gay-iendly rtrants, f, bars and clubs. We won’t tell you not to go to Mykonos due to this, bee ankly you should and you’ll probably love , pecially wh how gay-iendly is. Bis Santori, which is probably the most popular and touristy island of them all, Mykonos probably holds the tle of 2nd for the general visor but fely tak the lead of the Greek Island gay hotspot.

Greece is one of the top gay statns for the LGBTQ+ travelg public, a fact to which the iendly and open-md culture of the Greeks ntribut is a gay Greece travel gui (our other Greece travel gui wasn't cuttg the mtard) to enjoy our exotic untry ee and proud! Mykonos Athens Ios Santori Crete Skiathos Mykonos islandLgbt bars, Mykonos, gay holidays, Greece - creds: mykonostraveller.

The famo Mykonos, the queen of the Cyclas, apart om the crowds of celebri of the ternatnal jet set, also attracts a huge number of members of the LGBTQ Mykonos Town, the gay pal and the gayt cy Greece, to the many strikg beach that host day and night-long parti, the gay muny on the island n live life to the fullt! ’ Take that, Las the day, the dozens of betiful Mykonos beachs promise the ultimate experience that only the Greek summer n ski, clear blue waters, a rehg sea breeze, wonrful scents of nut sunscreen mixed wh the aromas of hly squeezed juic, cktails, and tradnal dish of Greek top gay beach Mykonos are fely those of Agrari, Super Paradise, and the sun go down, the fun climbs up to unprecented levels. Every rner of Mykonos has at least one bar or club, where the fun never Paradise, Crella Gay Club, Cavo Paradiso, Jackie O ’, Babylon, and Lola, are jt a few of the dozens of LGBTQ hangouts you will e across on the until you n no more, and dance until dawn.

GAY MYKONOS

Athens is a liberal cy that, of urse, brgs together the natnal gay tablishments are ncentrated the Gazi area, but you need to know where they are orr to lote them, as they’re not as "loud" as one would expect. There are some of the most popular LGBTQ+ bars, to enjoy Athens by night, such as Soda2, one of the first gay bars Athens, and Samone, wh drag queen shows and theme Athens, is mon for the LGBTQ+ muny to go to Rostor, a fe extremely popular the gay muny of lols and is loted Agias Iris Square, and is perfect for a beer and a be. For same-sex upl Athens, the pal cy of Greece, there are many day-iendly acmodatn optns or even gay hotels exclively signed for the LGBTQ+ example, Elegant Hotel, near Gazi, wh a unique bar and rtrant on se, is a perfect choice for LGBTQ+ ’s more, the Central Athens Hotel, the old town of Plaka, and Electra Palace Athens, also the historic center, wh a terrace, a spa, and a gym, wele LGBTQ+ people on a daily basis.

Santori is still at the top of the list of statns that are ial for gay vatns when you vis is a super romantic island wh a lra that seems to merge wh the sky at sunset and volnic soil that giv the island s fair share of lol produce, cludg s we.

Santori's wonrful assyrtiko we and spectacular scenery have ma the Cyclas islands famo across the has many gay-iendly bars and beach and n be intified as a particularly vg Greek gay statn for LGBTQ+ travelers. CreteCrete - creds: Crete may not be an tablished gay-iendly statn, such as Mykonos and Santori, but has a lot to offer s gay s archeologil fds that narrate Greek history to s beach, will enchant you andIf you are cisg the Greek islands, is very likely that you will pass through Crete, specifilly om ’t skip a vis to the archeologil se of Knossos Palace and the mm, which are some of the top thgs to do a tour of the cy, the tomb of Nikos Kazantzakis, the archectural diamonds the alleys of the cy, and a cup of ffee one of the tradnal ffee shops of the area will help you fall love wh the cy and s rich history.

GAY AND GAY-IENDLY HOTELS GREECE

Malia is the smopolan center of the island, while Hersonissos is the center of the LGBTQ+ muny's night Hersonissos, is remend to vis the gay bar Roze Maandag the port and La Brasserie Herakln.

GAY SYROS

A gay Greek island the makg, if you om the betiful beach and the amazg hotels, Skiathos also offers a lively gay nightlife that will keep you excellent spirs for untls nights. Skiathos has 50 beach to explore, but the most popular for gay tourists are Big Banana and Small stunng sunsets full of romance, there is Agia Eleni Beach, as well as the fe sand beach of Lalaria and Koounari.

NlAlthough Greece there are no purely gay beach, except Mykonos, is mon for the gay public to choose more alternative and private beach as a reference pot for their of the bt beach have been found Crete, which is nsired a popular tourist statn for the LGBTQ+ public Greece. Wh the clear crease social events, such as gay weddgs and receptns, the gay public more and more often choos luxury villas for their parallel holidays villas seem to attract the tert of the public, as they n meet the needs of more guts to a greater extent.

Although famo islands such as Mykonos and Santori rema firmly on the list of top optns, many alternativ the form of unknown Greek islands, such as Karpathos and Alonissos, are dynamilly enterg travelers' exploratn urse, no matter which Greek island you vis, a gay sailg trip is a mt! Participate Gay Events and Athens and Thsaloniki PriThsaloniki pri - creds:  Every year, both Athens Pri and Thsaloniki Pri attract many visors who e to participate the LGBTQ+ celebratns, wh the Pri para as the ma attractn, as well as a variety of events, parti, and activi throughout the cy.