If you are gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual or straight and want to go to a club or bar where you don’t have to worry about being harassed by the opposite sex, Spain has a very active gay scene. Gay clubs, bars, hotels and associations can be found throughout the country with a greater presence in the larger and more cosmopolitan cities such as Madrid or Barcelona.
There are currently estimated to be around four million lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people in Spain with around 62% of Spaniards supporting the movement to legalize same-sex marriages. This law now grants same-sex couples residing in Spain the right to marry and the same property, inheritance and adoption rights as married heterosexuals. Due to this growing support for homosexuality, Spain has become a popular holiday and tourist destination for the gay community.
Since the early 1960s, the Costa del Sol, and Torremolinos in particular, have been a mecca for gay and gay-friendly people. With its laid-back lifestyle and visiting or resident artists, singers and writers, the Costa del Sol has become the most popular gay hub in southern Europe.
Heading west from Malaga airport you will discover the gay Costa del Sol from the gay beach of Guadalmar, the trendy beach bars of Los Álamos to the gay nightlife of La Nogalera in Torremolinos. If you continue past the naturist beach of Benalmádena to the more sober gay bars of Fuengirola, you will find the famous gay beach of Cabopino before reaching the quieter scene of the elegant resort of Marbella.
The Costa del Sol is less than a three hour flight from the UK and is a year-round tourist area that offers real value and something for all gays and lesbians.
Torremolinos has a great gay nightlife, second only to Madrid and Barcelona. While Sitges and Gran Canaria mainly attract visitors from the UK, Holland and Germany, Torremolinos is still a very Spanish city with most of the gay bars filled with local Spanish guys. The age of the gay crowd is younger than in Sitges and Gran Canaria, and the big clubs attract a very young gay crowd from 18 to 30 years old.
There are more than 30 gay and lesbian venues in Torremolinos concentrated in a small gay town called Nogalera. Most bars don’t open before 11pm, so get ready to party until dawn. The most popular gay venues at the moment are The Gate Bar, which attracts handsome guys over 30, the Parthenon Club and Home Disco. The largest gay sauna in southern Europe will open here later this year.
There are no real gay hotels in Torremolinos, but you will find plenty of beachfront gay Bungalows that are located in the center of town, just a five-minute walk from all the gay bars. The gay bungalows offer a free parking space and complete privacy.