Gay Guide Lisbon – discovering the gay scene

Arrive in Lisbon during daylight and the city is discrete, there’s very little to suggest it is gay welcoming, but there’s nothing to say that there will be a problem for gay travellers. In fact I felt incredibly welcome wherever I went and look closely – people watch – and you will begin to see quite a large gay population.

Lisbon actually has an incredibly vibrant gay scene and there’s plenty of places to visit, just don’t attempt – like I did – to try to do it during the day. There’s nothing to see and you will find it hard pushed to find the gay venues listed. I walked both the Rato and Bairro Alto, gay map in hand, and struggled to find the bars and nightclubs for the following nights’ escapades. Yet, by night, the shutters were flung open, the lights on full glare and the music popping onto the streets.

By night, the city comes alive. Bairro Alto is full of party atmosphere and it is now hard to distinguish revellers from the gay and straight bars. You shouldn’t think of going out before 9pm, but 10.30pm is a better start to your evening. Grab some food around 8.30pm and you can casually enter the nights’ events.

All the gay bars were recognisable in the Rato area. And simply follow the lads from joint to joint. My itinerary for the weekend nights is below. The great thing about Lisbon is the cost – it is so cheap for beer and cocktails. The atmosphere is electric, and welcoming. The people are friendly and chatty with nearly all of them speaking English. It is also an international city, so you are likely to meet Europeans from England, France, Spain, Italy, as well a Americans visiting on cruise ship.

Book flights and accommodation at least four weeks in advance and it can work out to be a cheap break:

Flights, EasyJet (my favourite airline): London – Lisbon; £110 return

AirParks car park: £26.99

Uneasy Hostel (2 nights): £60

Travelcard: €15, enough for 4 days

Meals: €12 – 20 for a good two-course dinner, 1 x beer, 2 x wine, 1 x coffee

Make the most of your time there, especially if you want to party by hiring an apartment:

www.homeaway.co.uk

www.airbnb.com

Thursday

Chapito, 30 Anos: multi-use bar, club, social meeting spot.

A circus shop will make this place stand out. Go through the shop, down the stairs to the large courtyard – if you’re not in the middle of a circus training session hang around for some beers. Otherwise, head to the loft house restaurant. Now this has to be seen. We hung here all afternoon supping on Green Wine, a Portuguese delicacy J

From the restaurant you can over look the city and watch the sun set. It’s a spectacular scene and the colours of the fading evening Lisbon sun fill the sky with purples, oranges, greens, reds, and pinks, framed by a city with 200-year architecture (following the great Earth Quake in the 18^th Century).

Friday

Bairro Alto

-       This is the place to start. It’s where the city comes together by night and especially at the weekend.

-       Wonder the streets, beer in hand and soak up the atmosphere, the music and the people watching

Les Marais

Rua de Santa Catarina 28, 1200 Lisboa

Open: M-Th 5.30pm-2am F/S 4am, Sun 1 – 11pm

We started in this sudo-French bar, the gay venue was recently purchased by new owners and had decided to maintain the name. Which with the gay market is the best idea, since we all follow maps that could be years out of date. I found this through Spartacus, after chatting to the owners who promote the bar on Scruff (great technique).

Shirtless Tuesdays – gives patrons the chance to receive free shots for taking off their shirt….not a bad deal!

The barmen were real lovely, and created a fun atmosphere. There really was no dull moment, even though when we arrived there were only about 8 people in the bar. An hour later, around 11.30pm, the bar had about 20 people. This is no bad thing, it’s well decorated, the drinks are good too. It’s brilliant if you’re in a couple and want to take it a bit easy, or in a group and all want a seat. I can imagine that on some days this places has a fantastic party.

From here we walked up to Bairro Alto past

Baliza

Rua de Bica de Duarte Belo 51-A, 1200-054 Lisboa

Open: M-F 1pm-2am, Sat 4pm-2am Sun Closed

We walked up through the streets to stop in

Portas Largas

Rua de Atalaia 105, 1200-038 Lisboa

Open S-Th 7pm-2am F/S 7pm-3am

This is a mixed crowd, I didn’t know what was straight and what was gay – the live music was infectious, the bar was packed – solid! People were all across the street at this crossroads. It was a great place to soak in Bairro Alto. Only recommendation, leave before 1am – it get a bit messy by 2am!

From here, sharp 10 – 15 minute walk to Rato. Aim was Bar 106 but by the time we got here it was closed, so I went onwards to clubbing

NOTE: Unfortunately on the night I was in Rato I was attacked by a group of lads who were trying to mug me. Fortunately, two guys who run the gay bar on the corner of the street, disturbed them and saved me from harm or loss. (I’ve been told that this activity is NOT common, but just don’t walk alone if possible) Please visit their bar:

Ursus Bar

Praça das Flores, 41-43 - Lisboa, 1200-192 Lisboa

ADD https://www.facebook.com/ursus.bar.lx

A new bar, only recently opened. It’s got a lot of style to it. While it may seem small it packs a punch in the ‘cool’ stakes. The hosts are really friendly too.

Trumps

Rua da Imprensa Nacional 104-B, 1250-127 Lisboa

Open: F/S 11.45pm – 6an

10€ including 2 drinks

The big gay club in Lisbon. One room uber-pop music, the other more Dance-Pop. The audience is young, think 20’s. The bar staff are sexy. The music in the dance-pop room was excellent, especially with a live violinist onstage adding his flavour to the tracks. The people were really friendly and welcoming too.

Saturday

I stopped by Bar Cru (Rua de Sao Marcal 170), but it didn’t appeal to me. Entry charge at 12 midnight was not what I wanted and it felt too early for any of that. So next stop further down the road

Bar 106

Rua de Sao Marcal 106, 1200-44 Lisboa

9pm – 2am

This place is pretty smart. People are smoking outside and inside. Shots are being knocked back and there’s a lot of introductions. Something tells me this is the meeting place – prior to the clubs. It’s a good starting point.

WoofLX

Rua de Palmeira 44B, 1200 Lisboa

10pm – 4am

Now this seemed more sort of thing, I had stopped by on the way to Trump the night before, but at 3am it was pretty dead. So arriving at 1pm was a good chance to check out the lads. The barman (later to be the sexy dancer in Construction) handed out free entry tickets to the club.

It’s a bear bar, and it has many bears! And cubs! And otters! And admirers! Of course!

Tr3s/ Tres/ 3

Rua Ruben Antonio Leitao 2A, 1200 Lisboa

4pm – 2am

Sports themed bar and most people were outside, but it was well themed and would make an enjoyable indoor experience too. Everyone was hanging around waiting for the clubs to get busy, this was the atmosphere, it was apprehensive, sat in expectation, impatient, yet chatty and friendly.

Construction

Rua Cecilio de Sousa 84, 1200 Lisboa

11.30pm – 6am

This is the end of the night, it’s one large two-leveled dance club with a darkroom on the third floor. The more mature crew hangout here, so generally 30yr+ and there were quite a few women. It was a fun cruisey atmosphere with excellent music!

World Pride 2012: All eyes on London

Contribution from Jon Fairbanks a Gay Travel Team member at www.gaytravel.com


The videos are my experience of London Pride as a proud British gay bloke.


All opinions below are of Jon Fairbanks:

Seriously, how gay can London get in 2012? If the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee isn’t queer enough, “The Old Smoke” is also playing host to WorldPride in June. 

WorldPride, created by InterPride, is a popular celebration of all things LGBTQ that attracts revelers from … yes … around the world. This is the third installment of WorldPride, the previous celebrations took place in Rome and Jerusalem.

While the past events drew hundreds of thousands of visitors, organizers anticipate more than one million people will flock to London to take part in the festivities thanks to the upcoming 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. What’s on tap for this year’s WorldPride? Theatre shows, debates, poetry readings and other events are planned but let’s get real, it’s all about the parade and parties.

Parade Day is July 7^th, at the end of WorldPride. This year the route will start on Baker Street and will run more than a half mile longer than usual, covering more of London’s iconic landmarks including Piccadilly Circus, where a Pride Rally will take place. Several of the UK’s brightest stars are scheduled to appear on the main stage in Trafalgar Square, including X Factor finalist Lloyd Daniels and pop-punk band Twenty Twenty. In addition to the musical acts, there will also be comedy shows and dancers. In Soho, partygoers will converge at the dance stage where they’ll be entertained by London’s hottest DJs. If you’re in the right place at the right time, you might find yourself hobnobbing with Sir Elton John, Sir Ian McKellen or another A-lister who’s been known to attend London Pride.

Most of the action takes place in the heart of Soho, London’s gayborhood. The yellow brick road? Old Compton Street. A street lined with the city’s most popular gay bars, pubs, sex shops and restaurants. When you see the rainbow flags and cruisy blokes, you’ll know you’re home. The most popular venues in the West End include the spacious and stylish Ku Bar, G-A-Y Bar and The King’s Arms, catering to bears and the cubs who love them. Soho will also be closed to traffic on the day of the parade and many of the clubs will be open until 4am.

For gents who dig leather and fetish clubs, you’ll want to head to Vauxhall, a neighborhood south of the river. Crash is the hottest venue in the area on Saturday nights, Instinct is also a great spot if you love house and techno music. Horse Meat Disco/The Eagle London attracts a variety of gay patrons from bears to twinks. The bottom line, during pride, every visitor will find a bar or club to fit their individual preference.

Getting around London is incredibly easy thanks to the city’s great public transportation system. For less than £5 you can buy a daily travel card which gives you access to the London Underground (the tube) and buses. Route maps are also available at several locations throughout the city, so you should have little trouble getting from point A to point B.

Several high-profile companies are helping to underwrite this year’s festivities, including Smirnoff, Coca-Cola and Tesco, the UK’s largest private employer. Recently, some LGBT activists, including Hannah Dee, have criticized London Pride and its organizers for becoming a corporate sponsored event more interested in generating a profit than celebrating the achievements of the gay and lesbian community.

Despite the criticism, London Pride is still a great fundraiser for organizations that benefit LGBT organizations. This year Kaleidoscope Trust was selected as the official charity partner. Kaleidoscope International Diversity Trust is a nonprofit organization that campaigns for equality for gays and lesbians people around the world. For socially-minded Marys and ‘mos who want a break from the pride debauchery, there will also be a conference on gay rights featuring several renowned speakers.

England isn’t known for its great weather, but the summer months can be beautiful. Luckily, WorldPride happens at the beginning of the summer, giving visitors the opportunity to enjoy the local landscape. London’s premier gay cruising area is located in the northwest part of the city in an area called Hampstead Heath Ponds. It’s no South Beach, but it’s great if you want to check out some hot locals and out of towners and get a respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. There’s a men’s bathing pond located here which gained worldwide notoriety when singer George Michael was photographed here. If you don’t have a number one hit song, chances are you can fly under the radar.

2012 marks the 40^th anniversary of the first London gay pride parade and this year’s event promises to be biggest yet. So if you’ve never had the opportunity to explore this sophisticated, thriving metropolis, now’s the time check out the city where you are encouraged to live like a Queen.

West of LA - Santa Monica, Venice, West Hollywood

By Jon Fairbanks- Gay Travel Team Member and www.gaytravel.com

Santa Monica is known for its laid-back atmosphere, world class hotels and beautiful beaches.

Less than two miles from the central strip of Santa Monica you’ll find the most well-known gay beach in the Los Angeles area, Will Rogers Beach in Pacific Palisades. It’s a small, nondescript area but for soaking up the sun, playing a game of volleyball with some bronzed hotties or taking part in a yoga class it’s a time drifter.

The Santa Monica Pier offers a peaceful and eye-capturing view of the ocean. Once you get past the gaudiness of the amusement park, you’ll find that the Heal the Bay Aquarium is phenomenal and the street performers will give you a little amusement.

Food

Whether you’re looking for a great steakhouse, sushi or amazing Thai, there’s a venue for every taste. Seafood lovers will definitely want to experience The Lobster located next to the iconic Santa Monica Pier. The surf and turf is just as incredible as the view

Nightlife

West Hollywood is the most popular, but expect a small trek to get there. It’s 10 miles away but heavy traffic can make it into an hours journey. A car is an absolute must.

If you’re looking for something more low-key, consider a short trip into neighboring Venice. The city is a haven for artists, surfers and anyone who enjoy the wafting scent of Marijuana on every corner. Abbot Kinney Boulevard is the heart and soul of the Venice community, lined with coffee shops, eclectic boutiques and restaurants serving exotic cuisine. This is also where you’ll find the area’s only gay bar, Rooster Fish.

For more than three decades Rooster Fish has been the only game in town for the gay and lesbian Westside. When you first walk in, you feel like you’re in a straight college bar, not a beach city gay bar. It’s a small venue with two rooms but it’s a popular spot that attracts a wide variety of patrons, straight, gay, male and female.

Rooster Fish offers a great Domestic Bliss Happy Hour all week long with drink specials starting at just $3.50 from 5-7pm. There’s also an outdoor patio BBQ each Sunday from 1-6pm, where burgers and hot dogs are served.

If you’re in the Venice area at the beginning of the Month, check out First Friday. This is an incredible event where a slew of restaurants, galleries and boutiques stay open until 10pm, allowing locals and tourists to meet shop owners in a festive setting.

Santa Monica, Venice and the rest of the communities located on the Westside of Los Angeles offer gay visitors a vibe that can’t be found in any other area. This beachfront area attracts Hollywood celebrities, college students, artists, executives and musicians. Whether you live in Minneapolis or Downtown Los Angeles, you instantly feel like you’re on vacation when you arrive in town.

So what’s the most important thing each and every visitor must do in Santa Monica, gay or straight? Nothing! Whether you’re hanging out on the beach, lounging by a hotel pool or sipping espresso on a café patio, take time to rest, relax and soak up the sun.

Fort Lauderdale: Wilton Manors – the gayborhood, Florida

My first trip to the gayborhood in Fort Lauderdale really made me feel as though I was in the USA. George’s Alibi was buzzing with the sounds of country a room of cabaret, men in stetzens and huge beefy bears serving casks of beer.

There’s quite a difference to British gay villages; America seems to like to butch it up a bit. A bar in most cities I’ve been to would be amiss without a grumpy drunk propping up a bar, a camp cheerleader behind the bar, a music selection full of rock and country and some form of macho sport presentation or a pool table. Good luck finding all that in the UK.

George’s Alibi is a popular meeting haunt all week and where Wilton Manors all began when a gay resident bought the complex and began rejuvenating it – this whole area in fact was once run down. Adopted by gays and becomes a sought-after area.

It’s worth stopping by Rosie’s Bar & Grill, Gelati Martini Lounge, New Moon Bar, and the Manor Complex.

Bill’s Sport Bar is a must-stop – I was totally in awe of such a concept – a gay sports bar. It’s full of men in shorts and vests; fit guys behind the bar mixing cocktails; it’s draped in paraphernalia of American Football, Baseball, and Basketball. There was an excellent atmosphere here; very lively and a great hangout. www.billsfillingstation.com

The Manor is the after-part. Head to this multi-club post-midnight (at least) and get on the dance floor. The weekend is a Friday – Sunday affair, with the odd Thursday thrown in; several rooms to relax, get on the dance floor, play or drink to local and international DJs. It’s a rather fancy place – and worth it’s weight in Wilton Manors: www.themanorcomplex.com 2345 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors.

Fort Lauderdale: Pay Lips Service

WARNING – It’s a drag bar people. It has men with penis miming to really camp songs while wearing incredibly tight fitting or revealing women’s clothing while trying to emanate a famous signing diva. Glamorous.

Exactly what this place is; rock up to the joint and your suddenly surrounded by grand chandeliers, ruby red back drop curtains and a deep burlesque shine. Glamorous ladies waltz the room taking orders; ribbing the diners and poking fun at their comments. Cocktails whirled around the room relaxing the crowd in preparation for the evenings programme.

Music gently filled the room, the sounds of Motown filled my ears and head started to sing, the straw remained in my mouth as I sucked up my influencing cocktail. My lips began to move, my feet started to twitch and before I knew it – I was up and I was Ms Diana Ross. She filled the room all eyes darting in her direction her arms began to flail and cheers rose from the crowd 3 minutes later Diana was gone – but footage survived!

The performance would be as you would expect from a restaurant cabaret theatre with drag queens lip-synching to divas – incredible. The outfits, the looks, the songs, the show; a laugh out loud sing-a-long gay fest! Get down there!

Fort Lauderdale: Shopping

There’s no doubt about it – the American’s know how to shop. They’ve exported their shopping malls across the world along with their brands and culture of hanging around stores all day buying and eating. Well here in Fort Lauderdale it’s on an even bigger scale – you’ll find superb boutique stores in the streets of downtown Fort Lauderdale, especially East Las Olas Boulevard, and the largest shopping outlet in the whole of the USA – Sawgrass Mills.

Sawgrass Mills covers nearly 2 miles of shopping space together with over 350 stores – this beast is still growing with expectations in late 2012 a further section will be added to this 20 year old in-door high street. You can get all the top brand names like Gap, Esprit, Calvin Klein to the designer labels of Hugo Boss, Prada and Versace.

Take all this with excellent American prices plus heavy discounts of 40% (regularly advertised) or so and you’ll be making unbelievable savings on European pricing. Just make sure you give yourself plenty of time, Sawgrass Mills needs a minimum of 2.5 hours.

Sawgrass Mills: 12801 West Sunrise Boulevard, Sunrise, Florida,33323

www.facebook.com/sawgrassmills

WTM – part two: the gay products about to send you on your way

The gay and lesbian before long will be spoilt for choice, slowly getting to a point of greater tolerance, acceptance, inclusion and respect within the travel industry. Further as more countries derail their homophobia and build real cornerstones of support and inclusivity we will have much further to travel.

India itself has decriminalised homosexuality (from an outdated British law), and countries towards the Middle East (including Israel and Turkey) are making major inroads – especially as Tel Aviv is one of the hottest gay spots of the Mediterranean.

But what else? Well it’s not all sunshine, beach bodies and bronzing  - gay ski weeks in North America have been growing for sometime, but now Europe has its fair share of ski weeks, including one at Les Deux Alps in April Switzerland’s Arosa Gay Ski Week [http://www.gayskiweek.ch/en/] is now fixed running between 8 – 15 January 2011. Set in the idyllic Swiss Alps surrounded by men on skis and boards – rampaging down the slops, yum! Who wants to warm them up after a cold day in the mountains?

Another development in Switzerland is that the Tourism board is actually putting all its hotels through a certification programme for their gay credentials. Switzerland Tourism has become the first national tourism organisation to join the GayComfort training and certification program. All GayComfort certified properties will be listed on www.MySwitzerland.com/gaylesbian and staff will have undertaken dedicated online training on LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) travel issues via http://www.GayComfort.com. Making selection of hotels much much easier.

Fancy a trek to somewhere new and exciting? Well, India is preparing itself and with the website of hand-picked gay welcoming hotels – Further Afield [http://www.furtherafield.com] is soon to add properties in India. Alternatively, grab a tour with gay tour specialist Yellow Brick Road http://www.yellowbrickroadtours.com/ taking you to places not traditionally gay – but that certainly have a vibrant gay culture.

If you fancy something incredible prepare for San Paulo’s gay pride event where they are expecting over 4.5million visitors in 2012, it was recorded as the largest gay pride in the world – so Brazil is the place to be!

With one further exciting developments in the gay travel space – World Rainbow Hotels will open its doors in 2012 with more products, packages and offers for the gay and lesbian traveller. Here you will be able to learn about destinations, book online from selected gay-friendly and certified gay-welcoming properties of all star ratings and qualities. 

All round a great year and brilliant development for the gay travel market.