One of Europe’s most beautiful cities attracts gay tourists in droves

BY DAVID LAURENTS

Just under a year ago, Spain undefined marriage as the union between a man and a woman to be the union between two conjugal partners, regardless of their sex. While Spanish judges won’t marry foreign couples (the way that Canadian courts have done), Spain has a lot to offer the gay tourist, whether he’s single and on the prowl or traveling with his partner and looking for a tolerant and accepting place for couples. And few destinations match Barcelona in its offerings of nightlife, culture, architecture and beaches.

Surf and sand

It’s no wonder that, according to a report in El Pais, 90 percent of Spaniards remain within Spain when they take their vacations.

And in Barcelona, one has not just all the advantages of a major metropolis, but a beach available within literal walking distance from the center of town. What’s more, the first beach that one reaches, after strolling down the Ramblas to the Mediterranean, happens to be a gay beach called la Barceloneta. What a change from most other seaside resorts, where one has to trek for miles to reach the remote gay beach. The area known as Sant Sebastià is also clothing-optional.

The gay resort town of Sitges is less than an hour outside of Barcelona by local commuter train, making for an easy day (or weekend) trip.

Lazy afternoons

Schilling (Ferran, 23) is not a specifically gay café, but is a de facto hangout just off the Ramblas for gay locals and tourists. A good place to scope out the panorama over an afternoon coffee, not to mention let oneself be seen...

Nightlife in Spain starts very late. One exception is Punto BCN (Muntaner, 63) that often attracts a decent crowd, looking to have a beer in the early afternoon and perhaps find a bit of action as well. It’s one of the cruisiest bars in Barcelona that isn’t an explicitly sex-on premise venue (such as New Chaps or the Eagle).

Spending your Euros

Situated in the heart of the Barrio Gótico, Complices (Cervantes, 2) is the oldest gay bookshop in Barcelona. The small place feels slightly cramped because it’s so chock-full of books in Spanish, Catalan and a decent selection of gay titles in English if you’re looking to pick up a beach read. The staff speaks English.

Closer to the water, Antinous (Josep Anselm Clavé, 6) also offers some gay titles in English. This gay store offers more than just books, however, so here you could also pick up fashionable underwear, a rainbow towel, or perhaps even a cute Catalan boy in its café.

Both locales are also good places to pick up a copy of one of the local gay magazines, Nois or Gay Barceloana, or a gay map of the city, to help orient yourself to the local scene.

The neighborhood known as the Eixample, often called the GAIxample due to its concentration of gay bars and stores, is full of small boutiques catering to the tastes of gay locals and tourists. Because these stores tend to open and close quite regularly, the best bet is to wander the area stopping whenever something strikes your fancy. Some long-standing and reliable suggestions: La Boutique del Hotel (Aribau 33) inside the Hotel Axel features exclusive menswear (the hotel has also been the setting of fashion shows by gay designers). Zona Eleven (Muntaner 61 or 75) offers imported labels: Dolce & Gabana, Versace, Moschino, Valentino, etc. La Tienda de Ken (Casanova, 56) offers a wide variety of intimate wear. Down in the gothic quarter, Ovlas (via Laitana 33) is a Spanish equivalent to Raymond Dragon, with its own line of muscle fashion.

Where there’s steam...

Bathhouses are a common and popular staple of gay life in Europe. It is not uncommon for friends to agree to meet at the bar inside their favorite sauna, for a drink before or after having had sex with other guys.

It is also quite common for men to visit the sauna in the afternoon, between lunch and dinner, before going out partying later. Some of the saunas even offer breakfast for those partygoers who head there directly after the discos close.

Classic Sauna Casanova (Casanova 57) in the heart of the Gaixample, attracts a very hip and fashionable crowd, whereas Sauna Condal (Espolsasacs 1) tends toward a more regular crowd (and is more bear-friendly). Both are open 24 hours all week long.

The newer Sauna Barcelona (Tuset 1, corner of Diagonal) offers a wide arrange of special themes or promotions, and Sauna Buenos Aires (Urgell 114) offers special entrance discounts for men under 27.

Many saunas give you a condom when you pay your entrance fee, but you might want to bring your own lube.

Disco Dali

Barcelona is very much a party town, and there is nightlife available every day of the week. Keep in mind that things in Spain get off to a late start: dinner is likely to last until around midnight, then people go out to a bar for a drink or two before at last, around 2:30 or 3 a.m., heading to the disco of their choice. Often, cute boys can be found distributing flyers offering discounts for that night’s disco sessions at (or just outside) most gay bars.

Many legendary parties from other cities host special events in Barcelona, most notably the London club Salvation, which has a permanent home in la Ciutat Condal (Ronda San Pere, 19-21), or the Berlin nightclub GMF which, as of this writing, has been hosting regular special events there as well.

In terms of regular events: Ken is a popular monthly party held at Discotheque.

Metro (Sepúlveda, 185) is not so much fashionable as dependable. Open every night, it draws a mixed crowd looking for dance music they can sing along with (Spanish as well as English pop songs). A smaller dance floor alternates between salsa and flamenco. Metro also has a small but well-frequented backroom.

Arena offers four different discos (Sala Classic, Sala Madre, Sala Dandy, Sala VIP) catering to every taste: boys, girls, mixed, etc.

Sunday nights (often a highlight of the weekend partying) there is Gay Day held at Space Barcelona (Tarragona 141-147).

Good eats (el buen comer)

Barcelona offers elegance and good food for all price ranges, from trendy take-out chains (Fresh & Ready) to Ferran Adrà’s famous El Bullí (reservations at least 3 months in advance). Perhaps more than any other city in Spain, Barcelona also offers a wide variety of cuisines beyond the Mediterranean staples.

Castro (Casanova, 85) is a classic gay restaurant located in the Gaixample featuring Mediterranean cuisine. Cabaret-style restaurant Miranda (Casanova 30) or newcomer dDivine (Balmes, 24) both offer drag shows with dinner.

Where to sleep

If you have time for sleeping, Barcelona offers a luxury hotel catering to a gay clientele, the Hotel Axel (www.hotelaxel.com) located in the heart of the city (not to mention the gay neighborhood).

For more budget-conscious travelers, the past few years have seen a proliferation of gay hostels and bed and breakfasts, such as Hostal Que Tal (quetalbarcelona.com), Pension La Nau (lanaugay.com) or Barcelona City Centre (barcelonacitycentre.com).