Gay City Break... destination: lisbon, Portugal

Firstly I must point out that I have been to Portugal a few times now over the years mainly the resorts down in the Southern Algarve and to be frank even maybe brutal I was never really a huge fan. Now I can’t be specific as to why all of my previous trips to Portugal where well not memorable for the right reasons but my older and well maybe wiser Lesbian sister and of course her gorgeous Fiancé travel to Portugal annually and to be more specific Lisbon and so after a very recent sister brother catch up visit in Leeds and a good holiday de-brief (Yes thats a thing in my Family ) I felt compelled to give it a go.

City breaks to me usually mean rushing around, cramming as much as you can in , often dirty streets, hot and expensive concrete jungles which id rather avoid especially if I am trying to look at the break from a relaxing couples holiday point of view and so I have to admit when I thought of a city break destination suitable for myself and my other half which would include good LGBTQ nightlife Lisbon was not even slightly on my radar of potential options, but sometimes a surprise is well worth taking.

Once you have a look at the flight options from both Belfast & Dublin you will soon realise that the city is pretty well served by low cost airlines and even package holiday operators. You may decide to well do it yourself or as they call it in travel Dynamic packages using Online Travel Agents OTA’s etc. You can pick up return flights from as low as £50.00 by booking ahead which is cheap when you compare to other cities like Barcelona, Madrid and even Athens.

Hotel wise you have lots of options but I either like uber Luxury or something which is in or very close to the Gay scene and so I have selected two different properties which cater to those needs ok ok my needs. If you like some pure luxury in your life then it has to be the ultra gorgeous Corinthia Hotel Lisbon which is worth every penny simply due to its standards, services and rooms and well the location aint hold bad either.

If you prefer to be in the Gay scene itself then I think the Tivoli Avenida Liberdade could be just the right spot for you. This hotel is still 5 star and boosts a fabulous roof top bar as well as overlooking the Avenida Liberdade itself.

Of course the city has many options like all other cities from hostels to Gay B&B even Gay Homestays or you can even join some sites like Grinder and Scruff were you can connect with local Gay Ambassadors who rent out spare rooms in the city areas. Bonus of doing this especially if single is that you could have your very own Gay local travel rep to show you the sights and best nightly scene entertainment options.

Lisbon is after all the Capital City of Portugal so you would expect it to have a rich mix of old and new just like most large European Capital cities and I’m glad to say that even though Portugal has struggled over the years financially compared to its neighbouring countries its has turned a corner now and its ray of light is beaming for the right reasons.

Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world and it has some truly fabulous historical sites and buildings some of which are globally renowned due to the Unesco world heritage program. So if you have some time I recommend doing as much as you can and trying out the sights and sounds as much as you can to make the most out of your short break.

When I travel I always like to do a little research on the destinations LGBTQ rights and the local scene and find out what is hot and whats not so to speak. Portugal welcomes the Gays with open arms and you will find plenty of Gay only venues but I would say all venues could be seen as minimum gay friendly.

Due to Lisbon’s location I think you get the best of both worlds because you get a modern 24 hour city buzz and first class facilities alongside a wonderful welcoming diverse nightlife with the beach only a few minutes away too. Overall the city is lucky to have a mediterranean like climate which for Northern Irish travellers is like well a Sun Bed on tap.

The cities historic Bairro Alto quarter hosts many late-night shops, restaurants, and gay-friendly bars, including Portugal’s renowned Trombeta Bath, (Its already a winner when I seen this in my eyes ) the country’s most popular gay sauna.

In the Principe Real area, alongside Bairro Alto, further numerous gay-friendly establishments and gay cruise clubs contribute to the vibrant LGBTQ+ atmosphere. The bustling Rua da Atalaia, connecting the two districts, becomes a lively hub where crowds gather until late and you will definitely never feel like you will be on your own or have nothing to do in this city. My feeling was that the scene vibe is very relaxed where you can eat drink, be social into the later hours before moving onto dance the night away in the various clubs and disco venues across the two areas.

For enthusiasts of gay-friendly beaches, the extensive and popular Costa da Caparica, is only about 15-minute drive from the city centre. Here you can discover the allure of the gay beach area known as Beach 19 or Praia de Bela Vista, where a selection of gay-popular venues and opportunities for cruising in the dunes. Its not Gran Canaria with its famous Maspalomas sand dunes but its good.

Lets get down to the wonderful options when it comes to bars and clubs. First up I think any trip to Lisbon needs to have a trip to Shelter Bar this is a Fun, Fabulous Gay bar aimed mainly at the BEARS so yes you guessed it now is the time to get your GROWL on. Next up is Construction Club/Bar this has to be hands down a venue which offers all the groups in the community something from Tech Dance blasting out from the DJs booths to Leather and Go-Go boys your sure to dance the night away in a safe colourful venue.

As with all my suggestions its alway worth your while going online checking reviews and social media sites to check out what’s on and well if whats hot to me might be or might not be your idea of a great spot.

Now Bath houses/Gay Sauna can always make or break a day or night out and the city has well more than a few to choose from but the most famous of them all is Trombetha which has lots of different areas to both relax in and cruise or enjoy all things that make a sauna a sauna. One thing I really did like was the option to have Massage which doesn’t always be part of a Gay Sauna experience. My experience was that it seemed to be always busy and with a very diverse mix of nationalities and types and the online reviews seemed to highlight that anyday is busy so well be prepared for it to be busy busy even not on a weekend.

Besides everything that is Gay what can you do on a short visit to Lisbon? Honestly you could easily spend a week or two in Lisbon visiting the numerous attractions, lookout points, historic plazas, museums, beaches and parks especially if your a keen photographer like myself.

I would probably spend at least 3 days minimum and maybe a long weekend like Friday-Monday. Summer months are obviously the most popular but for me it can be too hot and too busy and therefore I would suggest maybe October through to March as the weather can still be warm and beautiful up to 21 degrees.

Hopefully I have put Lisbon into your thoughts for when your thinking about your next trip but for me I am heading to the Madness that is Manchester and then off to Asia again later on in the year where I hope to shine some light on some lesser known Gay Spots which you could explore.

Enjoy Summer until next time.

Gavyn Andrews