- OVERVIEW
- GAY LIFE
- HOTELS ETC
- HOT TIPS
A guide to Gay Madrid
What Madrid lacks in landmarks it makes up for with fun. The Spanish capital is a charming, elegant city with wonderful palaces and squares but no outstanding world landmarks to match Big Ben or the Eiffel Tower. But it does have amazing nightlife, great museums and galleries, a thriving gay scene and sunshine galore.
The great thing about Madrid is that the centre is compact. You can easily walk from one attraction to another taking in the architecture, the culture and the bustle of a busy capital city without wearing yourself out.
And you will need your strength because the nightlife starts late and goes on till dawn. Spanish people seem to eat dinner when most others would be thinking of bed. And the bars and clubs only get busy when, in most other countries, they would be closing down for the night.
Madrid is dominated by its royal history with money from its former overseas empire spent on palaces, cathedrals and public buildings that provide its grandeur. It has world-class art galleries and museums, beautiful parks and a mix of big modern shopping streets, like the Grand Via and warren-like backstreet blocks like the gay district at Chueca.
Cut off from much of the world during Franco’s dictatorship, the city has flourished into a truly liberal city and a great place to visit.
Our top sightseeing tips for Madrid
ShoppingThe Chueca, Fuencarral Street and Sol-Salamanca areas are the most important shopping areas in Madrid. Spain’s largest department store, El Corte Ingles is found in many locations throughout the capital. The Fuencarral Market is also an interesting and central option. The Gran Via has much to offer as well, but for the gay tourist the Chueca area may prove the most appealing.
Getting ThereMadrid Barajas Airport is one of the largest in Europe, and is conveniently connected to the city centre either by train (line C1 Cercanias Commuter Train) or by Metro (line 8, pink. In addition, an inexpensive express bus service runs 24 hrs a day.
If you are arriving by train, you will arrive at one of Madrid’s two train stations: Chamartin or Atocha. Both have excellent connections with either the Metro or Cercanias. Modern high-speed trains connect Madrid to Barcelona (2,4hrs), Seville (2,2hrs), and Malaga (2,30hrs), as well as other European capitals such as Lisbon and Paris.
Most international buses arrive at Estacion Sur de Autobuses, one of eight bus terminals in Madrid. Bus arrivals from Bilbao and Barcelona come in at Avenida de Americas bus terminal. All these stations are accessible by Metro.
Getting AroundYour best tip is to use the MadridCard that will give you access to a wide range of cultural and leisure activities, such as museums, monuments, palaces, etc – via the use of public transport. The Underground (Metro) is safe and efficient as well as buses. You may find cabs difficult to hire at late hours on weekends and, unlike other European cities, there are fewer taxi stands.
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Gay Madrid
Events in Madrid
The Spanish capital has become one of the top gay destinations of the world. Its liberal and open-minded spirit reflects on its gay pride which was voted the best in the world by Logo/MTV. Over 2 million people take part as the parade makes its way through the city’s majestic avenues. At night the gay district of Chueca is packed with revelers with performers on stages in every one of its squares. Throughout the year Madrid has a large gay scene, located mostly at the Chueca area and most recently at Lavapies and Latina neighbourhoods. If you’re looking for gay hotel Madrid, then this is probably the area you’ll want to be closest to. The city has loads of gay saunas, bars and clubs, many with backrooms but watch your wallet.
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Looking for gay hotels Madrid? Well you’ve come to the right website. Like many city-centres in Europe, Madrid doesn’t offer that many gay-only hotels. But Spain is a relatively liberal country when it comes to sexuality, so you’ll find most of the city’s hotels are at least gay-friendly. We’d recommend staying as centrally as possible, and close to the La Chueca gay area – so that you don’t have to stagger home too far after a night out! You'll find a selection of gay and gay-friendly hotels in Madrid to the right. Should you want to search using a map and more criteria, try out more powerful Accommodation Search Page. The La Chueca area is also marked on the map on that page, making it even easier to make the best choice. Happy searching!
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Links to the best Gay Madrid linksSo many Gay Madrid destination guides attempt to list the top restaurants, bars, shops, events, and websites for a given town - but their suggestions quickly become out of date, because such information is constantly changing. So instead of trying to list our own suggestions, we've listed the best websites or 'apps' for finding out what's hot in Gay Madrid. That way, you get the best information possible. Simply click on any of the logos below to visit any of our recommended sites.
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