Gay Madrid: Your Guide To The Gay Scene In Madrid
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Where Is The Gay Scene In Madrid?
There is one area in Madrid where the gay scene is concentrated. Chueca, is the barrio (district) just off the main Gran Via road in the centre of Madrid where the most gay bars and clubs are found. Gay visitors to Madrid should start with a visit to the Chueca Centre, on calle Horteleza, 32, where customers can pick up a free gay map of Madrid. This is a time saver and will help you to find some of the best places to go in gay Madrid.
Metro: Chueca (Green Line, L5) Plus 5 minutes walk.
While you're in Chueca, keep a look out for the free magazines 'Shanguide' and the larger, glossier, 'Shangay'. They are in Spanish but contain up to date listings of everything that is happening in terms of entertainment in Gay Madrid. You should be able to follow the information even if you don't speak Spanish.
You don't have to stick exclusively to Chueca if you're gay. You'll find the gay community out and about throughout the city. Try also Cava Baja street in the La Latina area for a mixed and open-minded crowd. Metro: La Latina (Green Line, L5) Plus 3 minutes walk.
The lesbian scene is also concentrated around the area of Lavapies.
Metro: Lavapies (Yellow Line, L3)
Gay Friendly Madrid
In the centre of the Chueca area, you'll find the Plaza Chueca. There are plenty of bars and clubs in this area that cater to gay Madrid. Chueca is by no means exclusive to the gay community, and you'll also find lots of people from other walks of life enjoying the ambiance of the area. The style in Chueca is cool, alternative and bohemian and the people are open-minded. No one bats an eye if you are straight and you walk into a 'gay bar'.
There are bars and clubs that cater for both gay men and gay women. Also, a theme of a few bars in Chueca is that you'll find they are 'Chill Out' bars. The two main streets through Chueca are Calle Horteleza and Fuencarral. Both these streets run parallel to each other, up from Gran Via, making them easy to find, and contain gay bars that are easily recognisable from the gay flag that hangs outside.
Madrid Gay Accommodation
Throughout Chueca and the nearby areas of Sol and Gran Via, you'll find hostals and hotels, some of which cater to gay visitors. If you can find accommodation in any of these areas, you'll be close to the nightlife and to other attractions such as the theatre and the many restaurants in the centre of Madrid.
Madrid Gay Club
There's a big gay club scene in Madrid. One of the best places to start is in the Chueca area, where you'll find that most clubs are within walking distance of each other.
Madrid Gay Bar
You'll find a variety of gay bars in Madrid. There are themed bars, leather bars, drag bars, chill bars, flamenco bars and show bars. Whatever your taste, you'll be able to find somewhere to go and drink. In the barrio of Chueca, you'll see the highest concentration of gay bars.
To buy a small beer in a bar in Chueca generally costs around €3.00, which is expensive bar Madrid standards. Most people drink cocktails, which are on average about €6.00 each. The most popular cocktail in Chueca is the minty, Mojito.
Gay Madrid has a thriving and exciting scene. You'll find loads of bars, clubs and shops that cater to the gay community in the Chueca area of the city centre. Chueca also attracts people from other walks of life, and is not exclusively gay. Likewise, the gay community are welcomed throughout Madrid. There are also hostals in Chueca that provide accommodation exclusively for gay visitors.