If you are gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual or straight and you want to go to a club or bar where you don’t have to worry about being harassed by the opposite sex, Spain has a very active gay scene. Gay clubs, bars, hotels and associations can be found throughout the country with a greater presence in the largest and most cosmopolitan cities such as Madrid or Barcelona.

Currently it is estimated that there are around four million lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people in Spain, and around 62% of Spaniards support the initiative to legalize same-sex marriages. This law now grants same-sex couples residing in Spain the right to marry and the same property, inheritance and adoption rights as married heterosexuals. Due to this growing support for homosexuality, Spain has become a popular tourist and vacation destination for the gay community.

Since the early 1960s, the Costa del Sol, and Torremolinos in particular, have been a mecca for gays and gay friendly people. With its laid-back lifestyle and visiting or resident artists, singers and writers, the Costa del Sol has become the most popular gay hub in southern Europe.

If you head west from Malaga airport, you will discover the gay Costa del Sol starting at the gay beach of Guadalmar, the trendy beach bars of Los Alamos to the gay nightlife of La Nogalera in Torremolinos. If you continue past the naturist beach of Benalmádena to the more sober gay bars of Fuengirola, you will find the famous gay beach of Cabopino before reaching the quieter scene of the elegant resort of Marbella.

The Costa del Sol is less than a three hour flight from the UK and is a year round tourist area offering real value and something for all gays and lesbians.

Torremolinos has a great gay nightlife, second only to Madrid and Barcelona. While Sitges and Gran Canaria mainly attract visitors from the UK, Holland and Germany, Torremolinos is still a very Spanish city with most of the gay bars filled with local Spanish guys. The age of the gay crowd is younger than in Sitges and Gran Canaria, with the big nightclubs attracting a very young gay crowd between 18 and 30 years old.

There are more than 30 gay and lesbian venues in Torremolinos concentrated in a small gay town called Nogalera. Most of the bars don’t open before 11:00 pm, so be prepared to party until dawn. The hottest gay spots right now are The Gate Bar, which attracts over 30 handsome guys, the Parthenon Club, and Home Disco. The largest gay sauna in southern Europe will open here later this year.

There are no true gay hotels in Torremolinos, but you will find many gay beachfront bungalows that are located in the city center, just a five minute walk from all the gay bars. The gay bungalows offer a free parking space and total privacy.