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Gay In Greece Part II - We have put together a more exotic destination for your Spring Break or Summer vacation this year with nothing less than the best gay party spots.

Mykonos is a Greek island that is near the centre of the Cyclades group of islands. In Greek kyklathes (Cyclades) means circle, or circular and the group of islands is named this way because… well they form a circular pattern in the Aegean sea. They are probably the result of some ancient volcanic activity and, when you hit the right night spots on Mykonos, you could find yourself in for some pretty explosive action too!

At least that’s what most people think. Mykonos has long been called the gay centre of the Greek islands but it is not like other party islands – I’m thinking of Corfu and Rhodes here, islands catering for the 18 – 30 straight and wild crowd. In the past Mykonos was a place where the young and trendy, gay and glamorous set would go to party during the summer months. So much so that it built up a reputation for being outlandish and expensive. But in recent years it has mellowed and what is left behind is a beautiful Greek island that is a great place to chill out while, at the same time, it still provides some very nice gay night life.

The thing about this island is that it is very small and just about everywhere you go you will find a gay friendly bar or restaurant. As with Athens it doesn’t pay to be too overtly gay, I mean don’t proposition any guy you happen to meet as Greek men tend to be macho and “bisexual” rather than openly gay: they wouldn’t want to be ‘outed’ in front of their friends and family. So take it easy, be polite but be prepared to let your hair down when you find one of the gay bars. And there are plenty to choose from. None of them cater for any one particular kind of crowd, anything goes in most of them: young or old, tranny or butch… whatever you’re into you’ll find everyone goes to their favorite bar because of its atmosphere or location rather than because it attracts other young or old guys, trannies or leather queens.

For a night out in Mykonos Town, the main port and town of the island, you’re spoiled for choice. You could try 4 Roses for a varied mix of clientele, music and late night dancing. Icaros does attract a younger crowd but mainly in the peak summer months. You’ll find it above the Manto bar where it has a quiet mood, a great terrace and some late night cabaret from time to time. For a mainly English speaking crowd there is the Ikon bar and for more sophistication there is Kastro’s bar with a great sunset view and cocktails. Montparnasse is am piano bar with ‘American style’ music and regular cabaret performances and for the big party or that late night rave you should head over to the ‘gay square’ at ‘Matoyianni’, the main street. Here you will find Pierro’s where the crowd spills out onto the street. There is a disco and a café here so you get the best of all worlds.

Those are just some of the night spots you’ll find and they all tend to be close to one another so maybe spend your first night in Mykonos wandering the main town (it’s not very big) until you have found a place you like. A good idea is to establish a base, a bar or café that you like, and start your evenings off from there. You’ll find in Greece that once you start using a bar regularly the guys who work there will be inclined to look after you. You’ll find freed drinks poured for you and some really friendly locals who will point you to what they consider the best place for a gay night out.

Play it cool, respect the islanders and above all – have fun!

More Information:

Gay Accommodations - A good page of info and pics

Mykonos.net - More general information and gay news on beaches and cruising areas, restaurants etc.

Tripadvisor.com Greece:Gay.Mykonos-A good travel page with links to maps and even more information

The first thing you should know about going gay in Greece is that there are no laws against it, yippee! The age of consent in Greece (between two guys) is 15 or 17 in some places and that confusion is kind of typical of Greek bureaucracy. But as long as the cute guy you find is over 17 and consenting you should be o.k. Having said that if there is a huge difference in your ages, for example if he is 15 and you’re 40, then you could run in to trouble, so beware.

But you will also tend to find in Greece that being gay isn’t talked about much. It’s a kind of culture where what you do behind closed doors is up to you but they’d rather you didn’t flaunt it in public. It’s still a fairly macho society and, although it goes on, most guys you meet will tell you they are bi-sexual rather than risk being ‘outed’ to their straight friends and family.

But in Athens you’ll find plenty of places to go where young gay guys meet up and you’ll feel at home and safe. Here is a run down of some of the bars, clubs and places that are geared towards a younger, 18 – 30 crowd.

Almodovar is a bar that’s open from 11.30 to 3.30 every night and caters for a mainly young crowd. If those hours sound kind of late to you then you have to remember that, in Greece, folk like to go out late. A standard day consists of working in the morning, early, taking a long siesta in the afternoon (usually between 2 and 5 when everything more or less closes) and then eating late, at around nine in the evening. After that it’s party time for the young set and things don’t really get going until midnight. This is due to the heat, particularly in the summer. By the way, try and avoid Athens in August, it’s horrible!

Sodade describes itself as the most famous night club in Greece and is well worth a look on your trip. It’s a nightclub that caters for boys and girls and opens its doors at 11.30 at night, not closing them again until seven in the morning. It has a cool website (in several languages) at www.sodade.gr where you can view some images and see what’s on.

There are around 10 gay café-bars and clubs in Athens and most of them cater for a mixed aged crowd; to find younger guys you’ll need to go to the two I mentioned above or take pot luck at the others. Having said that, most guys who are openly out on the Greek gay scene tend to be younger and more enlightened or ‘Westernised’, the older man will probably stay at home or go to a cruising ground.

If you’re not into late night clubs then Interni might suit you. This is a café/restaurant that opens from three to nine in the afternoons and is a great place to chill out. If you want something more steamy then try the Athens Relax Sauna, a gay sauna with private rooms and a bar that’s open from noon until seven p.m. It has private rooms as well as all the usual sauna facilities. The Intercontinental Hotel is also a well known sauna but this one caters for a mixed crowd, so proceed with caution.

And for the really sexed up guys among you who enjoy a spot of outside cruising and sex you could try the National Gardens Park (open from six a.m. to six p.m.), Omonia Square in the afternoon and evening in front of the Neon Café, or the beaches in the Vouliagmeni area 20 km to the west of the city centre. In all these places take extra care who you go with and where. One thing’s for certain in Greece, you don’t want to be arrested for having outdoor sex.

Almodovar

60 Konstantinoupoleos Street (Gazi area)

Sodade

Triptolemou Street (Gazi area)

Interni

152 Ermou Street (Gazi area)

Athens Relax Sauna

8 Xouthou Street (Omonia Square)

Hotel Intercontinental

89 – 93 Syggoru Avenue

Useful links:

Gaytravelgreece.com

Frommers.com

Athens Info Guide