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Valencia Gay Travel

wolfyy’s Valencia gay travel guide to hotels, things to do, gay bars, clubs, beaches, & cruising.

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The Gay Travel Experience: Valencia, Spain

Valencia continues to gain popularity as a prominent European gay holiday destination. With a fantastic restaurant scene, stunning architecture, extravagant gay nightlife, and a relaxing gay beach, what’s not to love? 

gay travel Valencia
Valencia Gay Travel attractions
Calatrava architecture in spain

Ideal for a relaxing stay with friends, Valencia is a calmer city by day, but can certainly get wild at night. While it may not be that obvious, the Valencia gay nightlife scene is enormous.

Calatrava architecture in spain

Valencia is one of those European cities where everything feels perfect. The easy pace of Spanish life pervades the city, similar to Spanish cities like Seville, Granada, and Cádiz

Valencia gay travel

I loved the humming street cafés and the wonderful beaches, including the awesome local gay beach. 

local market in Valencia
Valencia gay travel

Whether you’re looking for a gay new destination, or you have plans to visit several popular gay cities in Spain, Valencia should be high on your list. Valencia warmly welcomes gay travelers, making for an accepting experience.

local market in Valencia

Gay Valencia: Hotels & Where to Stay

Where is the best place to stay in Valencia? Well, this city is much cheaper in comparison to Spain’s larger and more tourist-trodden cities. Your money will go a lot farther, so staying in the city center is definitely worth it.

city center

Valencia is quite walkable and offers public transport. I definitely recommend Valencia hotels right in the middle of the city. There will find plenty of gay-welcoming options here.

While Valencia doesn’t have an official gay district, the city center’s El Carmen neighborhood is generally considered to be the local gay area since most gay bars are nearby.

city center
where to stay Valencia

Vacation apartments in central Valencia are also quite attractive considering how affordable they can be. Many also have rooftop terrace levels or offer fantastic city views.

I stayed right near the Colón metro station. Streets in this area are lined with cafés and restaurants. El Corte Inglés, a major shopping mall is a few minutes by foot.

where to stay Valencia

Consider renting a car in Valencia to make getting around much easier, especially if you plan to visit beaches or attractions outside the city. Public transport to the beach specifically can take quite a bit of time.

You can easily book a vehicle in advance to pick up at the Valencia airport.

Valencia Hotels I Recommend

Here are a few fantastic hotels for gay travelers in Valencia that are highly rated and centrally located, perfect for exploring the city.

L&H Gran Vía Valencia

L&H Gran Vía Valencia

Marqués House Hotel

Marqués House Hotel Sup

Mon Suites Benlliure Hotel

Mon Suites Benlliure

Valencia gay hotel

Only YOU Hotel Valencia

Valencia Gay Travel Experiences

Start out by strolling through Valencia’s Old City. You can window shop the high-end fashion brands, peruse local cafés, admire the architecture, and take in the vibe of the city.

City highlights bike tours are a fantastic alternative to walking around. They’ll start in the city center and conveniently lead you to big attractions that would normally be a little far to walk to. Plus, they’re inexpensive and you’ll have a local guide.

Valencia gay beach

Valencia Gay Beaches

Visiting Valencia between June and September? Head to Pinedo Beach.

Playa de Las Dunas de Pinedo is the main Valencia gay beach. It’s notably further south than the main Pinedo Beach area. Also, Pinedo is clothing-optional!

gay beach Valencia Spain
Valencia gay beach
gay beach Valencia Spain

Clean dunes and beautiful water make for a perfect afternoon of sunshine on Valencia’s coast. There is a free nearby parking area and the walk to the shore is less than 10 minutes.

gay beach Valencia

Bring enough water and food to the beach with you because there aren’t many establishments here. You’ll also need some good beach towels, and for those not going fully nude, your sexiest gay swimwear.

valencia gay cruising
valencia gay cruising
gay beach Valencia

Even through September, the weather in Valencia is still perfect for laying in the dunes of the gay beach. Don’t be surprised if you see some naked people!

Modern architecture

Valencia Museums & Architecture

The City of Arts and Sciences was definitely my favorite attraction in Valencia. The campus of modern architectural buildings is breathtakingly beautiful.

visiting museum of arts and sciences
visiting museum of arts and sciences
Modern architecture

Designed by Santiago Calatrava, you will feel like you are on the set of a movie, or perhaps on another planet. Go during sunset to catch the stunning colors of a lifetime.

Valencia gay local

La Estrecha, the narrowest building in Europe is right here in Valencia! Measuring only 105 cm wide, it’s comical how small this thing is. I wish I could have gone inside! Great site to see, very close to many coffee shops and other attractions.

Café de Camilo is right around the corner, where you can smell the beans being freshly ground before your coffee is served.

cafe valencia coffee shop
cafe valencia coffee shop
horchata classic drink

Other great places to visit during the day are the Almoina Archeological Center, where you can check out some old Roman ruins beneath the city, as well as the Mercado Central de Valencia, an old-style grocery market.

If you’re thinking about visiting, here are 10 awesome facts about Valencia’s Central Market.

La Lonja de la Seda is also beautiful to check out, a Gothic-style building with beautiful interiors. It only costs a couple of Euros per person.

Try Horchata

Don’t leave without trying some Spanish Horchata! Horchata is the traditional drink of Valencia. Refreshing and non-alcoholic, you can have it anytime, anywhere.

horchata classic drink

Many places will also sell you a liter of the stuff if you want to bring some home, so we bought some to have with breakfast the next morning.

Valencia Restaurants

Some of the cheapest restaurant food I’ve found while traveling the Mediterranean was in Valencia.

gay local at restaurant

My friend Jose, born and raised in Valencia, makes an interesting point—that going out to eat in Valencia usually ends up costing about the same amount as going to the grocery store and making your own meals!

gay local at restaurant
espresso coffee shop

This generally applies to restaurants you find in public plazas and main roads. Higher-end restaurants will obviously cost more.

espresso coffee shop

Llar d’Empar is a picturesque seaside restaurant near Pinedo beach where I had the most delicious rice dish of my life. It was squid ink black rice with garlic sauce and I’ll never forget it! They have seating right on the water and also a covered outdoor area.

Sipping sangria while feeling the warm breeze off the ocean was like heaven. While they don’t have a website, here is the restaurant’s location.

gay life Valencia
museum arts and sciences
gay life Valencia

I loved Llar Roman, and recommend this restaurant, especially for groups. Llar roman is a high-end lunch and dinner restaurant that makes unbelievably good paella. I was lucky enough to join seven gay Valencian locals for lunch here and I had such a fantastic time.

spanish paella

Ao Yama is a fixed-price all-you-can-order sushi restaurant, closer to the city center. It’s about 20 Euros per person and you can order as many dishes as you like from the menu. My gay friend Jose and I ate so much that we needed to go straight home and nap.

Valencia Gay Bars & Clubs

There are a ton of gay bars located right in the Valencia town center, so it’s pretty easy to bar-hop and try more than one!

Valencia gay bar
busy market
Valencia gay bar

The Muse is a popular and relatively standard Valencia gay bar. They have plenty of space both indoors and out on the street earlier in the night. You can count on awesome DJs and a fun time here at The Muse. 

Valencia gay club

Deseo 54 is a crowd-favorite gay club in Valencia. It’s the only club space in Valencia that only hosts gay parties. Gay locals and gay travelers alike attend massive parties at Deseo 54, with world-renowned circuit party-style DJs.

Valencia gay dance club
Valencia gay dance club
Valencia gay club

While Moratin 7 is not the most popular, it’s one other gay bar option. It has a convenient location, perhaps making a visit early in your night more convenient.

busy market

Gay Spaniards also frequent Piccadilly Downtown Club for a rambunctious and upscale night out. While it’s not branded as a Valencia gay club, you’ll definitely find a lot of LGBT patrons there!

Valencia Gay Cruising

Hòmens Sex Bar

Hòmens Sex Bar is a mainstay gay cruising bar in Valencia—the largest in the city. They’re open every day starting at 5 PM and are located in the very center of the city, so there’s no excuse not to stop by!

Valencia gay cruising
Valencia gay cruising
valencia gay sex party

Friday, Saturdays, and Sundays are wildly popular at Hòmens, but you can still find guys here on weekdays too, with most showing up around midnight.

valencia gay sex party

With plenty of dark rooms, a maze, slings, and showers, there’s plenty to explore. Make sure to wear your sexiest gay jockstrap or a rugged leather harness.

gay sex club in Valencia

Tête-à-Tête

Tête-à-Tête is the highest-rated gay cruising bar in Valencia. Everyone loves the friendly atmosphere, the well-kept facilities, and the discreet location.

Valencia gay cruising bar

Each night has a different theme and rules, like an ’80s and ’90s music night and a naked party night. Tête-à-Tête also has a dance floor space, offering a little more than the traditional gay cruising experience.

Valencia gay cruising bar
gay sex club in Valencia

Nunca Digo No

Nunca Digo No, which is Spanish for “I never say no,” is another centrally-located Valencia gay cruising bar. They’re popular for hosting sex parties all week long with varying themes.

Naked parties are on Tuesday evenings, Thursday parties are “total darkness,” and Saturday is a full-day sex party called “Sex No Limit!” Nunca Digo No is definitely not a place to miss! They’re open every day from 2 PM until 3 AM.

Connect with other gay travelers! Join wolfyy’s Gay Travel Talk Facebook group.

Spain Gay Rights

Back in the Roman Empire, marriage between men was actually commonplace! Later regimes were responsible for deeming same-sex activity illegal.

gay couple in Valencia

Since 2005, MSM’s have been permitted to donate blood, gay marriage has been legal and LGBT adoption has been legal.

The workplace has protected sexual orientation discrimination since 1995. Gender identity is protected in some regions, but not everywhere.

exploring Valencia
exploring Valencia
gay couple in Valencia

One of the highest acceptance rates of homosexuality is in Spain; 88% of the population supports it as of 2013. Rates of hate speech nationwide have slightly increased in recent years.

Local governments around Spain have taken this seriously. The region of Catalunya to the north passed a law imposing fines of over 10,000 Euros for any hate crimes against the LGBT community.

However, overall gay life in Valencia and Spain more generally is good. Especially in large metropolitan centers, gay locals and travelers are safe and welcome.

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Discover more of Spain’s gay life with wolfyy’s gay travel guides to cities like Barcelona and Madrid.

Or, explore seaside destinations like Cádiz and one of my favorites, Torremolinos.

For more inspiration, explore wolfyy’s full collection of gay travel guides.


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