Madrid gay nightlife
There's a lot to play for the queer in Madrid: nice bars, good parties and a very vibrant Gay Pride weekend. Chueca can be seen as the gay village, as it concentrates many gay bars and clubs and nice shops right in the middle of the city.
Chueca
The main gay area is in the neighbourhood Chueca. It is remarkably compact, with virtually every gay establishment either on Plaza Chueca (at the Chueca Metro stop), or a block west on Calle Pelayo.
In day time you can shop till you drop, hopping in and out designer outlets or some alternative street gear. Tired? Try to grap a chair and table at one of the many tables on Playa de Chueca, where the local guys hang around. In the evening you'll find plenty of trendy restaurants, where you can enjoy typical Spanish cuisine. Late at night, the crowd moves from the restaurants into the bars and clubs, for a long and hot night out.
Gay bars
Plaza del Chueca and Calle Pelayo are the centers of all gay excitement. A nice place to start is Troyans, a large bar with a friendly crowd. LL Bar gets popular later in the evenings. Madrid's Eagle is just a few blocks down. When back on Chueca Square, try Clip Bar. Within a few blocks in each direction a number of popular spots hide away, including Black & White (young crowd) and Rimmel (young too).
Gay cruising
Cruising Bar draws an after-work crowd that usually lingers until the wee hours. A few blocks away, near Plaza de los Cibeles, you'll find Liquid, which is very popular. The leather crowd favors New Leather Club, Hot Bear's Bar, and Copper.
Gay clubbing
Clubs are hot and start very late in Madrid. Popular clubs in Chueca are Escape (young crowd), Mito, Sunrise and Sachas (Chueca's largest). Bigger clubs are found outside Chueca. The Shangay Tea Dance on Sunday nights at Cool Club is Madrid's biggest gay dance party. Strong Center is also popular, mostly for its Saturday night scene.
Gay saunas
There are some saunas in Madrid, but the local guys don't seem to be very sauna minded. It's probably too hot outside all the time. so mostly tourists are found inside the tub...
