Madrid is one of the most welcoming and gay-friendly cities in the world. Not only the LGBT population is tolerated, but also it is part of everyday life. Many tourists say that they have never seen so many LGBT couples walking the streets hand-in-hand, huddled in the park or sharing a good-bye kiss. And the most amazing thing is that no one seems to care about it. In fact, most of them haven’t witnessed any bad comments, giggles or even a dirty look. So here’s our list with the best LGBT plans in Madrid:

Madrid is a gay-friendly city

Madrid is a true example of this attitude, because after all, that’s how it should be! Furthermore, now there are many guides who tell you to go to gay bars when you come to town. Of course, that’s part of the fun, but there are more than just bars to get to know the gay side of Madrid.

1. The best LGBT plans in Madrid: Brunch at Plaza de Chueca

First of all, Chueca is known as the gay neighborhood of Madrid. You’ll know when you’ve arrived by the many rainbow flags proudly hung from balconies, shop windows and any other place you can think of. That’s why it’s one of the best LGBT plans in Madrid.

You can easily arrive at Plaza de Chueca by metro, as the Chueca station exit leads to the square itself. The metro station has earned a visit in its own right as all the interior walls are painted a rainbow.

In contrast, the square isn’t too big, in comparison, for example, with the Plaza Mayor. However, there are many cafés and restaurants in the same square, where you can relax, enjoy a cup of coffee, perhaps some tapas and watch the world go by.

2. Shopping in Chueca

Moreover, if you’ve been on some beach in Spain or one of the swimming pools in Madrid, you’ve probably seen a lot of men wearing swimwear from brands like Addicted and ES Collection. These are some of our favourite brands, which you can normally only buy online from the UK.

Around Chueca, you will find many shops serving LGBT customers with your favourite LGBT brands of clothing, accessories, attire and much more. You can easily spend a small fortune if you’re not careful! Check out ES Collection Madrid and Boxer Barcelona.

If clothes aren’t your thing, you’ll also find some LGBT themed libraries (books and movies). Berkana Libreria and A Different Life offer a wide selection.

3. Cool off at the Piscina Lago

Also, this is something that many tourists accidentally stumbled upon. Temperatures in Madrid soar during the summer. Consequently, they desperately needed to find a pool to hang out.

Piscina Lago has a large pool of 15 meters and many terraces with well-kept lawns where you can sunbathe. The place is impeccably clean with changing rooms, showers and plenty of water fountains to keep you hydrated (you’ll need it!). There are no restaurants or bars here, just a small vending machine, so it’s the perfect place to bring your own picnic and maybe some sangria!  This is one of the best LGBT plans in Madrid,  isn’t it?

Near, cheap and fun

According to one of my clients, during his visit, he noticed that there were many LGBT couples, singles, and groups in and around the pool. After a quick Google search, he discovered that it was known to be a very popular gay pub. When he left, there was a booth set up by a local LGBT welfare group, which encouraged him a lot when he saw it.

Certainly, if you take the Metro in Downtown (Sol, for example), you can reach the Lago metro station in about 20 minutes. The swimming pool is right next to the metro station and the entrance costs 4,50 € (£3.88). If you buy several tickets for a group, you can get a better price, as well as for the elderly.

4. Stop by a Gay Hotel

If you’re looking for one of the best LGBT plans in Madrid, here you go! Axel is one of the most famous gay hotels in Madrid. This place is advertised as hetero-friendly and the clientele is 95 % gay men, from what most people have seen.

It can be a really good place to get together and meet other tourists or LGBT locals, as well as being the perfect place to have a coffee or a beer.

Axel’s rooftop bar is open to the public and you can pay 20 € (£17.3) to use the pool (includes a towel and a beer). Of course, if you are a guest at the hotel, you don’t have to pay anything.

5. The Gay Night in Madrid

Of course, our list wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t mention gay nightlife. Madrid has a thriving gay nightlife, which is mainly around Chueca, although there are also bars and clubs elsewhere such as Lavapiés.

You can find a bar/club for every type of person and every musical taste. We prefer pop music you can find in MalaMala, Sala Cool and also in Delirio. If you are looking for house or electronic music, we recommend trying Kluster or Gris.

Some establishments charge entrance fees and others do not. However, if you go to Chueca in the early afternoon, sometimes you may be lucky enough to find someone doing advertising and giving out free tickets to the biggest clubs, which if they did, they wouldn’t charge you.

I hope you found our guide useful and enjoy the best LGBT plans in Madrid! Madrid is the perfect place to live and be proud of the LGBT community. I am so glad that I moved here!