A loyal reader writes:
As a ‘soon to be resident’ I wonder if you have any local knowledge of gay friendly places in the Vera/Mojacar area & whether you would consider an article on this. To be clear I don’t just mean ubiquitous nude beach cruising activities!
Always happy to oblige, although my personal knowledge on the Almería gay scene is a spot limited. Enter Pablo (AKA P.A.T.), my party loving token homosexual employee (we here are Jackson Industries PLC like to have a well rounded workforce) who supplied me with the following details:
- Bar Rayman. It’s in front of the “Hotel Continental” on Mojacar Playa. “Flowery” may be the best translation I can give you.
- In Villaricos is a fancy smooth glass & stainless steel bar, on the corner between the main road and the high street. We forget it’s name, but I do remember wandering in there with three mates shortly after it opened and being surprised at the tightness of the male clientèle trousers.
- Dracena Pub (Rafael Alberti, s/n) and Amargo Sound Cafe (seems to be at Plaza Marqués de Heredia 17) are the two well known gay bars in Almería city. Dracena is a well known pub that is “mixed” as it plays good music, so keep your hands to yourself until you know for sure.
- In Roquetas del Mar, in front of the Plaza de Toros, is a large gay bar whose name Pablo has forgotten, but is the only one there.
- And in Aguadulce, we have Caramelo and Arena, both in the Centro 501 shopping and entertainment plaza.
Apart from these, it seems that there are no “gay only” bars in the Almanzora valley.
And for those of you looking for the rather more sordid side of the sex scene (and hankering after a new addition to their STD collection from the sound of it) in Almería, we have:
- Copacabana beach, which is just off behind Almería airport. Well known for it’s “anything goes” attitude, and by reputation has a wooden walkway where anyone can walk down and exhibit themselves to the onlookers. If eye contact is made the interested parties (it seems that numbers, sex and species of participants is optional) make their way to the bushes. Brings a whole new meaning to the word “dogging”. Often raided by large groups of Police who like to dispense Christian justice with their batons. “Not A Nice Place” seems to be the general opinion.*
- Vera Playa is the other big pickup area. When the naturist hotel is open the movement goes towards the Puerto Rey shopping centre, when closed back to the naturist beach. Again, anything goes. Lookout for young male prostitutes who will lure you back to their apartment where often their many friends (complete with sticks and other implements of violence) await you and your credit cards. No point complaining to the Guardia, as soon as they hear how it happened they tell you “it’s your own fault” and chuck you out. As long as you stick to the bushes you’re OK – go outside the bushes, and the nosy neighbours will call the cops on you. This usually results in a nasty fine for exhibitionism.*
*I would continue to tell you more, but frankly I don’t believe people are capable of some of the things that Pablo told me about. “Hedonistic abandonism” seems to be an apt phrase for what some people get up to there. It’s a whole new world, which, Pablo assures me, he does not participate in, but enjoys hearing stories at the disco about who’s done what with whom where – it seems that the Spanish Almería gay scene is small and (ah hem) intimate world. After hearing some of these stories I fully understand the origin of the phrase “ignorance is bliss” and intend to go to bed early with a good book and a hot cocoa.
Excellente!!! Muchas gracias Pablo. Very entetaining and informative -us sophisticates very much prefer a bit of stainless steel and glass to sand and bushes. I dunno why the article then says see also Mandala Complex!!
Our friends the Spanish seem (pardon the generalization) to partake more in the joys of the flesh than their northern cousins. I was recently party to a conversation between some elderly friends who agreed that they had all poked their way over the thousand mark – which was explained by a healthy average of two professionals a month over 40 years in addition to a generous sprinkling of no doubt enthusiastic amateurs.
Quite beat my own modest record of under a dozen.
Err… women I mean… silly me…
Oh dear David what have we begun here – any offers a dozen or more???
Cheer up Lenox, you’ll be able to up the quota once The Sun Tanned One has you put behind bars for Telling The Truth. Just don’t drop the soap in the shower… 😯
Never to old to learn, eh?
New Gay friendly bar opened in Mojacar called Mode: Retro Bar located near the Irish Rover & Lua
July 2010 – Bar Rayman doesn’t exist any longer 😥
Most of the cruising area at Vera Playa has been closed too. There is a fence around it now.
And don’t try to cruise at night on the beach. Police has order to control everybody who looks gay and patrols along the promenade frequently.
So Vera Playa is a f*** boring family resort now. Instead of fun you get pampers and the strictly anti-gay politics of the local catholic gouverment has been succesfull at last.
So guys, avoid Vera, Mojacar and Garrucha and carry your money elsewhere. This place is no longer worth it.
There are now 3 gay bars in vera playa and 1 gay bar in mojacar so even more places to go (even rainman has opened in Vera playa)
Dear Adam, if you please could be so kind to tell all of your readers the names of these bars?
I live here and I only know some places where a few desperate gays hang around sometimes. There is no single gay bar like rayman or rainmain or whatever as far as I concern.
But if you know futher details … please tell us!
OK you’re going to say I told you so, but here goes.
I went to the Nat Beach area last night there were loads of guys cruising, all shapes sizes, ages etc. I hooked up with a Spanish guy, very good looking, we wandered around for a while, I wasn’t prepared to go into bushes etc. then he suggested his apartment, with previous posts in mind I became very wary and decided to walk away.
This is where it all became a bit worrying, the guy was insistent I walked away from the crowd with him and at one point hugged me and wouldn’t let go, when I said I’m off he followed me and was quite threatening, I got into my car and locked the doors, he wanted to get in with me, I took off and left him there.
I have no doubt that he was a threat and had ulterior motives.
So guys beware
But the area is pants for opportunities for guys to hook up, the gay bar in Vera Naturist area is very quiet too, so any suggestions appreciated
we always go to our family resort in Florida, the beach is really nice out there “
there are many good family resorts that you can find both online and offline, some are very cheap too :.-
Update: back in Vera playa this week and pub ray man is open on the drive into the Vera playa club resort or (the naturist hotel) went in there last night, a really friendly place, with a number of well laid out dark rooms and glory holes to use, well out of sight at the back of the bar behind closed doors.
So anyone thinking of cruising and putting themselves at risk, don’t, you can even sit and watch some gay videos in the room leading through to the play area.
A good atmosphere open late and an opportunity to play at the same time.
.
Hi Everyone,
Just found this place & wondered if anyone can help.
We are on our way to Roquetas de Mar next week [18/10/11] and just wondered if anyone knows what the current scene is like there.
Any info will be much appreciated.
Thanks to all
Terry
Hi All,
Just an update from last post.
Roquetas del Mar does NOT have any gay bars now.
The front of the Plaza de Toros is just a great waste land now, with some boarding on a few older buildings.
Classics International Night Spot. Although this supposedly did exist, quite where is another thing
The address, was an entrance to an apartment block…..nothing else.
Roquetas seems to be change its focus to accomodate elderly Spaniards on government sponsored all inclusive trips… not really a “gay friendly” destination!
There is a cruising area in the nature park at the end of the promenade by the naturist beach in roquetas de mar!! some very cute guys there too just be aware of morrocans they will expect you to pay them!!
apart from that there are no openly gay bars in roquetas but you can jump on a bus to almeria city!
to be honest looking for a gay holiday then your best bet is barcelona ( stiges) , benidorm or the malaga area xx
have fun guys and play safe!! xxx
never read so much bollocks in all my life.