HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

New Year's celebration in Porto at the PRIDE BAR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uma mensagem a todos os membros de PRIDEbar

Visite PRIDEbar em: http://pridebar.ning.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

HEALTH CLUBS

HEALTH CLUBS 

If most of you are like me, one of the hardest thing when traveling is the lack of health clubs.  Many Gay men and women who like to work out regularly have a hard time getting used to traveling without access to a health club.  If you are not staying in a large hotel, chances are you will not have access to gym facilities.  Here is a short list of health clubs in Portugal.  All of these are listed in the Portuguese Gay Business Listings.  Unless otherwise indicated all are Gay Friendly.

As always, if you plan on visiting an area of Portugal which is not listed here, please send us a quick note and we'll do a search for you.

PORTO

Fashion Club
Open from Monday to Friday from 8:00AM till 10:30PM. Saturday from 8:30AM till 8:00PM. Sunday and holidays closed
Men and Women -  R. Prof. Bento Jesus Caraça, 314
Tel: 225095887 

Health Club Solinca
Open from Monday to Friday from 7:00AM till 10:00PM. Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 9:00AM till 8:00PM
Men and Women -  Av. Boavista, 1269
email: pto.palaciohotel@mail.telepac.pt
Tel: 226091553 Fax: 226091467 

Premier Club
Open from Monday to Wednesday from 7:00AM till 3:00AM. Open non-stop from Thursday 7:00AM till Satuday 10:00PM. Sunday and holidays 9:00AM till 9:00PM.
Men and Women -  Lg Bom Sucesso, 61-3º
Tel: 226076580 Fax: 226076589 

LISBON

These gyms are located in saunas

Sauna Oásis
Open from 12:00PM to 11:00PM, Sunday and Holidays from 2:00PM till 9:00PM
(near Av. Liberdade)
Gay and Straight -  Rua do Salitre, 85
Tel: 213524626 -  Metro stop: Avenida 

Sauna Sertório
Gay Men only -  Calçada do Patriarcal, 34
Tel: 213470335 
Entrance is pictured here 

Spartacus Map 
Open every day from 3:00PM till 9:00AM.
Entry: 12 EUR.
Gay Men only Largo Trindade Coelho, 2
spartakus@mail.pt

Trombeta Bath
Open every day from 12:00 till 2:00. Friday & Saturday last entry at 4:00.
Entry: 12 EUR.
Gay Men only -  Rua do Trombeta, 1C
mail@trombetabath.com - http://www.trombetabath.com/

Viriato Map
Open every day from 1:00PM till 2:00AM
Gay Men only -  Rua Telhal, 4B
Tel: 213429436 

MAIA (north of Porto)

Maia Club
Open from Monday to Friday from 8:00AM till 10:00PM. Saturday from 8:30AM till 1:30PM and from 2:30PM till 8:00PM . Sunday from 9:00AM till 12:00PM.
Men and Women - Av. Vise Barreiros, 298
maiaclub@mail.telepac.pt
Tel: 229439150 Fax: 229414929 

ALBUFEIRA (Algarve area)

Termas Pride (sauna)
Gay Men only -  Av. Descobrimentos, Lote 21 (ao pé dos Bombeiros)
http://www.thermas-pride.com/

GAY AND LESBIAN LISBON

LISBON

The last post shared some important information about Porto for the Gay and Lesbian visitor.  Today I'd like to include the same information for Lisbon.

The City

Lisbon started from a small prehistoric aggregate located in the north of the current S. Jorge castle. Through the settling action of the Romans (195 a.C.) and the inherent socio-economic development, soon it would be given the status of "city", with all urban equipment: monuments, theatres, spa. In its history was conquered by different peoples and had an importance as the port of contact with Africa. Although Portugal has existence as independent kingdom since 12th Century, only in the 14th century Lisbon becomes the capital.
In 1st November 1755 at 10h00 there was the Great Earthquake of Lisbon that hit hard the "Baixa" (downtown), the castle and "Bairro Alto" (high neighborhood). In the reconstruction works the new Baixa Pombalina was created (whose main booster was the Maquês de Pombal), with its structure of lined up streets and special construction regulations unheard at the time. In the beginning of 19th century the city continues to grow and the Basilica da Estrela, the Opera of S. Carlos and Palácio da Ajuda are from this time. From 1943 and after the construction of Theatre D. Maria starts a bigger concern with the creation of green spaces and parks.
The population of Lisbon is constituted by a mixture of different origins not only of other regions of Portugal as of the world.
There are several Gay and lesbian places in the city mainly in the zone of Príncipe Real.

Climate
Lisbon has a mild climate in the winter (average temperature in January 12ºC/54ºF) as in the summer (average temperature in August 24ºC/75ºF) but in some days of the the temperature can reach the 34ºC/93ºF. 

Monuments and Visits
Of the several monuments of the city there are some of particular prominence like the Cathedral of Lisbon ("Sé"), the Tower of Belém (1515), the Casa do Bicos (1530), the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (séc. XVI) and the Castelo de São Jorge.
For more information on monuments and visits go to Cidade de Lisbon (in Portuguese) Page at PortugalWeb, Lisbon Area Inventory (in Portuguese) DGEMN.

Museums and Exhibitions
Lisbon has an unusual variety of museums from diverse traditional subjects like Archaeology, Navy, Ancient Art, Natural History, Planetary, Aquarium, Geology, Military to more "modern" subjects as Design, Electricity, Communications, Music, etc...
There are some more uncommon ones as the Museum of the Coches (phone 213610850), the National Museum of Tiles (phone: 218147747, 218147799), the Museum Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro (tel: 217590816), the Museum Caloust Gulbenkian (phone: 217950236) and the National Museum do Traje (phone: 217590318).
The Cultural Center of Belém and Parque das Nações are also places with regular cultural events that you should check before a visit to Lisbon.
For more information on museums go to Intituto of the Museus

City Festivities
In Lisbon the Popular Party is Santo António (13 of June) where the old traditions of the "bairros alfacinhas" come back and each one has its one arraial with food and dancing. In a more commercial perspective the Marches of Lisbon present a parade livened up with songs that point out the virtues and shames of the Lisbon and National life. An old tradition recouped recently is the Fiancés of Santo António where the CML offers a collective luxury wedding for less wealthy couples.
The city is decorated by occasion of Christmas and New Year with street shows and fireworks along the Tejo margins.

Theaters and Exhibitions
Lisbon has a full cultural calendar. With a variety of theatres for all tastes from the small productions: Teatro ABC (tel: 213466745), Teatro Aberto (tel: 217970969), Teatro da Cornucópia (tel: 213961515), Teatro da Trindade (tel: 213423200), Teatro Maria Vitória (tel: 213461740), Teatro Villaret (tel: 213538586). Till more outstanding events of Teatro Municipal Maria Matos (tel: 218497007), Teatro Municipal São Luis, Teatro Nacional D. Maria II (tel: 213430104), Teatro Nacional de S. Carlos (tel: 213468408), Coliseu de Lisboa (tel: 213461997). Do not overlook the Centro Cultural de Belém and Parque das Nações.
When it comes to gay and lesbians the most important event is the Lisbon's Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in September, and the Arraial Pride (kind of a open air Pride Party) in June.
The several "Casas de Fado" (see listing in Portugal Virtual website) have an unusual sound background (although with high prices for the locals).
See the links on the end of this page for more information about current shows.

Local Transportation
Lisbon is served by a modern Metropolitan network and several bus companies.
For more information on the metro see Metropolitano de Lisboa (in Portuguese and English).
For more information on buses see Carris.

Train
Using the Alfa/InterCidades train it takes 3h30 to Porto, 1h00 to Coimbra, 4h30 to Guarda, 4h30 to Covilhã (departures from Gare do Oriente or St. Apolónia or Pragal), 3h00 to Faro (departures from Barreiro). The Porto-Lisbon trip costs between €13,00 and €17,50 in 2nd class depending on the chosen schedule. These trains have bar service, meals and mobile phone.
There are also local connections in the Cascais Line (Cais do Sodré, Belém, Oeiras, Estoril, Cascais), Sintra Line (Rossio or Gare do Oriente, Benfica, Amadora, Queluz, Cacém, Sintra), Azambuja Line (Alcântara, Sete-Rios, Areeiro, Gare do Oriente, Sacavém, Alverca, Vila Franca de Xira, Azambuja) and Sado Line (Barreiro, Setúbal, Praias-Sado).
For more information see CP (in Portuguese and English)

Lodging
You can choose from the luxury Ritz to the pensions. There are several gay friendly and even an 100% gay hotel.
For more information on gay places (and others) see PortugalGay.PT Directory.
For information on places to sleep in Lisbon see Portugal Virtual or Portugal Web.

Phones
The fixed phones numbers in Lisbon area start with "21".

Usefull Phone Numbers
Please note: most of these are Portuguese-only speaking.

Emergency Emergency (Free) 112 Poisonings 217950143 Hospital Curry Cabral 217924200 Hospital Júlio de Matos 217971141 Hospital Santa Maria 217970541 Hospital São José 218841000 Hospital São Francisco Xavier 213017351 Turism Lisbon Airport 218413700 Lisbon City Hall 213227100 CP 218884025 Metro 213558457

Links
More information about Gay places available at PortugalGay.PT Directory.
More information about Lisbon: Câmara Municipal de Lisbon (in Portuguese).
For more information on theater, dance, displays and cinema go to Agenda (in Portuguese) from CML, a Agenda (in Portuguese) from Ministery of Culture or the Guia do Lazer-Lisbon (in Portuguese) from Público newspaper.

PORTO

PORTO

It occured to me that although I recommended and highlighted Porto in the last few posts.  I really did not detail the city as much as I should have.  So here is some important information.

The City

The city of Porto (also known internationally as Oporto) is the second biggest city of Portugal with around 250'000 inhabitants (the set of involving cities in the Metropolitan Area of Porto has 1'000'000 inhabitants) and its origin goes back to 800 BC. Known by its famous Port Wine it's also an important commercial and industrial center. Although classified for many as "gray", it does have its proper enchantment at "Ribeira" (near the river) with its small streets and houses accumulated in direction to the Douro river. The many micro-gardens and trees scattered around the city help to "naturalize" the traditional granite of the city.

This conservative look is also visible in the people who, although nice to foreigners, do not like "modern stuff". This attitude influences the homosexual and lesbian population of the city. Most of the gays and lesbians do not show themselves and stay in the shadow. However, and despite this somewhat oppressive ambient there are a few 100% openly gay bars and a pride party is organized since 2001.

Tripeiros

The people of Porto are known by the name of "tripeiros" (hummm: "guts people"), it is said that in virtue of the sacrifice that was made to support the armed forces that were to conquer Ceuta, in 1415. The legend sais that they had offered to the members of an expedition all the quality meat, being for itself with the guts of the abated animals. Therefore, one of traditional plates of the city is the "tripas à moda do Porto" (guts to the way of Porto).

Weather

The city is not gray only in the buildings: the North is the zone where it rains more in Portugal. However, in comparison with the rest of Europe the climate is not bad at all: the minimum temperature rarely goes below 0ºC in the Winter and 10ºC in the summer and the maximums are, normally, greater than 15ºC in the winter and pass the 30ºC in summer.

Monuments and Trips

The Douro riverbanks in Porto and Gaia are classified as Worldwide Heritage and, for those of you who like these things of history, deserves a careful planned walk-about. Part of the "standard" trip is the Dom Luis Bridge (1887), a visit to the Tower of Clérigos (s. XVIII), to the Catherdral (XV to XVIII) and other monumental Churches, the Palace of the Stock Market (1850-1911), the House of the Infant (XIV/XVII), to one of the several you cellars of Port wine (in Gaia) and a upstream stroll. A must is the Majestic Café (1921, 1994) with its Art Noveaux style (with a gallery with painting exhibitions in the basement).

For more information on the area of world heritage visit Área Metropolitana do Porto (Portuguese and English) and Direcção Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais (Portuguese and English)

More information about Port Wine available at Instituto do Vinho do Porto (Portuguese, English and French)

Museums and Exhibitions

Museu Serralves (page in Portuguese and English) of Contemporary Art and the attached Casa of Serralves is an madatory reference for those who like not only to the arts but also the architecture and the gardens. In a more conservative perspective you can visit the National Museum Soares Dos Reis. In terms of displays the renewed Alfândega (old customs house) deserve a previous check.

More information about museums available at Instituto Português dos Museus (Portuguese and English)

City Festivities

The biggest festivity of the city is São João (night of 23 to 24 of June): in an unparalleled manifestation thousands of people of all ages come to the streets "armed" with little hammers and a special garlic. During ALL the night, they walk in the streets hitting each other's heads without exceptions (including agents of the authority, the president of the republic and others politicians). Normally the "activity" starts downtown at about 21:00 moving later for the Ribeira for the fantastic fire-works at midnight. Later, for the ones with better legs, the night finishes in beaches of Foz.

The city is also decorated by occasion of the Christmas and New Year with street shows and fire-works downtown.

In 2001 Porto had its fist GLBT Pride Week including a very successfull Porto Pride party (photo), in 2006 the first Pride Parade was organized.

Also in 2001 the first Elektro Parade took place (similar to Love Parade in Berlim). It the first edition it gather more than 50'000 people and 21 trucks (including a gay truck with the support of PortugalGay.PT), however the event stopped in 2003 and there are no plans to repeat it...

Theater and Shows

Teatro Nacional São João (Portuguese only), the Municipal Theater Rivoli and the Coliseu do Porto (unofficial page Portuguese only) are the main show rooms of the city with theater plays and great operas. Other important places are National Audithorium S. Carlos and the Theater of Campo Alegre (that also houses theater company Seiva Trupe).

There are some great regular cultural events in the city: the FantasPorto (International Film Festival) and the International Comics Fair in February; the Festival Intercéltico in March; Festival de Marionetas in May; FITEI (International Festival of Theater of Iberian Expression), the Fair of the Book and the Festival Ritmos (World Music) in June; Concerts Ritual Rock in August; Great Night of the Fado in September; International Competition of Music and the International Festival of Jazz of Porto in October; Fair of the Handscraft in November; PO.N.T.I. (Porto Natal Teather Internacional) in December.

Cinemas

All cinemas in Porto have surround systems, and a choice of more than 40 rooms mainly in the new shopping malls (ArrábidaShopping counts with 20 and most of the other shopping centers have multiplexes etc...). By norm the seats are not reserved and the tickets are cheaper on mondays (about €3.50 against the €5.00 standard rate). Normally in Portugal the films are original versions with subtitles.

Shopping

After check out the Wine of the Port the shopping in Porto is divided between the traditional commerce downtown and the Shopping Malls (the biggest ones are ArrábidaShopping and NorteShopping). The new (2006) El Corte Inglés department store balaced the things in favor of Gaia.

Trânsit and Local Transportation

The transit in the city can be become truly chaotic during the week peek hours, so its advisable for the novices to use the bus or taxi. At night the reverse is true: use a car or get a cab or buses only when necessary (but if you check the timetable in STCP webpage you can reduce waiting times to minimum).

Although the daily pre-paid tickets are more economic (available in the STCP boots, post offices and some magazines kiosks), you can buy a ticket in the bus if needed (about €1,00).

The parking costs between €0,50 and €1,50 per hour

More information about Buses available at STCP (Portuguese and English).

The Metro of Porto is in service since 2002 with a new rechargeable ticket "Andante". The network was divided in areas with tickets starting for 2 zones. A tipical trip (2 to 3 zones) is about 1.00 EUR, and for less that 2.00 EUR one can travel the full extent of the subway network (between Gaia and Póvoa) a trip that will take almost 75 minutes and covers 7 fare zones. Ticket machines are available on all stations (without any assistance besides the mostly helpful security staff), but you must check your fare zones in advance at the network map (also available in all stations but not necessarly near the ticke machines).

More information about the Metro service available at Metro do Porto (Portuguese and English).

PortugalGay.PT Directory has information the subway and bus lines near LGBT spots.

Airport

The Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport (airport code: OPO) is about 11 km from the city and has connections to more than the 30 international destinations. If you don't want to use a Rent-a-Car Service or Cab, the Subway station access is via the -1 level (trip takes 30 to 45 minutes, fare is less than 1.50 EUR), there is also a regular STCP bus (N 601) almost all day and night (the trip takes 45 minutes).

More information about the Airports available at ANA (Portuguese and English).

Train

Using the Alfa/InterCidades service it takes 3h30 to get to Lisbon, 1h00 to Braga and 2h20 for Coimbra. These trains leave of the Campanhã Station but the ticket is valid also for the connection to Station S. Bento. The Porto-Lisbon trip costs between €20,00 and €25,00 in 2nd class depending on the chosen schedule. These trains have bar, meals and mobile phone services.

There are regional trains form São Bento Station for Coimbra, Tua, Régua, Valença, Viana do Castelo, Nine and from Campanhã Station to Pocinho. The old train stations of Trindade and Avenida de França stations are now served by the Metro of the city.

More information about Trains available at CP (Portuguese and English)

The Night

The more agitated night (and in the Port this means AGITATED) is Saturday starting in the bars at 22:00 and moving to the discos well after the 2:00. Fridays are also an interesting alternative. Although less popular, Sunday nights and Wednesdays also have some followers.

Rolotes in Foz, the "Big-Ben" and the restaurants "Tropical", (opened all the night) are an almost obligator point of pass to recover energies.

The 100% gay night is limited to the bars, but it is worth it to get a discrete skip (affection shows between people of the same sex will not be tolerated and result in summary expulsion of discos) to the some hetero discos that are open until the first hours of the morning.

Stay

There are places for all likes from the Meridien and Sheraton Hotels till the 3 stars "Pensões". For those who want the gay night and, simultaneously, be closer to the city center a pension or a low-cost hotel in the downtown zone could be an interesting choice since they are economic and prevents some displacement by car.

Phones

The fixed phones of Porto start with "22". You can call any national number directly without aditional preffixes. If using a GSM phone simply add "+351" before the 9-digit phone number.

Usefull Phone Numbers
Please note: same of these are Portuguese-only speaking.

Emergency Emergency (Free) 112 Poisonings 217950143 Hospital Geral St. António 222077500 Hospital Maria Pia (Children) 226089900 Maternidade Júlio Diniz 226087400 Hospital Matosinhos 229391010 Hospital Prelada 228326464 Hospital Santa Maria 225504844 Hospital São João 225512100 Turism Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport 229413260 Campanhã Station 225364141 S. Bento Station 222002722 Turism Office Pç D. João I 222057514 Turism Office Airport 229412534

Other Numbers Museums 226066207 Mercado Ferreira Borges 222002022 Biblioteca Municipal 225193480 Romântico Museum 226002158 City Hall 222097000 Palácio de Cristal 226099941 Parque da Cidade 226106391 Parques e Recreio 226096945 Quinta da Macieirinha 226091131 Pavilhão Rosa Mota 226099947 Polícia Municipal 226198260 Casa do Roseiral 226002440 Casa Tait 226066207 Feira Popular 226104731 Teatro Municipal Rivoli 223392200 Trânsit (Veículos Rebocados) 222004664

Links

More information about Gay places (and others) available at PortugalGay Directory (Portuguese and English).

More information about the City available at Câmara Municipal do Porto (Portuguese only).

More information about the Theater, Cinema, Bars available at Eventos Culturais (Portuguese only) from CMP and Agenda (Portuguese only) from the Ministry of the Culture.

Portugal Celebrates 221 Gay Weddings In 6 Months

Portugal Celebrates 221 Gay Weddings In 6 Months

Six months after a gay marriage law took effect in Portugal, 221 gay and lesbian couples have married, the AFP reported The figures were released Friday by the Ministry of Justice. One-hundred-fifty-six of the couples were male and sixty-five were female. An additional 202 marriages in which one of the spouses is a Portuguese citizen were performed outside the country. Nineteen gay couples married in Portuguese consulates around the world.
 

Social Democrats, led by Prime Minister Jose Socrates, approved the gay marriage bill in February. Portugal's conservative president, Anibal Cavaco Silva, reluctantly signed the gay marriage bill into law on May 17, saying he was only doing so because Social Democrats were certain to overturn a veto. Social conservatives had urged the president to veto the bill.

Days before the bill's signing, Pope Benedict condemned the institution as he toured the predominantly Roman Catholic nation. Speaking in the city of Fatima, the pope called gay marriage “insidious and dangerous” and urged Catholics to stand united in opposition. The law does not allow gay and lesbian couples to adopt children.

MORE SPOTS IN PORTO

BARS

LABIRINTO
Rua Nossa Senhora de Fatima, 334
Phone: 22 606 3665
Classifying this as a gay-friendly straight bar or as a straight-friendly gay bar depends on who you ask. It's perhaps both, depending on the night. It's both a bar and an art gallery so any given night may be straight, gay, mixed, or whatever.
It's a couple of minutes walk from Casa da Musica, so it's a nice destination after a concert there. Admire the current exhibition and then head for the garden or one of the bars. It opens at 9PM and often stays open until sunrise on weekends. 

TIPO SAUNA

Rua da Conceiçao 64 2, Porto (Gay men only)

Daily from 3pm until 2am. Fridays and Saturdays until 4am, but best on week ends late.

It has dark rooms, video shows, bar, work-out equipment, sauna.

THERMAS 205 SAUNA

Rua Guedes de Azevedo,203, Porto

Contact:   +351 222057533   -  http://www.thermas205.com

Underground station: Trindade

Gay (male) with dark room

HOTELS

Casa de Calçada

(Gay Friendly)

Largo do Paço, 6 Porto Amarante 4600-017

Contact: +351 255 410 830 -  http://www.casadacalcada.com - mail@casadacalcada.com

Hotel room rates:  €375.00-€1050.00 per room per night 

Beautiful Manor House facing the river in the Northern Region of Portugal between Porto city center and Douro Valley. Perfect to explore Braga, Guimaraes or the Port and Douro wine estates. Golf Course, swimming pools, fine dinning restaurant and Bar to make you feel great. 

 Beta Porto

(Gay Friendly)

Rua do amial, 601-607, Porto, 4200-062 Contact: +351 228 348 660 - http://www.hotelbetaporto.com -  email - betaporto@belverhotels.com

Hotel room rates:  €65.00-€120.00 per room per night (incl. breakfast)

RESTAURANT

Restaurante Cozzza Rio

(Gay Friendly)

Rua de São Fransisco,8 , 4050 - 585 Porto 

Contact: +351 222 000 712 - E-mail: cozzzario@clix.pt

Cozzza Rio is a beautiful typical house overlooking the old Ribeira.  The preparation of dishes have quality and the service is friendly and often an area that young people often  chosen for dinner. This house has a daily service, called "Working Lunch", very economical, and serves meals throughout the day. 

 

More Points of Interests for PORTO

Today We wanted to continue to recommend Gay Businesses in Porto.  As we stated before, Lisbon is a well known Gay and Lesbian destination and much has been written about it.  So... not to take away from the wonderful city of Lisbon, we continue to spread information about Porto which is a city opening up to the Gay world.

BARS

Vulcao
Rua Cimo de Vila 74, Porto
Contact: +351 22 912 736656

Indùstria
Av. do Brasil 843, Lojas A-F, da Foz Shopping Center, Porto
Contact: +351 226 176 806
Gay Friendly Club and Bar, open 10:30pm to 4am

Moinho de Vento (Bars & Clubs)
Rua Sà Noronha 78, Porto
Contact: +351 222 056 883
Gay (men) only, Disco and Drag Shows
Wednesday to Saturday - 10:30pm to 4am

      

Boys 'R Us (Bar & Club)
Rua Barbosa de Castro 63, Porto
Contact: +351 917 549 988
Popular cruise bar on two floors, Dance floor on lower level.  Upstairs is very cruisy with lots of dark and active places.  There are also regular grag and stripper shows. Some porn videos showing.  The crowd is mostly younger, althought the night we were there (after midnight), it was rather dead, but we'll try again to give it second chance and report back later.
Wednesday & Sunday 10:30pm to 2:30am, Friday and Saturday until 4am. Closed  on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

Next posting, we'll check out  some Saunas, Restaurant and Bookstores.

POINTS OF INTERESTS IN THE PORTO AREA

Today we'd like to recommend some Gay and Lesbian businesses in the Porto area.

BARS

Candelabro, Galerias Lumiere  LGBT
Rua José Falcao 157 - Porto
Opening hours: Monday thru Thursdays - 9am to 2am - Fridays and Saturdays - 9am to 4am
Closed Sundays
Contacts +351 93 426 12 95 - Email: info@galeriaslumiere.com

Plan B
Rua Cândido dos Reis 30 (aos Clerigos) GLBT
Hours: Tuesday & Wednesday 10pm to 2am, Thursday 10pm to 4am, Friday & Saturday 10pm to 6am
Contact: +351 222 012 500 - Email: http://www.planobporto.com

 

Pride Bar
Rua do Bonjardim 1121 Porto
Contact +351 964 936 791
Disco and Bar with a non-smoking area
This bar proudly shows the rainbow flag at the door, and inside,
gay, lesbian, or curious dance the night away to house music.
It is also known for its flamboyant drag shows.





SAUNAS

Sauna Scorpius (ex Spartacus)
Rua do Bonjardim 628, Porto
Contact: +351 914 179 883
Open daily from 2:00PM to 9:00 AM.
Entry: 10 EUR. Happy Hour (14:00-14:59 and 21:00-22:59): 5 EUR.Different ages, Dark Room, Gay (men only), Video shows, Bar, Snacks or Lunch. Jacuzzi, Solarium, Massage possibilities.

We'll update more of Porto in the next couple of posts.
And as always if you have a question don't hesitate to contact us.

GAY FRIENDLY GUEST HOUSE

Today I wanted to recommend a magnificent Guest house located approximately 175km east of Lisbon.  The house is Gay Friendly and truly a gem.  Would be ideal for a honeymoon or a lover's week end getaway.

The Casa do Terreiro do Poço

The house has 30 rooms composed of three main buildings, linked by stairs and verandas.  THis house is referenced in "Portugal's Artistic Inventory" because of its mural paintings and frescos.

This is where you can relax in the Borba region.  Several years ago , Rita and João Cavaleiro Ferreira decided to buy the property and to restaure it  in such a way to be a reference in Rural Tourism in Portugal.  This space takes you back in a not so distant past with an Oreintal decoration, a passion for the owners.  From the "Real" suite to the tower room (Quarto da torre), all the bedrooms merit a visit not only for the furniture but also its art and furnishings.

If breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day, at the "Terreiro do Poço", we don't play with  this theory.  The fresh juices, yogurts, home made jams, and the indispensable Alentejano bread.  We thoroughly enjoy these traditional savors served with relaxing music, ideal to start out the day.

You can have breakfast in the "pavillion" next to the pool from 9am to 11am.  But the laziest of us or the romantics can savor it in their rooms. 

Later in the day why not get to know the area by cycling the Terreiro do Poço.  There are also cooking workshops and the possibility of tasting the internationally renown wines of the region.

To get to the house: 
Leaving Lisboa by crossing one
of its bridges, take the A6 towards Évora/Espanha. After passing
the service area of Estremoz,
pay attention and exit to Borba/Alandroal/Vila Viçosa.

After the toll gate, follow the sign N4, turning left. After the service station enter the first access to Borba. Follow straight ahead and 500m after entering the village you will see, on your left, a small public park.

You're at Largo dos Combatentes da Grande Guerra, where you will find the Casa do Terreiro do Poço.


» Lisboa :: 175 km
» Porto :: 400 km
» Évora :: 050 km
» Estremoz :: 012 km

GPS:0N 38º48'17''0W 07º27'31''

To contact the hotel
+351 917256077

Gay Nitghtlife in Porto

Today, we're back in the north of Portugal in Porto and we'd like to recommend some nightspots, Gay Friendly and Gay.

The first is an establishment called the CASAL LOUNGE.  This club and restaurant is very classy and very Gay Friendly.

Located in one of the majestic historic buildings of the Avenida dos Aliados home now inside a cosmopolitan space that we cannot foresee from outside. The facade retains its grandeur of the old times, only drawing the attention of the people passing by two white vases with flowers that flank the doorway, and beyond which nothing can be seen, whetting our curiosity. Beyond the door, faces us an ample space with a high ceiling that allows a mezzanine, and a ceiling where a vintage chandelier coexists with a modern LED that changes continuously the hue of the space.

That´s Casal Lounge, a modern space with a broader concept, because it is not just a cafe, a patisserie, a bar or a restaurant but aims to combine in one place all of these strands. A contemporary decor, dark tones cut here and there by red, a mix of antiques and modern pieces, acrylic chairs together with leather and velvet sofas, huge curtains side by side with cities motifs wallpaper, music with chill out rythm, give the place the wanted lounge atmosphere. The First Floor restaurant deserves a special reference for the charm of the room, so bright and enlightening by five large windows facing the avenue, and a warm decor.

Casal Lounge
Avenida dos Aliados 42/54 – Porto

+351 222 018 316

http://www.casallounge.com/

Once you have had dinner at the Casal Lounge, you'll want to continue your evening at the ZOOM DISCO.  It is the Gay Dance Club in Porto.

Bringing the public "homo" of Porto out of the closet and into the alley. This seems to be the goal of Zoom, disco GLS (Gays, Lesbians and Sympathizers) which opened with glow in the Alley of Passos Manuel, on March 4.

The nightclub, large, adapted from an old warehouse, features a sophisticated decor, in which tone is predominantly cold, with details, say, fetishists, intrudes a stylish vintage furniture. The huge walk right allows the existence, on the generous runway, a kind of bridges where the DJ act and encouraging service, dancers and / or strippers of both sexes, attracting the eyes (and stretching the neck) while dancing downstairs. The huge walk right allows the existence, on the generous runway, a kind of bridges where the DJ act and encouraging service, dancers and / or strippers of both sexes, attracting the eyes (and stretching the neck) while dancing downstairs. In another of these bridges, the one that customers can access, operates a branch of the shop fri House of Eros.

The bars, two, diagonally arranged, indicate the extremes of the track. Before the first is the lobby, then the second is another room, what you like - some say it is smoke, but you can smoke in the entire nightclub. Before the first is the lobby, then the second is another room, what you like - some say it is smoke, but you can smoke in the entire nightclub. The bathrooms are like bunkers, shielded by thick doors and, inside, large and comfortable, on the border of sin. Perhaps therein lies the explanation of the metal crucifix that dominates the exterior wall.

The music fulfills the purpose of creating a living environment and danceable - a first choice selection pop, house after a crescendo, the freshness of the early '90s to the cross-tribal and progressive. 

Beco Passos Manuel 40 Porto 4000 PORTO

GAY TRAVEL IN PORTUGAL

In an ongoing effort to provide valuable information, here is another chapter on points of interest for the Gay and Lesbian traveler.  In the days and weeks to come, we'll be posting information that one would not necessarily find in other Gay guides.

Lisbon

We wanted to recommend a nice gay bar in Bairro Alto, the Gay area of Lisbon.  Bar 106. It's a nice bar with a friendly staff.  What makes this bar stand out aside from the nice surrounding is their commitment to fight AIDS.  Every Wednesdays thru Fridays, they offer free HIV testing.  The Portuguese Gay Activist Group "G.A.T" will test anyone free of charge for the HIV virus.  The test is anonymous and the staff is trained and equipped to perform the tests quickly and answer health, prevention, and protection questions the Gay Community may have.

 

The pics above show the bar.  They are located:

Rua de São Marçal, n° 106
1200-422 - Lisboa
(+351) 213 427 373
e-mail: bar106@bar106.com
Web site: www.bar106.com

Another point of interest in located south of Lisbon in the Algarve region.
The Pride Disco.  Inaugurated in 2007.  This establishment if the first Gay Friendly Hotel and Sauna.  Located in Albufeira.  A dance area was added in 2009 by the group PRIDE and is lively until early dawn. The music style is Top 10 and House.

 

Pride Disco

Ave. Sà Carneiro, Resort Vilanova

Lote 1 -B, 1° Andar 

8200-262 Albufeira

(+351)963 686 142

Web site: www.pridedisco.com

As always, if you have any questions or if we can assist you with anything, just drop us a line on this blog.

Until next time, enjoy life.
GAY TRAVEL IN PORTUGAL

Gay Travel to Porto Region

Gay Travel to Porto Region

When people think of Portugal, they think Lisbon, but there is another area which merits a visit.  Porto.  North of the country, it is nonetheless a great area and lots of fun.

Porto is the second largest city and the financial center of the country.  It has a great Gay and Lesbian life with many clubs, shops and cafés.  The great thing about Porto is that the Gay and Lesbian lifestyle extands to the general area. 

A nice community just 30km north of Porto is Povoa de Varzim.  Nice resort with nice people.  I recommend a very nice Gay Friendly hotel, The Sol Povoa Hotel, very clean, great customer service and located just walking distance from the beach.

Another nice little village is Apulia, just 10 minutes north of Povoa witha great Gay Beach located 1/2 km from the Pacha Club.  The beach has great dunes and nice fine sand.  It reminds me of The Pines in New York.

So, if you're thinking of visiting Gay Portugal, don't limit yourself to Lisbon and take the time to visit the Porto area as well.  And as always if you have any questions, just send me a quick hello.

Gay Travel to Porto Region