Gay Beaches in Europe: Looking for the best gay beaches in Europe? Whether you’re looking for a lively gay beach like Mar Bella gay beach in Barcelona, or a secluded gay nude beach like the gay beach in Split (Croatia), Europe has some of the best gay beaches in the world.
This guide covers the best gay beaches in Europe, including some of the best gay nude beaches in Europe and clothing-optional beaches.
First things first, I’ve been asked time and time again, “what is a gay beach?”
Just like the concept of a gay bar, a gay beach is somewhere you can relax, be yourself, show affection to your partner, and be just that little bit less self-conscious than you may otherwise be at any other beach.
That’s not to say you can’t do these things elsewhere; however, when I’m on vacation I like to take the guesswork out of whether I may or may not experience any sort of homophobia – heading to a gay beach certainly takes any such worries away for me.
Naturally, gay beaches tend to be a little more casual and relaxed, with many including designated clothing-optional sections that generally have a more fun atmosphere, and for some (such as Maspalomas), during pride events they turn into daily beach parties with an amazing vibe!
There is a lot of fun to be had at gay beaches, and they are particularly popular around Europe.
Typically, you’ll find that most top gay destinations in Europe will have an official gay beach marked on Google Maps, or if not, an “unofficial” gay beach widely known to locals and posted on gay travel blogs like mine.
Each time I visit a new and exciting beach destination in Europe, I always make sure to have a quick check to see if there are any local gay beaches to hang out at. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular:
Best Gay Beaches in Europe
What Does “Clothing Optional” Mean?
But first, let me explain what ‘clothing optional’ means, because it is quite a common concept in Europe, so if you are travelling here form elsewhere in the world, it may be something new.
- Some beaches have designated clothing-optional areas, these are often clearly marked.
- Participation is entirely optional, it is important you are comfortable when you travel.
- Local customs and regulations vary for place to place.
- Respect other visitors and respect the space.
Elia Gay Beach, Mykonos (Greece) – One of the Best Gay Beaches in Europe
Starting my list of top gay beaches in Europe is one of my favourite gay travel destinations in Greece: the beautiful island of Mykonos, and specifically Elia Gay Beach.
Elia is the most popular gay beach in Mykonos, easily distinguished by its rainbow flag upon arrival.
Like most gay beaches, it has a nudist area which can be found by facing the sea, heading to the right, and continuing to walk up over the rocks.
There are fairly clear paths to clamber over and once you’re up on the rocks you’ll see a small cove. This small cove is the gay nude beach sunbathing area – enjoy!
I had the chance to go during Xlsior Festival (one of the biggest gay circuit parties in the world), so it was extra busy and extra gay! (Read more about Xlsior Festival here).
Given Mykonos is such a popular gay destination, check out this full list of gay beaches in Mykonos.
Maspalomas Gay Beach, Gran Canaria (Spain) – The Busiest Gay Nude Beach
The biggest, busiest, and somewhat craziest gay beach I’ve been to (many times) has to be Kiosk #5 Gay Beach in Maspalomas, Gran Canaria.
After taking a trek through the Maspalomas sand dunes, you’ll arrive at the huge expanse of beach at Kiosk #5 and have no doubt that you’ve found the gay beach (the crowd gives it away!).
Always busy, and exceptionally so during pride events, this gay beach is usually fully set up with sun loungers, a small bar/café, and restrooms.
Again (no shock), it is a gay nude beach, so if you want to get comfortable in your own skin, go for it. Equally, if that’s not for you, that is no problem whatsoever – you’ll find there’s a real mix of people.
Given it is quite a walk to get here, people usually come prepared for the day with food and plenty to drink. After a long day drinking, the beach remains lively until the evening.
Mar Bella Gay Beach, Barcelona (Spain) – Gay Beach with Nude Section
Mar Bella is known as THE gay beach of Barcelona and is most definitely the go-to choice of both the local LGBTQ+ community and visitors.
Mar Bella gay beach is also home to the well-known gay beach-bar Chiringuito BeGay. This is a very popular meeting point and hangout for locals and is a great place to have lunch whilst at the beach aswell as working your way through their cocktail menu!
Facing the sea, to the left toward BeGay most people are in swimwear, to the right your will see rocks and a hill/mound, this is the gay nude beach area.
And as is quite common on gay beaches, Mar Bella has a reputation as the hill just above the beach with bushes is quite secluded.
Check out my full list of gay beaches in Barcelona here.
La Playa de la Bossa Rodona, Sitges (Spain) – Central Gay Beach
Sitges is one of my favorite places in Spain (see Gay Guide to Sitges: My Favorite Gay Spanish Town).
The main and most popular gay beach in Sitges is La Playa de la Bossa Rodona.
One of the reasons I love this gay beach is because it is very easy to find and is minutes to walk to from the town centre (unlike some other gay beaches in Europe where you have to trek quite far!).
You can find La Playa De La Bossa Rodona in front of the Picnic Restaurant opposite Hotel Calipolis.
While all beaches are open to everyone, you can easily tell this is the gay beach during peak season by the clear divide between one half of the beach having families and the other half having a majority of guys enjoying the beach.
There are two more gay beaches in Sitges, check out my full guide to gay beaches in Sitges.
Kasjuni Gay Beach Split – Gay Nude Beach in Croatia
Like pretty much every gay beach in Europe, it is a clothing optional beach which is denoted on the map as FKK.
The beach area is called Kasjuni and you can get a taxi or bus from the old town (10-20 minutes).
To get to the gay nude beach section you need to walk as far as possible past the beach cafe up and over the rocks.
It was apparent to me that I was at the gay beach given the crowd so depending on how busy it is, it should be obvious you have reached your destination.
The guys here were friendly and happy to chat to our group.
Check out my full Gay Travel Guide to Split, Croatia.
Lokrum Gay Beach Dubrovnik (Croatia) – Quiet Gay Nude Beach
After I found the gay beach in Split I was told by our captain that there is also a gay nude beach in Dubrovnik.
You need to get the boat to Lokrum and on arrival turn left heading along the coast to the nude beach (denoted as an FKK beach which translates from German as ‘Free body culture’).
Once at the nude beach continue a couple of hundred metres further to find the gay area. Depending how busy it is, this should become obvious!
Dubrovnik itself is stunning, read my full Gay Travel Guide to Dubrovnik for more.
Playa del Bajondillo Gay Beach, Torremolinos (Spain) – Best Gay Beach with Beach Clubs
I had to include the gay beach in Torremolinos in my list as it is the only one to sit in front of two gay beach clubs, making this a very social gay beach.
You can’t miss either beach club because they are both proudly flying rainbow flags next to each other: Eden Beach Club and Paraiso Beach Club.
The gay scene in Torremolinos is huge so it is not shock that the gay beach can get very busy during the peak of summer.
For directions and more details on this gay beach, click here: Gay Beach Torremolinos Guide.
Raco del Conill Gay Beach, Benidorm (Spain)
In case you haven’t guessed by now, I love gay beaches in Spain, and Benidorm is my final one for now.
This is an example of an “unofficial gay beach” and is considered to be the closest thing to a gay beach, likely due to the fact it’s a nudist beach. It is 6 km away from the town centre, so a bit more of a journey than some!
Here is a full gay guide to Benidorm.
Limanakia Athens (Greece)
Heading to the capital of Greece and another one of the top gay destinations in Greece, we have Limanakia gay nude beach near to the capital city of Athens.
Like most of the coast here, the beach is rocky but as a result you are granted beautiful clear waters to swim in which may be welcome after spending time in the hot city itself!
The beach is a 30-minute drive from the city centre or you can attempt getting a local bus (or Uber). It known for being hot, busy and very social during the summer. Full directions to get to Limanakia Nudist beach here.
Find out more about what Gay Athens has to offer here.
Kärsön Gay Beach Stockholm (Sweden)
Whilst not an all-out sandy gay beach, I had to include Stockholm.
It is one of the most welcoming, open and progressive countries I have ever visited.
Whilst it may not be a beach destination, in summer, the closest thing you will find to a gay beach in Stockholm can be found nearby on Kärsön.
This is a small island with a beautiful beach to the west of Stockholm. During summer, this can become a gay hotspot and known as Stockholms ‘gay beach’.
Read more about this beautiful city in my Gay Guide to Stockholm.
Strandbad Wannsee Berlin (Germany)
Whilst Germany may be land locked, I could not have a list of gay beaches in Europe without having some German representation given as a culture they are much more comfortable with their nude bodies than others (us Brits included!).
For the equivalent to a gay beach in Berlin, head to the lake shore swimming area Strandbad Wannsee.
The northern part of the beach is a nudist area and unsurprisingly, attracts a lot of gays.
Other gay sunbathing and nudist areas in Berlin (not beaches) include the nudist areas Müggelsee in East Berlin and Tiergarten Park in the centre.
Find out everything you need to know about Gay Berlin here.
Il Buco Rome (Italy)
Finally, perhaps the longest journey from a city of all is the gay nude beach of Il Buco 30km south of Rome.
This gay beach can be found within the Capocotta Nature Reserve so it’s somewhat secluded and does not have many facilities. No matter, it is still very popular and as long as you pack all you need for the day it will be a welcome escape from city life, Rome is scorching in summer!
For more on Rome: Gay Guide to Rome.
Best Gay Nude Beaches in Europe
The majority of gay beaches in Europe are gay nude beaches, or at least have clothing-optional sections. The most popular gay nude beaches in Europe from this list are:
- Maspalomas Gay Beach – one of the largest gay nude beaches, this is exceptionally busy during gay events like Winter Pride Maspalomas.
- Playa de las Balmins Sitges – 10 minutes’ walk from the centre of Sitges, this is a popular gay nude beach.
- Elia Nudist Beach – the small cove over the rocks.
- Mar Bella Beach, Barcelona – facing the sea, walk right toward the rocks to find the nudist area.
Map of the Best Gay Beaches in Europe
To see how widely spread these gay beaches in Europe are, take a look at my gay beach maps below:
I will keep exploring and adding to this list, let me know if you come across any unexpected gay beaches during your travels in Europe!