A Gay Friendly Guide of Athens
WE ALL LOVE ATHENS!
An LGBT guide to exploring Athens
Not only boasting spectacular archaeological sites, delicious food and glorious weather, Athens now holds a subtle yet progressive gay scene. We’ve hit the popular hang-outs of the LGBT community to experience the excitement for ourselves and share with you the gay gems of Athens…
EAT and Drink
If you are looking for a place to grab a small bite and kick back and relax, Rooster cafe is the place for it. Hiding in the shade of the glorious Cathedral of Saint Irini, Rooster provides a cosy interior with a chilled out atmosphere. It’s the most popular gay hang-out in the city due to its perfect combination of contemporary elegance, fantastic comfort food and extensive cocktail menu. Open from 9am until late evening you can enjoy the cafe’s personality at any time of the day; ‘people watch’ whilst having breakfast with fresh coffee or share Rooster’s fabulous finger food with friends under the stars.
What makes Rooster stand out from the rest is its quirky features. A cute little booksharing library welcomes the exchange and borrowing of books and frequent art/photography exhibitions that you can appreciate whilst sipping on your favorite beverage, add a touch of culture to this funky cafe.
Some other gay friendly cafes/ bars throughout Athens:
– Del Sol Cafe – Trendy cafe in the gay neighborhood of Gazi. Awesome waffles by day, lively ambience by night!
– Enodia Cafe – Traditional Greek interior with friendly staff and frequent special events. Great music!
– Briki – A lively little bar with warm jazzy interior, great for a weekday pint after a long working day!
– Queen Bee – Elegant yet rustic brunch and breakfast joint. Exquisite baked treats!
This colourful cafe definately ticks all the boxes!
PARTY
There is a wide selection of clubs for the LGBT community to choose from, most of which are located in the gay neighborhood of Gazi. This district of Athens has a very detectable and very friendly gay vibe, possessing not just stylish discos, but also boutique shops, chic restaurants and art galleries, it’s definitely an area for members of the LGBT community to enjoy.
The clubs being so different in interior design and music genre, we couldn’t agree on which place we liked best, so below we’ve named the most popular discos with both gay locals and tourists alike!
Shamone, a vibrant club that’s small but has a huge personality. Great cocktails, stunning visuals and fantastic dance music bring young gay clientele to this hotspot. They’re open throughout the week but weekends seem to be the most popular time to go as they hold many special events such as drag shows, 90’s night and have various hot artists and DJs performing. A hip and hunky hotspot!!
Sodade 2, this place seems to be a bit more popular with the Greek locals as they tend to play more Greek pop than anything else. It’s pretty and sassy and the bar service is great. Hosting alternative karaoke events and themed parties, this place is great for a unique night out. Regardless of it being on the small side, the cool vibe of the place makes up for the overcrowdiness.
Upupa epops, more of a cocktail bar than a club, but boy do these guys know how to make a good drink! Upupa epops has managed to bring the outside inside, with their perfectly well balanced classy outdoorsy decor that makes for a truely striking place to hang out. Their food is homey and hearty whilst presented in a chic way and the friendly bar staff will be more than happy to help you pick out one their a twist. This place has its own sense of unique elegance and will stimulate all of your senses. Make sure to try their Mango G&T! favourite cocktails with
RELAX
There are a few gay hot spots for sauna and spa throughout Athens, many of which that seem to be aimed at…the more wild clientele let’s say! So looking for somewhere a bit more peaceful, we chose to indulge in a visit to the Hammam Baths. Combining water, heat and steam, the roots of this ritual lie in Ancient Greek times, making it the most fitting way to relax and beautify yourself in Athens.
Treat yourself to a warm soapy massage, exfoliations, deep cleanses, ancient massage techniques and ginormous baths filled with olive oil bath bubbles in this heavenly hotspot, found in the quaint district of Plaka. In addition they also provide more basic treatments such as hair removal, manicures and pedicures and you can finish off every treatment in their tranquil lounge with
refreshing tea and loukoumis. This is a fantastic place to get ready for a night out or to take a break away from the rat race. Surrounded by marble and stone and service at the click of your fingers, the Hammam Baths will steam away your stresses and make you feel like a Greek God for a day.
gay baths/spas throughout Athens:
– FLEX – Located nearby to Monastiraki metro station, this spa is extravagant to say the least. Including a 40 man steam room, 15 man sauna, whirlpool, solarium, dark room, play zone, private cabins and so much more, This is the place to splIsh and splash!
– Alexander sauna – Famous for its cruising spa fun, this sauna provides you with everything needed to party. With a sling, glory holes and other X rated activities, this sauna is less about relaxing and more about having fun! Wink wink!
EXPLORE
There are so many fun things to do and see in Athens, it’s just about finding which activity suits you best. It’s fundamental that you go to check out the famous Acropolis and its highly acclaimed museum and other landmarks such as Zeus’s temple and Agora are also a definate must do.
If food and cooking is your thing, then why not book a food tasting tour of the city. Combine sight seeing with the tasting of traditional Greek snacks and dishes to introduce yourself to the city centre and the deliciousness of the Greek cuisine. There are many different type of tours to choose from; the classic, vegetarian, twilight tours, wine tasting tours and many more, so you are bound to find the perfect tour for you to discover Athens.
If you are adventurous and love the outdoors, there is a company called Active Sundays that will take you out to explore Greece’s beautiful nature. Hikes and outdoor activities will give you a great opportunity to explore Greece’s forests, caves, mountains, waterfalls, rivers, lakes and enchanting beaches. It’s also a wonderful way to get some fresh air and meet new like-minded friends.
If you are more into kicking back and relaxing by the beach with a book or cocktail, Athens has some spectacular beaches. Vouliagemeni beach is popular with both locals and tourists, you do have to pay a small entrance fee but that provides you with clean changing rooms and washroom facilities, loungers and parasols and even a little locker to keep your valuables safe whilst you swim, there is also a little cafe that sells snacks and refreshments throughout the day. A more gay-friendly option that’s secluded and allows nudism is Kokkino Limanakia beach. Just a 30 minute drive from the city centre, this rocky, natural beach with crystal clear waters will allow you to enjoy the Greek eye candy and do some flirting.
Being gay shouldn’t define our choice of destination but knowing where the gay-friendly scenes are increases the awareness of LGBT issues and help us to become a globally connected community. Whilst Greece may lean to a more conservative manner, Athens is a very progressive city and hosts a thriving LGBT community, we hope you enjoy exploring Athens and checking out our recommendations!!
With thanks to:
Rooster
Plates Agias Irinis 4 10560 Athens http://www.roostercafe.gr/2018/
Del Sol Cafe
Voutadon 44 11854 Athens
Enodia Cafe
Keleou 1
Briki
Queen Bee
Patriarchou Loakim 45 10676
Shamone
Elasidon 46 11854
Sodade 2
Triptolemoulo 10 11854 https://www.shamone.gr
Upupa epops
Alkminis 7 11854
Hammam Baths
Tripodon 16 10558 https://alhammam.gr
Active Sundays
https://www.activesundays.org
Vouliagmeni beach
Poseidonos Avenue 2 16671 Vouliagmeni, Athens http://vouliagmeni-akti.gr/
Kokkino Limanakia beach
Demokratias 114-120