Portugal gay beaches

The Algarve is renowned for having the best and most spectacular beaches in Europe. The most exposed, to the more reserved, opened with miles and miles of sand to small coves with acess only by boat, all the beaches are simply amaizing. Several beaches in the Algarve called as gay, due to its greater isolation but also due to the fact that many of the regulars do naturism. These beaches are not exclusively gay, but it is as if they were.

The area from Lisbon southwards is mostly taken up by the rolling plains of the Alentejo. Its decisive role in the overthrow of dictatorship in the Revolucao dos Cravos revolution of carnations is universally recognised. Home to the great latifundios large farming estates , the workers from which support any outlet for their anger at the unfair employment policies, this 'Red' region is the antithesis of its northern mirror-image. As flat as the north is craggy, with its liberal attitudes and weaker religious ties, it is an area whose people are very welcoming, albeit slightly wary of strangers.

Algarve has three official nude beaches and several where the Portuguese Naturist Federation says naturism is tolerated. These unofficial nude beaches are mostly found on the wild west coast and on the islands of the Ria Formosa Natural Park. The number of naturists in Portugal seems to grow every year, and there are as many locals as tourists at these clothing-optional beaches. Of course there are also beaches where naturism was once common and that some publications still list as nudist-friendly, but bigger crowds have driven the naturists away.

However, LGBT travelers looking for a place where their rights are protected and where they can find like-minded people, should definitely consider it. Obviously, gay tourists will enjoy any of the beaches in Algarve, but there are a few which have been known to attract the gay community over the decades. These were and are the most secluded ones, but, unlike Beach 19 on the Lisbon coast, none are frequented almost exclusively by the LGBT community. Alvor , Lagos and Tavira are where gay travelers will want to stay, as these are the towns with the gay-friendly beaches:.