GRAN CANARIA BY NIGHT
(AND DAY TOO)
GAY NIGHTLIFE (AND DAY) IN GRAN CANARIA
Since we didn't go on Winter Pride, we took the opportunity to get to know several bars/cafes during the day and night at the famous Yumbo!
We always stay in Playa del Inglés and our night (and day) outings are limited to Yumbo and the surrounding area.
For those who don't know, Yumbo is where most of Gran Canaria's LGBT venues are located, such as shops, bars, cafes and restaurants. It has an amazing energy and you will definitely find a place that makes you feel at home.
" C.C. Yumbo Centrum opened its doors in 1982 and has become the epicenter of the LGBT community in Gran Canaria. A unique meeting place for everyone from around the world to enjoy their experiences together with complete liberty, tolerance and respect."
To start the day there is nothing better than an English breakfast. For this there are some places open in the morning, such as Mardi Gras which opens at 10am and they say they serve great breakfasts.
As we didn't know it yet (but we've heard very good things about it), we went to visit The English Bakery Cafe: after having gone once, we went back every day. Since Portuguese breakfast is very different from English, when we went there, breakfast for us was a real lunch! We liked it a lot, it has a big terrace where you can see Yumbo from one end to the other. It also opens its doors at 10am and serves several sandwiches, cakes and various options for breakfast. If you want to start your day big, you can start here! ;)
After a trip to the beach or pool, it's always best to enjoy the various happy hours that some bars at Yumbo offer. Mardi Gras located on the ground floor, in the afternoon serves a wide variety of toasts and delicious Sausage rolls and Steak bakes. You also have several cocktails or even a simple cold beer and then just watch who passes and be seen by who passes. On Sundays from 4pm onwards you have the Quiz Game with various themes, always hosted by Mitzi Muff. The best thing is to check social media to always be aware of everything that goes on at the bar.
Another nice bar that we recommend for an afternoon visit (and night if you want) is La Bulle Bar. Lounge Bar with a Belgian & French touch which is also located on the ground floor. This bar offers a quieter and more relaxed environment with no loud music. At the end of the day you always have happy hour. La Bulle is a nice corner bar with a big variety of different drinks.
To kick off the night, this time our pick was one of the newest bars in Yumbo. Silhouette is also located on the ground floor. We went to this amazing bar every night. It has a large terrace, excellent cocktails, alcohol is served in the right doses, an excellent, cute and very friendly staff. During our week they always made us feel at home and that's exactly what happened. Here you will find all types of people and ages. It is an excellent option for couples or a group of friends. Check their social networks to find out about their different events and special cocktails that appear for certain occasions.
If we go to Yumbo, we always have to go to Funny Boy's.
Every night there are several Drag show moments, from the comical to the more "serious". The bar is practically full every night and you are often invited to sit with other people in it. But for us that's not a problem, it's a nice way to meet new people from all over the world. Funny Boys always has great performances and super fun crowd interaction.
Funny Boys is located on the first floor, almost above Silhouette.
If you want a "younger" atmosphere, especially on Saturdays, you have to go to Mykonos. Situated almost on top (4th floor) of Yumbo. It must be the largest gay bar and possibly the most antique and popular in the Yumbo Centre. With disco pop music, video projection screens, dance floor and cruising area with cabins (for men only). During the weekdays there is more variety of ages.
Mykonos, in our opinion, must be the most frequented bar by Spanish. Every night at opening there is happy hour. If you don't like a lot of people together, avoid this bar especially on Saturdays. There are a lot of people, a lot! If you want to have fun with a younger vibe and meet a lot of people, you can't miss it! ;)
Mantrix Club, as the name implies, is a nightclub and possibly the best known by the LGBT public visiting Gran Canaria. It is a meeting point for all the gays who visit the island and in our opinion with excellent house music all night long. If you're a house music fan this is the place to go. Next to the toilets there is also a small cruising area and a dark room. It is open every night of the year from 2am to 6am. It is located on the 4th floor right next to the Myconos Bar.
Parrots Bar, for us one of the liveliest bars in Yumbo. It’s located on the ground floor in the so called Six Pack Zone, which as the name indicates is a small street/alley with six bars together. We always went to Parrots but any bar in this area is the same: the same ambience and people circulate around.
At Winter Pride the area is very lively. They turn the street into a kind of outdoor disco, which makes the atmosphere super lively and fun. Maybe one of the areas with more people together. In Parrots you find all kinds of people. When there’s no Pride or no special event, it has a large terrace and also serves fantastic cocktails. We loved the strawberry daiquiri. Regarding prices, we find the values quite reasonable and normal. Cheaper than many European cities. If you want seating, go early.
Bunker, it’s a special venue. We liked the atmosphere and the music, although no one went there for the music. It’s a sex bar.
At the entrance you have lockers, cloakroom and the bar. You also have a basement with several very dark corners and a closed terrace where you can smoke, also with several darker corners. You have to go with an open mind. There’s sex in every possible corner and people for all kinds of fetish. The ambience is adult and no one bothers anyone. If you want something, just show yourself available. If you do not want anything you can just watch. A lot of people circulate through the bar naked, only jockstrap, anyway, as they want. You’re not obliged to be naked, you can be comfortably in your clothes. It’s a bar without dresscode and “no rules”. The bar opens only at night and closes at 6am.
Every night we went was always full and there were all kinds of men but we can say that the great majority was “very good looking”, but good look is relative, of course.
As for prices the normal entrance fee is €10 but at Pride are €12 with one drink included.
Maná 264 Tapas & Drinks, as the name suggests is a traditional tapas restaurant or Spanish restaurant. It’s located on the ground floor of the Yumbo. If you want to speak Portuguese, you have here a nice Portuguese employee who has been on the island for many years and who coincidentally was from our second home, Albufeira. Loved our dinner here. We ate pork chops and they were fantastic. We had several kinds of salt to season the dish and we chose the charcoal salt and it was a fantastic
experience. Our plate had the palate, as if it were made in coal. Very good indeed.
It’s advisable to go early or reserve a table if you want to stay at the terrace, since there’s a lot of demand. At the price level we can say that it is medium/high, but the quality justifies the same. It’s a space to come back next time.
The Red Cow Restaurant and Sports Lounge
It’s off the Yumbo but very close. It’s located on a corner on the first floor, almost opposite the Buenos Aires apartments. Well worth the visit to eat the super steaks well served with fries. If you’re hungry it’s the ideal place. The space has a very friendly staff and the decor is typical of a sports bar. The price for the amount of food
and taste can be said to be low. We got to know the space for reviews on the internet and it was worth it. One more space to come back next time.
These were the bars we visited on our 3rd time in Gran Canaria, but there are many more that deserve a visit too...but unfortunately we haven't had time to visit them all yet, but that visit is promised. Gran Canaria is one of our favorite destinations and we will be returning many more times, so there will be no shortage of opportunities!
