GRAN CANARIA - WINTER PRIDE MASPALOMAS 2018
If you’re looking for beach, sun and lots of fun and action all year in Europe this is the right destination.
Gran Canaria is a famous destination for gays, especially Playa del Ingles and Maspalomas. Don’t expect to find the typical landscape of a paradisical island. The island is volcanic and very dry, so don’t expect the place to be super romantic.
But there are a lot of good things that are worth visiting. Imagine a place where we gays are the majority and everything is prepared for our interests and to receive us. Here you can kiss or walk hand in hand with your boyfriend that no one is looking at you. It’s normal! You can wear those clothes that you only wear in a special “party” that no one is shocked looking at you. We can say that Playa del Ingles/Maspalomas are the paradise for the LGBT public.
Playa del Ingles is basically a giant complex of hotels, restaurants, bars and shops for tourism.
Here you have the famous Yumbo Centrum. Dozens and dozens of bars of all kinds: sex, cruising, dragqueens, etc! Restaurants and some clothing stores such as ES Collection and Boxer. You also have some service shops, like sauna, banks, etc. There are about 200 stores.
Yes, it’s big, much bigger than we expected.
The biggest attraction in Maspalomas (right next to Playa del Ingles) are the famous and giant dunes. It’s about 6 kms of dunes that take about 20 minutes to walk just to cross them and reach the beach. Here there’s some cruising, on the way you will see, and you have the famous kiosk 7 bar, where there’s the great concentration of men. You also have the nudity option.
If you don’t want so many people at your feet, just walk a little to one side of the Kiosk and you’ll have some more space.
We warn you that the beach vibe is just like Playa del Ingles: party. Lots of people talking, drinking and socializing.
We were there in November and for those of southern europe (Portugal), we’re used to very hot days. The beach was very good and we went to water without cold. It was very good.
Yumbo is the main stage of almost every party that exists almost every month.
We stayed only 6 nights in Gran Canaria for the Winter Pride Maspalomas 2018 and we can say it was crazy. Expectations were high, but they were exceeded. In such a way that we have already booked the trip to return next year.
There were lots of parties and lots of alcohol. We slept little to make the most of it. Lots of people from all over the world especially from Germany who were the large majority. In the REVIEWS tab you can check our opinion of the bars and restaurants where we went and which stood out, such as Mikonos, Tubos, Parrot’s and Bunker! Yes, we went to Bunker!
This was the 5th edition of Winter Pride Maspalomas and there was a bit of everything. Pool parties, boats with djs, cruising boats, foam party, many free concerts such as Samantha Fox, Ultra Naté, Robin S. and many others. The concerts start around 8pm and finish at midnight. Then you have some famous djs, such as Sharon O Love on the main stage until around 3am. On the last day, on the afternoon you have the Pride Walk in which you cross the Tijuana Avenue, from RIU Hotel Palace until Yumbo.
We really enjoyed everything. We had a lot of fun, a lot of music, dancing, new friends and a reunion with old friends. For us, we highlight the foam party. It was one of the tops! Outdoor party, no entrance fee, afternoon and on the main stage.
You really have to go! Super fun an and lots of foam. An advice: take a clothes change to the end and a small towel to dry.
Protect your values also, so the don’t get wet. Jorge’s cell phone was dying with so much foam because he didn’t protected it.
We also loved the Pride Walk, with constant animation and all together for the same purpose. It’s not a manifestation with political and ideological aims, but rather a celebration parade full of life and joy. Once again with a lot of music and you can go costumed with what you want.
As advice, before starting the Pride Walk, at the beginning you have a small supermarket where you can buy your fresh drinks and put it in a backpack so you don’t have to walk out of the parade to drink something. Take also a flag of your country. You’ll see that you will be the meeting point of your compatriots.
If you want to find flags, the most varied accessories or costumes, you have two stores with good prices near Yumbo. Look for Party Party Maspalomas and Bazar Ani.
In short, it was six crazy party days that we’ll not forget. Next year we’ll be back. Reserve in advance because the hotels and apartments sell out quickly and very early.
For 2019, the dates are from November 4 to 10 and you can check the page wwww.winterpridemaspalomas.com where you will be updated of everything.
