Features > The Pleasure Activist

by Doug McClelland

(posted June, 2007)

Lisbon

Lisbon is the capital city of Portugal and it’s the westerly most city in Europe. It’s off the beaten track for most North Americans, but since the 1990s Lisbon has been one of the hot spots for European travellers. Built on a series of hills it has great character with charming, small, and steep streets lined with historic character buildings. They use the Euro; the currency broadly used across many European countries, with the exchange rate being roughly $1.35 US dollars or $1.50 Canadian dollars to buy one Euro this month. They speak Portuguese, which looks quite a bit like Spanish when written but sounds very different and is quite challenging to learn.

Gay sex is legal in Portugal and the age of consent is sixteen years old. Civil unions in Portugal were introduced for same-sex couples in March, 2001. The current legislation extends to same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples living in a de facto union for more than two years. The law covers housing arrangements, civil servants and work benefits, the option to choose a fiscal regime as married partners, and welfare benefits. The difference in the civil union law between same-sex and opposite-sex couples is that only opposite-sex couples can adopt children together.

One of my great enjoyments in visiting ancient European cities is the history all about. Lisbon is full of history. According to an ancient myth the hero Ulysses founded Lisbon after he left Troy and departed to the Atlantic to escape the Greek coalition who had defeated him. Portugal had a global empire in the past with colonies in Africa, Asia and South America, so there is a mixed population with Brazilians being the most noticable minority. The population of the city is 2,800,000. The old historic part of town is called Barrio Alto and this is where much of the gay life is located. Next to Barrio Alto is the area called Principe Real and it contains the rest of the gay night life. In Barrio Alto it can be difficult to know which bar, cafe, restaurant and club is gay or gay-friendly or straight because they are vibrantly mixed. On the other hand, some of the gay bars and clubs in the Principe Real area are still found behind locked doors with bells and doormen.

I have three recommendations for tourist attractions to visit:

- The Castle of São Jorge sits atop the tallest hill of the central city and is a huge classic medieval citadel with fantastic views over the city. It is a great spot to take photos of the red tile roofs of the city.

- The monument to Christ the King (Cristo Rei) stands on the far side of the river, in Almada. With open arms, overlooking the whole city, it resembles the Corcovado monument in Rio de Janeiro and was built after World War II as thanks for Portugal's being spared the horrors and destruction of the war. You can take a nice ferry ride across the river to climb it.

- The Belem Tower is a fortified tower located in the Belém district. It was built in the early 16th century in the Portuguese late Gothic style to commemorate the expedition of Vasco de Gama. This elegant little castle is beautifully restored and has become one of the symbols of the city and a memorial to Portuguese power during the Age of the Great Discoveries.

I stayed at Anjo Azul gay guest house in the center of Barrio Alto, at 75 Rua Luz Soriano, where rooms range from 40-75 Euros per night. The name Anjo Azul is a reference to the 18th century facade, covered with typical Portuguese blue tiles, and to the movie Blauer Engel (Blue Angel) with gay icon Marlene Dietrich. Just around the corner from this hotel is the small Portas Largas bar at 105 Rua da Atalaia, the bar to go for a drink after dinner and before going to the clubs. It is gay in the early evening and then is taken over by a mixed tourist crowd later in the evening. Other bars don’t get busy till late and are bust till 4 or 6 am.

Being a smaller, more conservative city there are not the sexual options of some of the larger European cities. But the men are very friendly and playful so you can still have a good time. My favorite bar is Max, at 15 Rua de Marcel in Principe Real. After midnight on weekends it is full of butch guys cruising. While there is no back room, when I was there in April guys were fucking in the bathroom cubicle and making out in the main bar. Guys I met at Max took me over to the Bric-a-Bar dicso, which is less trendy than other clubs but more cruisy. It has a mezzanine around the dance floor where guys make out and a dark room on the second floor where you can go fuck. It is busiest from 2 to 4 am weekends.

The guy I had met at Max and I sort of made out on the mezzanine of Bric-a-Bar, then he led me upstairs to the second floor dark room. I have no idea how big the room was but it was seething with guys having sex. We found a place against a wall tight between two other couples and went at it. As my new friend was on his knees sucking my cock the guy to the right of me who was also getting serviced turned and started kissing me and working my tits, then I switched to the guy on the other side. It was a very hot scene. My buddy turned out to be a university student from Lisbon and I’ve kept in touch with him since returning home. I’m trying to talk him into visiting me in Vancouver.

There are five saunas in Lisbon. The saunas in Lisbon tend to be quite hidden. Usually there are no clear signs at the buildings and you need to know the exact street number to find the right bell to ring. Spartakus Sauna at 2 Largo Trindade Coelho is small and dark and close to the gay areas in Barrio Alto and Príncipe Real. It gets busy late after the bars and clubs have closed and entrance: 11 €. Sertório Sauna at 34 Calçada do Patriarcal is open Monday to Saturday 3 pm to 8 am and Sundays from 3 pm to midnight. It’s clean and close to the gay bars and clubs in Príncipe Real. Grecus Sauna is located at 77 Rua do Telhal on the fourth floor and is open Monday to Saturday 12 to 11 pm. Viriato Sauna is located at 4-B Rua do Telhal. Sauna Oasis is located at 86 Rua do Salitre.

Lisbon has a great gay beach called Beach 19. It is very big and has a large cruising area behind it. It is located south of Lisbon at Costa da Caparica. Coming from Lisbon by car or bus (take the metro to Praça de Espanha then the bus to Costa da Caparica). First there are family and conventional beaches. The further south you go the trendier and more nudist the beaches and the crowd become. The beaches are connected by a small train -- for the gay beach get off at beach 17 and walk to beach 19, which also has a gay-frequented bar. You will find the cruising in the dunes behind the beach. After sunset the beach and the dunes are rather unsafe and empty (last train back goes at 7 pm).

There are three well known outdoor cruising areas in Lisbon. The Park Eduardo VII is very cruisy during the day but a bit edgy at night. Guys connect near the Pavilhao dos Deportos by the subway station. If you like young hustlers they hang out on the bridge. Another cruisy area is at the University of Lisbon in front of the medical facility. Capo Grande Park near Metro stop Entrecampos is cruisy and is popular during the day. The area surrounding the pool is the most active. Guys hookup and take action to the most secluded areas or elsewhere.

Lisbon can definitely keep you entertained with its mix of hot locals and European tourists. The men are friendly and sex is readily available. The city is beautiful and relatively inexpensive. I stopped there for a week on the way to Madrid and would recommend that you add it to your itinerary if you are going to that part of Europe.

 

Recommended in this article (also see the Sex Listings):

Beach 19. Cruisy beach. Located south of Lisbon at Costa da Caparica.

Bric-a-Bar, 82-84 Rua Cecilio de Sousa. Cruise bar with dark room.

Capo Grande Park. Cruisy park, near Metro stop Entrecampos.

Comendadoras, 9 Plaza Comendadoras. Bathhouse with full facilities.

Grecus Sauna, 77 Rua do Telhal. Bathhouse with full facilities.

Oasis Sauna, 86 Rua do Salitre. Bathhouse with full facilities.

Park Eduardo VII, 17 Augusto Figueroa. Cruisy park. Small but popular, it’s located in the center of the gay area.

Sertório Sauna, 34 Calçada do Patriarcal. Bathhouse with full facilities.

Spartakus Sauna, 2 Largo Trindade Coelho. Bathhouse with full facilities.

University of Lisbon, medical facility. Street cruising.

Viriato Sauna, 4-B Rua do Telhala. Bathhouse with full facilities.

 

Comments, suggestions, compliments, criticism? You can write to Doug, The Pleasure Activist, at doug@cruisingforsex.com.

Doug McClelland originally entered the adult entertainment business as a centerfold for BEAR magazine, but he soon moved from the front of the camera to behind it. In 1995 he founded chisel.com, one of the original gay porn sites, which in 1996 was the first gay site to netcast live video. He has produced, directed, and occasionally appeared in adult videos. His association with Cruising for Sex began when Chisel became the second sponsor of our site. For the last few years he wrote our advice column called the Guidance Counselor. In the Pleasure Activist column he is our travel reporter, sharing tips and stories from his personal travels.

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