Gay Portugal: Lisbon and the Estoril Coast, All You Could Ever Want!

Executive Director of PhillyGayCalendar

As I mentioned in my column about Madeira Island I always felt I was "sent" there as is the case with Portugal. London, Paris, Rome were choices I made, worked hard to travel to and are wonderful destinations. Portugal and its territories are real "sleepers" as we say in the world of "Incentive Travel" which is Travel that motivates. Portugal is rather a "tough-sell" as it does not have the initial "sizzle" of the obvious glamour spots but, let me assure you, I have never heard anything but praise from anyone I have ever taken there and I have been blown away more than once. Portugal is quite simply someplace special! Spread over a series of seven hills (just like Rome) Lisbon (the capital) sits on the banks of the Tagus River and really looks, acts and feels like no place else. One of the reasons I like Portugal so much as because of its individual style and exquisite beauty. It seems that something new and enchanting is found around every corner. Gay life in Lisbon is laid-back and very friendly. Just make sure you have some good walking shoes.

As a true "Red-Blooded-American", I sometimes ponder our place in the world and think of other world powers that have had their day but also made the world what it is in the 21st Century. There was a time several centuries ago that Portugal was extremely powerful and totally instrumental in making many of the great discoveries of their time. Exploring and navigation were hall-marks and Lisbon has always been a great starting point. If you look at a map you can see that Lisbon is the most western point in Europe. This was the key. Interesting how Spain and Portugal were such great leaders at one time. But, I digress!

Actually, Lisbon and its surroundings have been an alluring Gay destination since the 18th Century when writer William Beckford escaped a homosexual scandal in England and escaped to Sintra (gorgeous!) Today, after decades of a homophobic dictatorship and despite the power of the church in Ultra-Catholic Portugal, Lisbon has slowly come out of the closet. Upbeat night-life, balmy climate, sandy beaches nearby (including a couple of "Gay" beaches), great cultural attractions and the intimate setting of pastel colors and narrow streets create a Gay-friendly ambiance that has turned the city in one of Europe’s most popular Gay destinations. Once again, it is my observation that our "Gay-dar" seems to lead us to enchanting destinations and we are able to experience them more fully than most. Sensitivity can be a double edged sword however. I like to concentrate on the positive edge.

The Gay scene is thriving and Lisbon is increasingly a place of "freedom, tolerance (hate that word used in terms of us) and creative restlessness" Portugal (the country) itself has a way to go in Gay acceptance but Lisbon is welcoming and open for our business! As a matter of fact, night-live in Lisbon is now sometimes depicted sometimes as "hetero-friendly" as apparently Gay locals dominate the most popular clubs and bars, especially in the Bohemian section of Barrio Alto. Lisbon’s true Gayborhood, Barrio Alto has been the cities haunt of artists, writers and the like since the 16th Century. Neighboring Chiado is an elegant, sophisticated district of theaters, bookshops, cafes and high-end fashion. Over all, the two districts are fairly quiet during the day but transformed later, into the city’s vibrant nightlife quarter. Nightlife is pretty much defined as after midnight in Lisbon and it is a classic siesta in the afternoon city. The bars really never close, they just change mood.

There is a very unique sort of café/bar/restaurant in Lisbon which features a type of singing/acting/emoting known as "Fado" or "fate" in Portuguese. The "Fado" singer (male or female) stands in the middle of the room and sings his/her heart out wringing hands or a kerchief, sometimes with tears streaming down the face. Not for everyone, I find it remarkable and true. My favorite "Fado" restaurant prepares a dish with such succulence that tears sometimes come to my eyes! Pork and clams is the combination of which I speak. The Portuguese have a way of combining the land and sea which is quite remarkable. So true to where the country is and so fresh and delicious. Teamed with a great wine from Portugal, I promise you that an evening at a "Fado" restaurant will not soon be forgotten.

Beach Number 19 just below the city is one of the most beautiful Gay Beaches in the world! It is also a nudist beach with an extremely cruisy dune area behind it. Nudism is legal and common so one can enjoy the sun and the sea in total naked comfort almost the year round.

Estoril, Caiscais and what is known as the Portuguese Riviera.  

A short drive or 30 minute train ride up the coast from Lisbon finds you in a different world! Romantic beaches, magnificent old architecture, and the bright neon of the "Casino de Estoril", the largest casino in Europe and the inspiration for Ian Fleming’s "Casino Royale" which is very exciting! Sharing a park with the casino is the luxuriously grandiose Hotel Palacio looking like the set of an elegant, classic 1930’s film featuring a ritzy elegance also found on the coast of France. It was also used in the James Bond film "On Her Majesty’s Secret Service". I have used the "Palace" to house guests many times over the years and have never heard anything but high praise. Back in the days before the Euro and changes in the regulation of goods sold in Europe, I was one evening sporting brand new (fabulous!) Charles Jourdan shoes (leather goods used to be a fantastic bargain in Portugal) and had one cocktail too many. Doing a "Hello Dolly" entrance, (sans boa) I was ascending a glamorous, ornate marble staircase, mistepped and broke a bone my foot. Ouch! I was entertaining some VIP’s who were leaving the next morning so (butch that I am) toughed it out and flew back to the US with a painful swollen foot and then spent the next six weeks in an ankle to knee cast. I guess if one has to break an appendage the Hotel Palacio is a very classy place to do it! Legend has it that during World War II, the hotel was rife with deposed royalty, shady political dealings and spies. You can almost see the over-dressed ghosts having tea. (I think I saw Mata Hari once) The area on the whole is famous for its luxurious villas, sprawling gardens, nose jobs and collagen. The feel is very old money and a somewhat faded glory which I find very romantic and appealing.

Essentially, Cascais (cash-kies … the Portuguese language is full of soft "shh" sounds … very sexy!) and Estoril (Esh-toe-rill) are beach towns with places to stay, shops, restaurants and the like. It’s just that Princesse Stephanie of Monaco might be on the beach and Prince Harry at the beach-bar. The marina is quite impressive and one can pop off their yacht and have the most luscious fresh sea-food dinner known to man. Once again, the Portuguese wines are superb and nicely priced and after dinner with a nice Cohiba (you can readily find Cuban cigars in Europe) perhaps a nice glass of Port for which Portugal is also well known. Port has many of the same properties of Madeira Wine which makes total sense.

Situated on the cliffs of the Estoril Coast, the quaint, Gay-friendly Hotel Albatroz (an old Palace) sits like a "Dowager Countess" overlooking Cascais Bay. I think it is one of the most glorious hotels on Earth and apparently many celebrities and Royals agree. If you can’t afford to stay there at least have dinner at the Panoramic Restaurant. Should that is not an option either, a drink or just a look. I personally love hotels and think of them like people with personalities, history and are much more than a place to sleep and shower. The main public salon of the Albatroz is just remarkable and I think I just saw David and Posh!

Like many places of great beauty, luxury and sophistication, the term "Gay Whatever" is redundant. To me, to be Gay is lucky, beautiful and luxurious. A setting like this is simply icing on the perfect confection and the perfect place for a man like me. Selective men and women like us.

I have entertained in this area of Portugal three ways. All three worked very well. I have stayed in Lisbon and taken the train up the coast. The Four Seasons Hotel Ritz, Lisboa is amazing.  I have also stayed in Cascais and reversed the drill. Both are fodder for an exceptional vacation or a memorable incentive travel program, meeting, party. From both locations one can easily find their way to the most wonderful places to see on Earth! Fatima with its story of the three shepherd children and Mother Mary is awesome! Interesting that one of the few totally documented visitations of the Virgin Mary happened in Portugal. Some of the small Portuguese fishing villages seem not to have changed in hundreds of years. In quaint Nazare, widows all dress in black and wear seven petticoats. Every fishing boat has an eye painted on the bow to ward off evil spirits.  Sintra and its Pina Palace (glorious!) which Lord Byron declared the most beautiful village in the world. Built on a high hill-top, Sintra was seen by Chris Columbus in 1493 on his famous voyage and blown off course, made a stop in Lisbon on his way to our neighborhood.

My third method of enjoying the Lisbon area is to fly to Madeira (usually changing planes in Lisbon) and on the return staying on for a couple of days. From the airport to either Cascais/Estoril or Lisbon is the same transfer time. Personally, three nights in Madeira at any hotel followed by another three in Portugal would be my idea of heaven.

THE BOTTOM LINE: I think that Portugal differs from Spain in the same way that the classic bull-fighting is done. In Portugal, they don’t kill the bull! If you have ever been to a real bull fight in Spain or Mexico you know they are very gruesome and terrible to watch (Except for the colorful-incredibly tight pants on the matador!) I find Lisbon and the Portuguese Riviera very civilized, sophisticated and tres chic in the best possible way. It does not "scream" its name or brag about its importance. It simply is-what-it-is and knows that when the right travelers are done with the world’s "hot-spots" they will find their way to a place where so much of the culture of the world began. I believe that anyone would fully appreciate a trip there but only Gays would fully comprehend its beauty, history, elegance and distinctive qualities. Only gays would notice the attention to detail, tile and wrought iron work, exquisite wines and luscious foods from the sea, castles, royal palaces and iconic religious sites. It’s no wonder the Madonna chose to appear to three children in Portugal. She probably thought she was still in heaven.

Read Related Posts...