Some close in summer and move to island venues so call ahead! The age of consent in Greece is 17 years old. Prophylactics is a Greek word pronounced "Pro-Fee-lac-tee-ka. Readily obtainable at Kiosks & Pharamacies.
Musically Greek gay clubs are a bit different and take a couple of drinks to get used to. For a more western type venue aka London or NYC try gay freindly U-Matic, 268 Vouliagmenis Ave., Neo Kosmos, Tel: 6945-363700 or Plus Soda Club, 161 Ermou St., Thission Tel: 210-345-6187
Lambda 15 Lembetsi St., Makrighianni area, Tel: 210-922-4202. One of the mainstays of the scene, 12 years running, dancing upstairs, downstairs for gay films and socializing. Opens 9pm, happy hour, weekend dancing till dawn, parties.
Koukles (Dolls) 32 Zan Morea St & Syngrou Ave. Corner, Koukaki Area, Tel: 210-924-8989. Open Wed - Sun. Transsexual& transvestite activities with Drag competitions Fri & Sat nights!
Alekos Island 42 Tsakalof, Kolonaki Sq. Area , Tel: 210-723-9163. Tops and Sugar Daddies frequent this oldest of Athens Gay watering holes in classy Kolonaki. '80's Greek island feeling with pop music and international clientele.
Dare 5 Tsakaloff St., Kolonaki. Tel 210-363-7761. Noon to midnight dayly. Lounge and groove to great tunes.
Gallery Fillis St. & 9 Smyrinis St. corner, Victoria Sq. Area, Tel 210-825-1966. Greek music and rough trade.
Inoteka 3 Abyssinia Sq., Monastiraki Area, Tel: 210-324-6446. Intimate & relaxed wine bar with inside and outdoor seating playing wide variety of music.
Floga 2nd floor, 19 Persefonis, Gazi Tel: 210-341-3952 coffee-bar, relaxed low key ambiance.
Granazi 20 Lembetsi St., Makrighianni area, Tel: 210-924-4185. Old and young mix at this favorite Athenian hangout. Greek and international sounds.
Bistro 54 54 Mitropoleos St., Plaka, Athens center, Tel: 210-331-8781. Romantic, hotel piano bar with Acropolis view. Gay friendly: Hotel Magna Grecia.
Sodade 10 Triptolemou St, Gazi Area, Tel: 210-364-8657. Open daily 11pm - 3:30 am, later on weekends. Fun and hip dancing with 2 stages and theme courtyard. Very busy! Mix of gay and lesbian.
Bourou Bourou 50 Konstantinoupoleos, Gazi Area, Tel: 210-354-4406. Alternative, stylish, courtyard summers.
Live Bait 34 Filis St., Athens center, Tel: 210-882-2134. Greek and Persian music, ethnic nights, happenings and strip tease. Open till dawn.
Kazarma 84 Konstantinoupoleos, Keramikos Area, Tel: 210-346-0677. Open Thur - Sun's till 3:30, gets busy after 1am. Modern themes and mainstream music, dance parties.
Lizard 31 Apotolou Pavlou St., Thission Area, Tel: 210-346-6960. One of the first gay clubs with mixed lesbian and gay patrons. International music. Open sundays only after 10pm. Better call.
Wunderbar 80 Themistokleous, Exarhia Sq., Tel: 210-381-8577. Large cafe bar with outdoor seating in Athens student area. Electro music, mixed crowd. Opens 9am.
Strass 32 Odysseas Androutsou St., Koukaki Area near Acropolis. tel: 210-922-1622. Tiny bar with mostly transvestite clientele. Greek music.
Test Me 64 Pipinou St., Aghios Pandeleimon Church Area, Tel: 210-822-6029. Intimate, busy, all ages.
Fantastico 37 Aristotelous St., Athens center, Tel: 210-881-9720. International crowd and area locals mostly.
Play My Music 78 Konstandinopoulos and Ieara Odos, Gazi Area, Tel: 210-341-1141. Daily 11pm to 3:30, weekends till dawn. New, large, world class dance club with light shows, video projection and high standards. Progressive to soul music. Popular and recommended.
Some of these establishments are just gay-friendly or mixed so your discretion is appreciated.
Aroma Gynekas (The Smell of a Woman) 15 Tsamadou St., Exarhia, Tel: 210- 381-9615. Best dance club & packed weekends. Mainstream Greek and international music. The "Out" crowd hangs here.
Fairy Tale 25 Koleti St., Exarhia, Tel: 210- 330-1763. Closed Mondays, Sundays opens after 2pm, serves lunch. Intimate with international and mainstream hits.
Mayo 32 Persifonis St., Gazi area,Tel: 210-342-3066. Open all year. Backyard or rooftop fun summers, great view of city, young and attitudinal crowd.
So Bar So Food 23 Persifonis St., Gazi area,Tel: 210-341-7774. Pretty decor, cold food & salads. Good time atmosphere and mix of Greek and international hits.
Sodade 10 Triptolemou St, Gazi Area, Tel: 210-364-8657. Open daily 11pm - 3:30 am, later on weekends. Fun and hip dancing with 2 stages and theme courtyard. Very busy! Mix of gay and lesbian.
Telia and Pavla (Period & Comma) Corner 98 Alexandras Ave and Harilaou Tricoupi St., Tel: 210-643-0960. Intimate and classic with Greek music. Popular!
Palestra Gym in the Athens Tower, 2-4 Messogheion Ave., Tel: 21-777-0606/748-3333. Seriously popular Gym, with free weights, nautilus, sauna, hamam, jacuzzi, solarium, aerobics, kick boxing, other asstd. martial arts, visitors welcome. Various membership options.
Athens Relax Sauna 8 Xouthou St., Omonia Sq., closed Sundays, open:1pm-8:30pm, Tel: 210-524-7710. Discrete and friendly, gay clientele with steam room, sauna, bar, rest rooms.
Ira Baths 4 Zinonos St, Omonia Sq., Tel: 210-523-4964, opens 10am. Turkish style hamam with Greek and international clientele occasionally.
Erotica Center 44 Kapodistiras St., Vathis Sq., Tel: 210-523-0804. Open 24/7/365. Home of the original patented penis enlarger.
Hotline 64 Panepistimiou St., near Omomia Sq., arcade entrance, up one floor. Tel: 210- 382-0660. Huge selection of you name it!
Athinaikon 11 Kratinou St., Dimachiou Sq. is near Omonia Sq., Tel: 210-524-3876. Only adult cinema in Greece with daily adult gay films from 8pm to 3 am. Films change Fridays and Mondays.
Star 10 Aghiou Konstandinou St, Omonia Sq., Tel: 210-522-5801. Straight porno on ground floor, gay on second, endless stair ways where cruising is heavy.
Police often patrol parks and other outdoor areas so have your ID or passport with you.
Near the Temple of Olympian Zeus in the parking lot out side the swimming pool late at night car cruising. Close by Aghia Foteini Church near the columns.
Thission or Thesiou Public Park opposite the metro station early evenings as park closed later.
Dalikeri Athens busiest cruising area by car. Cruising starts by car from Votanikos (botanic) corner of Spyrou Patsi St. to Osiou Polykarpou St. until the train station. Plenty of activity daily!!
Pedion Areos or Mars Park on the Alexandras Ave. side by the statue of Athena and all through the park in the afternoons. Benches are favorite p/up spots. Beware police. In years past there has been violence in this park, usually Albanian toughs robbing rent boys for their money... unsolved murders have happened. Caution after dark!!
Kolonaki Sq./Exarhia area corners of Solonos and Asklipiou St./ also Athens-Kavala Ave. from Kifisiou to Sarakaki St.
Syngrou Ave is the best place for trans of all persuasions from 11pm on, tourists and Greeks. Busy areas are Skra St. in front of Interamerican Insurance, Foinika and Express Service Buildings.
This is Athens' well know (a household word literally)Transsexual/ transvestite strip and the butt of many cultural jokes usually having to do with finding money to fund some project or purchase. As in "I will go to Leoforos Syngrou (Syngrou Ave.) and earn the money!"
From May to October its warm enough to swim and the Limanakia or little coves past Vouliagmeni are the place to go. There is only one canteen (Kantina) on the highway and directly below is the 3d limanaki. The further along the road you go the gayer it gets. Take the buses: A2, A3, B3 from Syntagma area Panepistimiou and Sina St. to Glyfada, from there take the 115 or 116 Bus. Ask for the express bus in summer. " To Ex-press yia Ta Leem-en-ak-ia"
Varkiza, Dikastika in Marathon, Legrania in Sounion are other beaches for discrete cruising.
www.greekhelsinki.gr NGO related to human rights violations against gays in Greece by Greek media.
SATTE Union of Solidarity of Greek Transsexuals and Transvestites, Tel: 2693-281-5418
ACT UP 3 Aghion Theodoron Sq., Athens Tel: 210-729-4241
Greek Homosexual Community, www.gay.gr, Tel: 210-330-4910
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