Italy is a hugely popular destination for travellers from all around the world, and gay travellers will feel safe and welcomed in most parts of the country. There are many different clubs, saunas, festivals and neighbourhoods that come together to make up gay Italy. We’ve compiled the information you need to get prepared for your trip.
Travelling safely in Italy
On the whole, Italy is a safe, welcoming country for gay travellers to visit. In the major cities, particularly popular tourist spots, travellers can feel totally comfortable being visibly LGBTQIA+ in public. However, in smaller towns in the more rural areas, gay couples may want to reduce public displays of affection, as it may be more likely to attract negative attention.
Gay Italy: Milan
Milan is one of Italy’s most popular cities for gay travellers and for good reason. The fashion capital is often also referred to as the country’s ‘Gay Capital’, and it has probably the largest gay scene in Italy as well as the most open. Porta Venezia and Via Sammartini are Milan’s main gay districts, with a strong LGBTQIA+ presence and community. However, for the most part, Milan doesn’t have a concentrated gay village because its scene is spread throughout the city.
Gay bars and clubs in Milan
Blanco Milano is an LGBTQIA+ bar and cafe very close to the centre of Milan. LeccoMilano is a wonderful smaller gay bar in Porta Venezia; they serve fun cocktails and have great DJs keeping the atmosphere up. Mono Bar is a cool, retro-themed gay bar close to LeccoMilano. Club 23 is a smaller lounge-style bar that hosts fantastic drag and cabaret shows.
Gay shopping in Milan
Along with a variety of gay bars at Via Lecco, you can also find shops with clothes and other goods made by up-and-coming gay artists. Libreria La Babele is a gay and lesbian bookstore where you can find your next beach or aeroplane read. Pier Pour Hom is an LGBTQIA+-focused novelty store, perfect for buying gifts for your gay friends back home.
Where to stay in Milan
Hotel Sanpi is a charming hotel in Porta Venezia. It’s located just down the street from Via Lecco, so you’ll be right in the heart of one of Milan’s best LBGT+ communities. The adorably named B&B Too Cute 2b Str8 embraces communal living, and their staff are extremely knowledgeable about the local scene, so it’s a perfect place to get some tips.
Gay Italy: Rome
The country’s capital has a growing gay scene, with plenty of clubs and bars to head to in the evening. Compared to other major cities, particularly Milan, Rome’s gay scene is a little more discreet and underground. Rome’s ‘Gay Street’, Via San Giovanni Laterano, is an LGBTQIA+ friendly neighbourhood near the Colosseum.
Gay Village festival
The Gay Village festival is held in Parco del Ninfeo and some of the nearby neighbourhoods. The festival hosts LGBTQIA+ street parties, concerts and film screenings all summer long. The festival attracts over 200,000 visitors every year and it’s a great way to meet other gay tourists from all over the world.
Gay bars on Gay Street
The bars on Gay Street have a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere and are popular with locals and tourists alike. Coming Out is probably the most popular gay bar in Rome and is considered something of an institution amongst the city’s gay community. Open from lunchtime, you can start the night here with some food and a few drinks before heading just next door to My Bar, which has a dance floor and DJ in the back.
Gay Bars outside of Gay Street
With the bars on Gay Street generally having a more chill vibe, you’ll want to head a little further outside of the city centre if you’re looking for more of a club atmosphere. Ostiense is a great neighbourhood with a few gay clubs close to each other, such as MEN2MEN. Near the Trastevere neighbourhood, you’ll find the Garbo bar, a fantastic place to head to after the other bars close. It has a bit of an exclusive, lounge-like atmosphere and you’ll need to have an in with the locals before you can visit – you usually need to be invited by someone who already knows the place.
Gay saunas in Rome
There are a couple of gay saunas in Rome and you’ll need to purchase a membership card to get in, though these can be bought when you arrive. Near Gay Street, you can find a few gay saunas. One of these is Apollion Sauna, which has a wide variety of amenities, including a smoking room and bar. Europa Multiclub is another sauna that includes a Turkish-style bath and a small gym.
Gay Italy: Venice
While Venice is a gay-friendly destination where any LGBTQIA+ traveller should feel comfortable, it doesn’t have much of a gay scene. There aren’t really any LGBTQIA+ neighbourhoods like there are in cities like Rome and Milan. While there aren’t many gay bars within the city of Venice, most establishments are LGBTQIA+ friendly. One popular hangout for LGBTQIA+ locals is the Ristoteca Oniga bar and restaurant, which specialises in tasty seafood.
Gay bars in and around Venice
The main gay club in Venice is TRASH&CHIC, which runs themed parties on Saturdays and is located in Mestre, just outside the city centre. For more variety, travellers visiting Venice who want to explore the gay nightlife might prefer to head to the nearby city of Padova. Here you’ll find more clubs, bars and saunas. Anima Underground has delicious cocktails and is one of the most popular gay bars in Padova, meaning it always has a great atmosphere.
Gay Italy: Florence
Florence doesn’t have as much of a defined gay village or gay neighbourhoods as Rome and Milan do; the Santa Croce neighbourhood is the closest thing. It contains the popular bar Queer, which has a pumping atmosphere, and the nearby Piccolo Cafe, which has a more quiet, intimate atmosphere. In Florence, the Continentale Hotel is an LGBTQIA+ friendly hotel, perfect for couples looking for a romantic getaway close to many of Florence’s top attractions, including the Uffizi Gallery and the famous Ponte Vecchio.
Florence Queer Festival
Florence has hosted an international LGBTQIA+ film festival since 2003: the Florence Queer Festival. It usually runs in October and shows feature-length films as well as short films and documentaries. You can also see live panels, guest talks and performances.
Gay Italy: Naples
The largest city in Southern Italy, Naples is a great city for those looking for a more affordable trip than the bigger, more touristy cities. The city has a relatively small gay scene, but it can be perfect for getting to know the local LGBTQIA+ community. As the larger gay scenes are also in the larger, more tourist-dense cities, it can be harder to engage with the local gay community. In Naples, though the city may not as popular with gay travellers, you’ll find it easy to meet gay locals who can give you tips on the best events and venues.
Gay bars in Naples
Generally speaking, Piazza Bellini is considered the meeting point of the Naples gay community. If you’re just looking for a place to chill in a gay-friendly environment, Bar Fiorillo is something of an unofficial gay bar. Located in Piazza Bellini, it’s very popular with local gay men, which makes it a great place to meet people with a more in-depth knowledge of the city’s gay scene. Macho Lato is one of the most popular gay clubs in Naples, with an electric atmosphere and a wide-open dance floor.
Gay Italy: Capri
The island of Capri sits just off the Bay of Naples and is renowned for its beautiful villas and beaches. The island has been a common haven for LGBTQIA+ people from throughout Europe since the early 1900s. Known for its laid back vibes, Capri isn’t as much of a party place as some of the other gay-friendly locations in Italy are, making it perfect for a quieter romantic getaway. But if you do still crave some nightlife, Anema e Core is a gay-friendly, live-music venue that promises an authentic Capri party experience.
Gay Italy: Sicily
The island of Sicily includes a few different cities that have become hotspots for LGBTQIA+ travellers over the years. The region tends to be less out and proud than the big cities on the mainland, but a few cities have growing gay scenes along with interesting LGBTQIA+ culture and history.
Taormina
Situated on Sicily’s east coast, Taormina is one of Italy’s hidden gems for LGBTQIA+ travellers. This is in part due to its history as a getaway for famous LGBTQIA+ figures, including gay author Oscar Wilde and sapphic poet Sophia Parnok. While there are few LGBTQIA+ specific venues, you’ll find the community and local businesses very welcoming. Shatulle is one of the few gay bars located in Taormina’s city centre; the interior decor is centred around a series of homoerotic paintings.
Where to stay in Taormina
Isoco Guest House, in Taormina, Sicily is a B&B-style accommodation where each room represents a different artist. The B&B is LGBTQIA+ friendly and you are quite likely to meet other LGBTQIA+ travellers staying there.
Catania
If you’re headed to the island of Sicily, the city of Catania is considered one of the most LGBTQIA+ friendly cities on the island. The Cortile Alessi bar and restaurant in the Catania city centre is a historic LGBTQIA+ hangout. Be sure to look up Pegaso’s Circus, a gay bar that hosts performance events every weekend. If you’re visiting in summer, you have to head to Discus Beach, where you can watch open-air performances and drink cocktails under the stars.
Gay-friendly Catania beaches
Discus Beach is probably the most popular LGBTQIA+-focused beach in the city, but there are quite a few gay beaches tucked away. Oasi del Simeto is just outside the city and is a clothing-optional beach popular with LGBTQIA+ travellers – it tends to be less well known among mainstream tourists.
Palermo and the Sicilia Queer FilmFest
Sicily’s capital, Palermo, isn’t as well known for its gay scene, but it does have a few locations and events that draw in gay travellers. Most notably, the city hosts the Sicilia Queer FilmFest, which includes lineups of both local and international LGBTQIA+ cinema creators. Screenings are often hosted by the Cinema Rouge et Noir. So if you’re travelling to Sicily between late May and early June, you can take a break from all the sightseeing and clubbing and cosy up in a movie theatre to watch some LGBTQIA+-themed films.
Gay Italy: Puglia
The region of Puglia, in southeastern Italy, is a highly popular area for gay tourists. There are many gay beaches in the region. Spiaggia D’Ayala is the most well known, situated around 1 hour from Gallipoli by car. Being cordoned off from the main road by thick forest makes D’Ayala a wonderfully secluded nude beach. For something a bit closer to the main city of Gallipoli, Lido Zen beach isn’t officially a gay beach, but you’ll feel completely comfortable and welcome amidst the younger, more free-spirited crowd.
Bars and clubs in Puglia
The cities of Gallipoli, Lecce and Bari have most of the region’s gay nightlife. In Lecce, be sure to check out Marilyn Bar, where the cocktails are next level and you can meet locals and tourists alike. In Gallipoli, Caffe Bellini is great in summer, with the party often being centred on the terrace out the front. Like Marilyn Bar, this one’s popular with both tourists and locals.
Accomodation in Puglia
Lune Saracene is a gay-specific B&B in Puglia. The rooms themselves are well equipped and there’s a lovely outdoor garden area, but many gay travellers will love the B&B for its location. It’s close to the popular gay beach Commendada and Yanny’s Club, a popular LGBTQIA+ club.
Gay Italy: Torre del Lago
If you’re looking for a small-town getaway where you can feel comfortable, one of the best small towns for LGBTQIA+ travellers to visit is Torre del Lago, in Tuscany. The beachside town is perfect whether you’re looking for a quiet escape to relax or a thriving nightlife. Soak in some culture at the town’s heritage museums or the Festival Pucciniano, a tribute to the composer Giacomo Puccini, born in the town. At night, head along the promenade and you’ll find gay bars and clubs to party all night and Lecciona, the town’s largest gay beach.
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