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EUROPEPortugal has been voted the world’s most gay-friendly destination. There’s a dynamic LGBTQ scene in Lisbon – the Bairro Alto district and neighbouring Principe Real are where it’s all concentrated – and in Porto, as well as many of the main tourist cities of the Algarve.
Culture Trip’s group trip to Portugal takes in both Lisbon and Porto, and is a great option for seniors wanting to explore Portugal. The leisurely nine-day trip passes through two leading wine regions, takes in a culinary walking tour of Lisbon and a rabelo boat ride down the River Douro.
Costa Rica has one of the best records for LGBTQ rights in Central America. Additionally, it boasts a beautiful coastline, volcanic beaches and lush forests, making it an ideal destination for gay senior travel.
Culture Trip’s nine-day Pura Vida experience encompasses western Costa Rica, heading from the capital of San José to Tamarindo. While it’s a group trip, it’s designed to be flexible, so you can take things at your own pace – whether you want to go ziplining or whitewater rafting through the jungle, spot hummingbirds and sloths, or enjoy sunrise yoga with views of the Pacific.
With the legalisation of same-sex marriage in 2010 and the banning of conversion therapy in 2020, Mexico City is a bastion of progressive LGBTQ politics in the Americas. Its huge June pride parade is one of the largest in Latin America, second only to São Paulo, Brazil.
Culture Trip’s five-day La Vida Local tour of Mexico City drops you right into the heart of two LGBTQ-friendly neighbourhoods, with a guided tasting tour through the food markets of Roma and Condesa. With your Local Insider, you’ll also get to watch masked wrestlers at the lucha libre, visit Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul and take a mariachi-soundtracked trajinera ride down the Xochimilco canals.
Although Italians still face marriage inequality, Italy is largely accepting of LGBTQ travellers, and especially in the northern cities of Milan and Rome. Each hosts its annual Pride in June, while in the Porta Venezia neighbourhood, Milan’s LGBTQ community has its own beating heart.
You’ll sample Milan on a culinary walking tour during Culture Trip’s 10-day getaway to Northern Italy, also taking in the highlights of Rome, Florence and the Italian Riviera. From cooking classes and wine tasting at a San Gimignano vineyard, to sipping aperitifs on a boat tour of Lake Como, the entire trip is stuffed with gastronomic treats.
Colombia embraces diversity and is at the forefront of the LGBTQ movement in Latin America. The capital, Bogotá, is home to Theatron – the largest gay bar in Latin America – and hosts Bogotá Pride and Equality week every year in June-July. Culture Trip’s eight-day Bogotá-to-Medellín group trip dedicates an entire evening to exploring Bogotá’s thriving nightlife, which is a bonus for single gay senior travel.
Other highlights include tasting the world-renowned coffee of the Zona Cafetera and trying your hand at the game of tejo, which involves throwing weighted steel discs towards a bocin (metal ring) that is rigged with gunpowder which explodes on impact. You’ll finish up in the city of Medellín, home to the buzzing El Poblado district.