Elche has one gay bar and this is it. Sultana sits on a narrow street in la Vila, the old town, a few minutes from the Basilica de Santa Maria, and for the local scene it works as the meeting point rather than as one option among several.
The room is small and the terrace outside becomes the better half of it once the evening cools. Cocktails are the draw, mojitos above all, with a decent beer list behind them. Music runs to pop and indie. Tables are not taken, so you turn up.
The crowd is mixed, and the bar is deliberate about that. It describes itself as a place for friends and for future friends. Themed nights come round regularly, usually built on a single colour that doubles as the dress code, with a resident DJ behind them.
Alongside the bar it runs a club for alternative culture and leisure, which puts cultural evenings, talks and health campaigns on the programme next to the parties. That is why the bar counts as community infrastructure in Elche and not only as somewhere to drink. It is a weekend place.
