Klaus Gründken, Dunas Map "Man of the Month" for September 2026
Thirty years ago, Klaus Gründken left his native Germany to settle in Gran Canaria, where he opened Adonis Bar, which has become one of the most famous and popular spots for the gay community at the Yumbo. He tells us about the different steps that led him to achieve his dream and to live on his favourite island. Klaus is the Dunas Map Man of the Month for September 2026.
· Hello Klaus, could you introduce yourself as fully as possible? What are the most important things we should know about you?
- My name is Klaus Gründken; I’m 66 years old and have been living on Gran Canaria – my favourite island – for 30 years now.
· How did the idea of moving to Gran Canaria permanently come about?
- I was doing well in Germany, had a good job, and yet there was always this big dream in my head: to move to Gran Canaria for good one day!!!!! At first, we’d come here on vacations – two or three times a year – then we started planning our entire annual holidays around Gran Canaria.
At some point, I realised that you end up waiting far too long to fulfil your dreams. So I started making preliminary plans for Gran Canaria and wrapping things up in Germany. I then went ahead with that in 1996 with my partner at the time, Kay. We wanted to open a business here; we knew it was going to be a small, cosy bar and started planning. We quickly decided that the bar should be called ‘Adonis’, a short name that’s pronounced the same in almost all languages.
As with any new venture, not everything went to plan – but in the end we opened ‘Adonis’ on 1st October 1996.
Luckily for me, Kay was a qualified hotel and restaurant manager, because I had absolutely no idea about the hospitality industry... But when you’re thrown in at the deep end, that’s when you learn the quickest.
· Adonis Bar is part of the Six Pack Zone, a great concept that allows one to dance and have fun in a specific area in the Yumbo bordered by six gay bars. Could you please tell us more about how it works and the next events to come?
- Yes, ‘Adonis’ is now part of the well-known ‘SixPack Zone’, where six bars have joined forces and play the same music every day, avoiding the problem of being drowned out by other venues on either side playing music that’s too loud.
· Tell us about Adonis's clientele. Who are your most regular customers? Do you welcome many gay men? Is the Maspalomas German community important to you?
- ‘Adonis’ attracts a colourful mix of guests. All age groups, gay, lesbian, and straight – and we’ve had a loyal regular clientele for 30 years. Over the years, we’ve naturally made many changes to keep improving the venue.
Our bar is also well known for our waiters, who’ve all been working with us for many years. My main support, however, is my Frank, with whom I’ve been together for 29 years (with a break 😉).
Despite 30 years in business, we still plan to carry on for a long time to come – it’s simply still so great fun.
· Do you have any hobbies or activities outside of your work in Maspalomas? Can you tell us about it?
- Yes, Frank and I have one big hobby: cruises to all sorts of places!!!
· What is your vision for the future? Are you feeling optimistic for Maspalomas and gay tourism?
- In my opinion, Gran Canaria will always remain a hotspot for the gay scene, and that’s a very good thing.
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