Richard Torné delves into the world of partner swapping by keeping his clothes on and visiting Almeria’s only swingers’ club.
I ring the bell, but there’s no sound. I later find out that a bright light comes on inside to let the owner know that someone’s at the door.
Aside from a sign with ‘Chez-Trial’ above the entrance, there is no way of knowing what goes on behind the nightclub’s mirrored doors. The premises are discreetly tucked in a corner of an avenue leading to one of Vera’s best known beach hotels, bang in the middle of the naturist area (no pun intended).
After what seems like an eternity, I hear someone fumbling with a key and the door opens cautiously. I can barely make out the face of the man as the inside of the club is so dark. He is guarded, so I quickly introduce myself to José Fernández – the owner of Almeria’s only swingers’ club.
As I step inside I half-expect – rather naively – to stumble on an orgy in progress, but there’s not a soul or naked body in sight. The club is dimly lit, and together with the cool temperature, dark furniture, walls and club-house music, there’s a rather downbeat feel to the place.
Whether the ambience is enough to encourage anyone to take their kegs off in a rush is a moot point.
José, a broad shouldered and burly 31-year-old Andalusian, looks more like an intimidating night-club bouncer than a businessman, but his manners are irreproachable. “Sorry, I didn’t recognise you and we’re always careful about who we let in. Anyone who is rowdy or has no idea what the club is about, is sent away,” he says, almost apologetically.
Softly spoken, with a neat goatee, he directs me to the bar. My curiosity piqued, I ask why anyone would want to open a swingers’ club, of all things, and in Almeria, of all places.
“It was actually my wife’s idea. Esther took the plunge when I had doubts, and although at times I thought we were mad, I had one thing clear. There are two things in life which are a constant: death and sex, and being an undertaker did not appeal to me one bit.”
If you thought swinging was an urban myth, or a long-abandoned by-product of the 60’s sexual revolution, think again. According to a website specialising in swinging, there are around 11 such clubs in the region of Andalusia and one in neighbouring Murcia, but the list is limited to those which have bothered to register.
Unsurprisingly, big cities like Madrid and Barcelona boast having around 20 clubs each. Apart from magazine publications dedicated exclusively to swinging, one shouldn’t forget the impact internet has had in making it easier for swingers to arrange their own private house parties.
Viewing the figures and the apparent large ‘fan base’, swinging suddenly doesn’t seem such an underground movement after all.
I take a seat by the bar and rush to open my notepad, recorder in hand. I feel like a nervous gate-crasher who’s truly out of his depth. Unconcerned by my blushes, José continues. “We thought about starting up a sex shop at first, but then decided that this would be much more fun.”
The couple bought the business, which was originally located in the nearby resort of Mojacar, and resolved to move lock, stock and barrel to Vera’s naturist beach because “there’s a more modern crowd here”.
In a bold move, the couple decided to print and distribute 6,000 flyers throughout Mojacar, Vera and Garrucha to advertise their club. This is how yours truly got to know about it. Honest.
“Clients before were aged 50 upwards and now we have 22-year-olds who are really into the scene.” Inevitably, I ask him if British expats frequent the club. “The majority are Spanish, but we do get Germans and Britons – and they really go for it!
“It’s funny, the British are very polite, but once through the door they tend to be totally uninhibited. And we’re talking about people who are not tourists, either.”
He tells me that local politicians also frequent the place, but on seeing my reaction he quickly cuts in, raising his hand. “No, I can’t tell you who they are.”
José is quick to point out that manners are paramount, even as clothes are shed, drinks are downed and temperatures rise.
“We have three rules – show respect, be polite and don’t bring any drugs, otherwise you’re out. It helps that everyone is well educated – oiks don’t tend to come here.”
One suspects they could not afford to, either. To enter, couples have to fork out a minimum of 40 euros, which includes four drinks. Not enough to get stoned, but enough to contain first-night jitters. For hard-core couples there are also weekend vouchers for 100 euros, if you can last the course.
Moral issues aside, José stresses that there’s nothing illegal about his club. By law his particular line of business only requires a special ‘after hours’ licence, which is also a prerequisite for any other 24-hour establishment or club de alterne – brothel.
Couples who frequent Chez-Trial are exclusively male/female. Gays have their own, highly organised, club scene in Almeria which includes 15 swingers’ clubs in the provincial capital and one in Mojacar.
I get down to the nitty-gritty and naively ask if the idea for couples to meet up and go back to their place for a more in-depth evening.
“Oh, no. They do it here.”
“What, anywhere?”
“Anywhere – they can do it on the bar if they want to,” he says, pointing to the section of bar my elbow is resting on.
José clocks my perplexed look, so he takes me past the entrance and through a narrow corridor. There is a lounge area “for getting to know each other better”, followed by a cramped dance floor that looks more like a cubicle that’s divided by a crude partition.
“This is very popular,” quips José. “People here let their hair down and become more intimate.” I turn, and through the darkness I make out rows of double beds, all without sheets or blankets, joined side-by-side, with only the flimsiest of net curtains dividing each one. “This is what we call the orgy lounge,” he announces with a hint of pride.
We move on, and it occurs to me that José has been methodical in his planning.
To the far end of the room there’s a small Jacuzzi and beyond that rows of lockers, right next to a bathroom – shower included.
I destroy the illusion of wanton debauchery by asking whether hygiene is high on the list of priorities. He grins. “People are generally clean; at least they know where to put the used condoms!”
Although in theory there’s a free-for-all, there is a code of conduct. A simple ‘no’ means exactly that, single women never venture in and females are often bi.
I ask how the club deals with the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS, and José is adamant that it is down to the individual to act responsibly. “The use of condoms is recommended, but obviously we can’t force men to put them on.”
People start to trickle in. I spot a couple in their late fifties, sitting quietly and having a drink by the bar. Xavi is a Catalan businessman on holiday with his wife Carmen, who tells me they’ve been married for 38 years and swinging for the last 20.
They have two adult children, but neither friends nor family know about their life-style choice. Carmen looks uncomfortable at the idea of talking to a journalist, but Xavi is more forthcoming and seems more than happy to reminisce. “Sometimes we only talk to other people and sometimes we take it further.”
It turns out that he was into swinging first and only convinced his wife to have a try after years of badgering her, and then it was with their best friend. José joins in on the conversation. “Normally it’s the woman who calls the shots, especially if it’s the first time.”
Xavi continues. “The most important thing is that she feels fine about it. I love it when someone else strokes her, whether it’s a man or a woman.”
Despite all the evident bonhomie, I feel I ought to be speaking directly to his wife. I turn to Carmen to ask if her if swinging has improved their relationship. “I don’t know if it’s improved it, but it’s definitely made it last longer.” She responds with a deadpan expression.
The spectre of AIDS may have played an active role in re-shaping the sexual habits of many swingers, but all it seems to have done is to encourage new ways of getting their kicks. “Before there was a lot more screwing and swapping of partners, but now it’s more about games, such as watching and touching,” Xavi remarks.
The view is confirmed by a younger couple who’ve just joined us…for a chat. Forty-one-year-old Paco, who is on holiday with his 38-year-old wife Ana, looks even more intimidating than José and could be a body builder.
As far as he is concerned sex is just like having a meal. “You don’t want to eat paella in the same restaurant every day, do you?” Married for four years, it was Paco who also got his wife into the swing of things. Although active swingers – they like to visit clubs at leas once a month – Paco is not interested in swapping partners and seems cagey about describing his tastes, so I turn to Ana, who has been very quiet up to now and looks rather bored.
She’s not a chatterbox, but reveals that she is happy to play the bi game and that hubby likes to watch above all.
I can’t help feeling that both Ana and Carmen view swinging in a totally different light. There’s a hint of resignation, as if they are driven solely by a desire to please their partners and not themselves.
It’s time to leave and I exit long before the party gets started. I realise it’s a cop-out and I may be missing the most interesting part, but there’s only so much research this hack is prepared to do for an article. Chez-Trial awaits – if you dare.
(October 2007 / stock photos unrelated to story)