Sitges

Sitges is a seaside resort some 35 km southwest of Barcelona in Catalonia. It is known for its beaches, nightspots, and historical sites.

Sitges has one of the most vibrant and hippest gay scenes along the coast. The beaches are very colourful and fun! The city which overlooks the Mediterranean has large avenues, narrow streets, a museum and the gorgeous beaches of Costa Dorada/Golden Coast.

Understand
Sitges is a lovely town of 29,000 people (2018).

Tourist information

 * Sitges tourism website

Get in
From Barcelona: You can get there by train or by car. The easiest way is by the Spanish Railways (RENFE). The journey by train from Barcelona costs €4.60, and takes around 35 minutes. Direct trains leave from Passeig de Gràcia or Sants stations - from Plaça de Catalunya a change is required at Barcelona-Sants. There are four trains an hour: two fast trains and two stopping trains.

By car, there are two routes: either via the C-31 (a local road which winds its way around the cliff faces) or the C-32 (a toll motorway). The C-32 is recommended for speed and safety, however it costs around €5, while the C-31 is free.

By air, the closest international airport is Barcelona/El Prat de Llobregat(BCN) airport (Sitges is accessible by train, changing at El Prat de Llobregat). Reus/Tarragona(REU) airport is an alternative, for regional flights (Sitges is accessible by train changing at either Sant Vicenç de Calders or Vilanova i la Geltrú). Girona/Gerona (GRO) airport is 125 km away in Costa Brava.


 * Served by lines

Get around
Walk or taxi cab; it is a charming small city.

The best way is rent an electric bike.

Beaches
Sitges has 17 sand beaches. Four of them are in the east: the first one called Les Botigues at the beginning of the coast, next to the beaches of Castelldefels and the other three are following the coast of Garraf (Road C-31). One of them is Garraf village beach.

There are 11 beaches in the town and two to its west, which are difficult to access. All the eastern and urban beaches have flags indicating the state of the sea and most of them have quality diplomas and blue flags awarded by the European Union.

There are three main nudist beaches located in Sitges. One of which is Platja dels Balmins, the second nudist beach is Platja d'Aiguadolç, both of these beaches are populated by all members of the community. The third nudist beach is Playa del Muerto, which is more populated by the gay community. Platja dels Balmins and Platja d'Aiguadolç are located on the eastern side of Sitges while Playa del Muerto is on the western side of Sitges and is more difficult to reach.

Major events

 * Carnival (Carnestoltes) in February and March, according to the liturgical calendar. The festivities begin on Dijous Gras, or Fat Thursday, with King Carnestoltes’ arrival. They continue until the burial of the sardine — late afternoon on Ash Wednesday. Folk dances and xatonades (traditional local salad served with assorted omelets) are also characteristic carnival elements. The two most important moments are the Rua de la Disbauxa, or the Debauchery Parade, on Sunday night and the Rua de l'Extermini, or Extermination Parade, on Tuesday night. Around 40 floats with more than 2,000 participants fill Sitges.
 * Carnival (Carnestoltes) in February and March, according to the liturgical calendar. The festivities begin on Dijous Gras, or Fat Thursday, with King Carnestoltes’ arrival. They continue until the burial of the sardine — late afternoon on Ash Wednesday. Folk dances and xatonades (traditional local salad served with assorted omelets) are also characteristic carnival elements. The two most important moments are the Rua de la Disbauxa, or the Debauchery Parade, on Sunday night and the Rua de l'Extermini, or Extermination Parade, on Tuesday night. Around 40 floats with more than 2,000 participants fill Sitges.

Hiking
The GR-5 (viewpoints route) starts in the city and goes through the Parc del Garraf, the Montserrat Natural Park, Sant Llorenç del Munt i l'Obac Natural Park, the Montseny Natural Park and ends crossing the Parc del Montnegre i el Corredor in Canet de Mar

Buy
Local souvenirs, Catalan/Spanish music (Serrat), Spanish/Valencian music (Camilo Sesto).

In Sitges (unlike nearby Barcelona) all of the shops are allowed to open on Sundays. You will find a wide range of fashion stores around the city. Several of them carry top brands. Pedestrian streets on the city center get quite crowded on Sunday afternoons with tourists and people from Barcelona buying. Several shops open just after 17:30 and stay open until 21:00.

Eat
Xató is Sitges' most typical dish. The main ingredients of xató are endive salad, cod, tuna, anchovies, aubergine and black olives. However, the essence of the dish is its sauce, made with scalded chillies, toasted almonds, garlic, olive oil, salt, vinegar and hot peppers. The complete xató meal consists of some different omelettes or fricandó (a typical Catalan hot meal) and as a dessert, coca de lardons (typical Catalan cake, made from pork scratchings), served with a bottle of Penedès black wine.

Drink
The streets near the waterfront are filled with street cafes. Local youngsters gather on the beach after nightfall.

Malvasia is a delicate liquor wine served in Sitges, primarily with dessert. The name "malvasia" comes from the Peloponnesian port Monemvasía. In Sitges, the Hospital Sant Joan Baptista continues producing and marketing malvasia according to the traditional method from its own vines and within its own cellars. The proceeds go to charity. The annual production is approximately 4,000 bottles.

Go next
Barcelona, Lloret de Mar, Tarragona, Lleida, Valencia, Castellón, Alicante, Alcoy, Benidorm, Girona.