Forty kilometers south of Barcelona, the beach town of Sitges (pop. 27,000) deserves its self-proclaimed title, “jewel of the Mediterranean.” Sitges gained prominence in the late 19th century as one of the principal centers of the Modernista art movement; today, the town’s sweeping bays, crystalline water, beautiful tanning grounds (there are 300 sunny days per year), and friendly residents give the town an irresistible je ne sais quoi. Young and fun-loving tourists flock to Sitges for its vibrant party scene; the town’s bars and clubs, though predominantly gay, are enthusiastically hetero-friendly. Although the town makes an ideal daytrip along the coast, consider staying for a few nights—you won’t regret it.
Most people arrive at the train station on Carrer Carbonell in the northern part of town. From there, the town center is five minutes away by foot, and the beach 10 minutes. To reach either, take a right as you leave the station and the third left onto Carrer Sant Francesc. This leads to the old town and intersects Carrer de les Parellades, the main strip of stores and restaurants running parallel to the ocean. Any street off Parellades will lead to the waterfront. Passeig de la Ribera runs along the central and most crowded beaches.
Accommodations are difficult to find on summer weekends and are expensive, particularly for solo travelers. Be sure to call well in advance for a room (although the nightlife is crazy enough that you may not need a bed of your own).
Many of the restaurants in Sitges are tourist traps, especially on the beachfront. Nevertheless, the food here is world-class. Venture far down C. de les Parellades or on the pleasant side streets to escape the generic scene. If you crave waterfront dining, head to C. Port Alegre, where you’ll find fewer crowds and a greater variety of restaurants. Sitges isn’t cheap, and you’ll generally pay at least €20 for dinner, but expect to get your money’s worth. Groceries are available at Suma, C. Carbonell, 24, across from the train station. (☎938 94 12 00. Open M-Sa 9am-9pm, Su 10am-2pm. MC/V.) Alternatively, swing by the Mercat de Sitges, C. Carbonell, 26, next door to the train station, which has fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, and cheese vendors as well as several cafes and bakeries and even a clothing store. (Open M 8:30am-2pm, Tu 8:30am-2pm and 5:30-8:30pm, W 8:30am-2pm, Th-Sa 8:30am-2pm and 5:30-8:30pm.)
Tourists flock to shop, eat, and drink on the pedestrian walkway Carrer de les Parellades, but wise locals stick to the side streets and the peaceful beaches that are located farther up the coast.
Palau Maricel. Across the street from the waterfront museums, fragments of Spanish artistic culture unite with Modernista ceramics, on C. Fonollar, built in 1910 for the American millionaire Charles Deering. Prepare to be wowed by its sumptuous halls and rooftop terraces. Guided tours are available on some summer nights (July-Sept.) and include a glass of cava (sparkling wine) and a castanet concert in the rooftop claustro (cloister). (☎938 94 03 64. Days and times vary; call ahead for reservations. €10.)
Morell’S Modernista Clock Tower. As soon as you come into the Plaça at the intersection of C. de les Parellades and C. Sant Francesc, stop and look high up above the Òptica store for this whimsical clock tower. It’s easy to miss. (Pl. Cap de la Vila, 2.)
Museums. Sitges has neatly united its museums under one consortium; they have the same hours and prices, and combo tickets are available. Seven blocks from the clock on C. Fonollar, the Museu Cau Ferrat hangs high over the water’s edge. Once the home of a driving force of Modernista architecture, Santiago Rusiñol (1861-1931), and a meeting place for the young Pablo Picasso and Ramón Casas, the building is a shrine to Modernista iron and glass work, sculpture, ceramics, and painting, featuring pieces by El Greco and Picasso. Farther into town, the Museu Romàntic, C. Sant Gaudenci, 1, off C. de les Parellades, is an immaculately preserved 19th-century house filled with period pieces like music boxes and two surprising collections: over 400 antique dolls from all over the world and over 25 intricate dioramas of 19th-century life in Sitges. (General info ☎938 94 03 64; www.diba.es/museus/sitges.asp. All museums open July-Sept. Tu-Sa 9:30am-2pm and 4-7pm, Su 10am3pm; Oct.-June Tu-Sa 9:30am-2pm and 4-7pm, Su 10am-3pm. Guided tours hourly in summer in Museu Romàntic €3.50, students and seniors €2; combo ticket for several museums €6.50/4.)
Sitges’s sky-blue waters and proximity to Barcelona make it a viable alternative to the crowded sands of Barceloneta and Port Olímpic. At Platja de la Fragata, the main beach farthest to the left as you face the sea, sand sculptors create new masterpieces every summer day. By midday, the beaches close to downtown can become almost unbearably crowded; the best beaches, with calmer waters and more open space, like Platja de la Barra and Platja de Terramar, are a 1-2km walk away (or catch the L2 bus from the train station to the stop next to Hotel Terramar and walk a bit back toward town). If you decide to walk, you will pass several small beaches, including Platja de la Bassa Rodona, popular with gay sunbathers. Rocks partly shield these beaches from waves, creating a shallow ocean swimming pool that extends far into the water and is ideal for children. Farther down, the water is bluer and there’s more open sand to claim. Sitges is also well known for its peaceful nude beaches. Platja de l’Home Mort can be reached by walking past Terramar until you hit a golf course at the end of the sidewalk. Walk on the beach past the golf course, and l’Home Mort is in a small cove behind the hills where the train tracks run by the coast. Alternately, flaunt your birthday suit at Cala Morisca, on the opposite side of the city, past Platja d’Alguadolç. To reach Platja del Balmins, with clear water ideal for snorkeling, walk past the church and Platja de Sant Sebastià, go around the first restaurant you come to, and then take the dirt walkway between the coast and the high white walls of the cemetery. The path will go up and down a slope; the beach is a quiet cove before the port.
Sitges makes an easy daytrip and an arguably better night-trip. The wild clubs are the perfect escape from the confines of civilization. The places to be at sundown are Carrer Primer de Maig (which runs directly from the beach and Pg. de la Ribera) and its continuation, Carrer Marquès Montroig, off C. de les Parellades. Bars and clubs line both sides of the small streets, overflowing onto the roads and blasting pop and house music from 10pm to 3am. The clubs here are wide open and accepting, with a vibrant crowd of people, gay and straight. Other popular spots can be found on Carrer Bonaire and Carrer Sant Pau, but most open only on weekends. The tourist office has copies of Gay Life (www.gaylifesitges.com), a map of Sitges including a guide to gay-friendly hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs, and sex shops.
When celebrating holidays, Sitges pushes the boundaries of style and spares no extravagance.
By far the best gay destination on the Mediterranean is Sitges, a tiny town just 50km south of Barcelona. Its pride celebration in mid-July attracted over 60,000 people from across the world in its first ...more
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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