Once Sitges was a quiet fishing village with a church on the beach. Today it is a small old town located in one of the bays of the Spanish Costa del Garraf. Despite the fact that the city has managed to preserve all the charm of a Catalan village, life here is in full swing all year round: all kinds of carnivals, festivals and other holidays are held. According to online surveys, Sitges is firmly in the top ten most visited youth resorts in the world. Check clothesbliss for how to get to Spain.
Sitges is one of the top ten most visited youth resorts in the world.
Perhaps, no resort in the world has such an image as that of Sitges. It is called the “Spanish St. Tropez”. Fashion brand shops, day and night entertainment, proximity to Barcelona, professional golf clubs and picturesque marinas make Sitges an incredibly popular resort for travelers with a wide range of interests, as well as a fairly expensive place to stay.
A significant plus of the proximity of the resort to Barcelona gives rise to a significant minus – Barcelona prices.
How to get there
To get to Sitges, you need to fly from Domodedovo to Barcelona International Airport. Then the most convenient way to get there is by train. The ticket will cost from 6 EUR to 21 EUR, and the journey will take 37-42 minutes. Direct trains depart from Passeig de Gràcia or Barcelona-Sants (Plaça de Catalunya); 4 trains per hour, including 2 express trains.
Alternatively, you can take a bus or use a taxi. The latter will cost you about 45-60 EUR. The price will depend on the number of people and luggage, as well as the cost of travel on toll highways.
The prices on the page are for August 2021.
The beaches of Sitges
Sitges has beautiful sandy beaches. In total, the resort has 11 beaches, the most popular of which is the beach of St. Sebastian (Platja de St Sebastian), located near Cau Ferrat.
All the beaches of Sitges are perfectly clean and have everything you need for a comfortable stay. During the holiday season, the central city beaches are filled almost to capacity, so the old-timers of the resort prefer to go a little further along the coast.
You can also find several secluded bays, where there are much fewer vacationers. Further down the coast is a nude beach, followed by a gay beach. In any case, no matter what choice you make, there will always be a cozy cafe or restaurant nearby.
- Map of Sitges
Sitges Hotels
Most hotels in Sitges are 4-star, but cheaper options can be found. Due to the large influx of tourists at the height of the holiday season, all hotels are overcrowded. Therefore, you can book a room through a travel agency or the website of one of the hotels. Such a service will cost you approximately 160-220 EUR.
For wealthy tourists, there is the option of renting individual apartments or villas. For increased comfort, you will have to pay at least 800-1000 EUR (the cost of a week of accommodation). But if you go with the whole family or a large company, then such a price will no longer “bite” so much.
Cuisine and restaurants
Due to the popularity of the resort, Sitges restaurants are not the cheapest. Dinner for one person, not even in the most popular establishment, will cost about 35-55 EUR. But for 15-25 EUR you can order a set lunch consisting of three courses, appetizers and dessert.
In Sitges, you can’t miss the traditional Spanish dishes: seafood paella, thick tomato gazpacho soup, a special Spanish omelette (Tortilla Española) or fried potatoes in a spicy sauce (Patatas Bravas). And also be sure to try the Spanish cheese Queso Machego, traditional sausages and ham (Jamon & Chorizo).
Entertainment and attractions of Sitges
The most famous landmark of the city is the 17th century Church of St. Bartholomew and St. Thekla, on the steps of which sea waves beat. We also advise you to pay attention to the buildings in the Old Town – there are many beautiful villas and mansions, among which Villa “Anita” and the house of Pere Carreres stand out.
Marisel Palace deserves special attention. This complex in 1912 was bought by millionaire Charles Deering. Here he created a museum in which he placed his own collection of paintings. Of particular interest are the Golden and Blue Halls, the tower of St. Miquel and the ancient monastery.
The most fashionable discos in Sitges “Pacha” and “Atlantis” are famous throughout Spain.
Another cultural highlight of Sitges is the Cau Ferrat (“Iron Nest”) Museum. At the end of the 19th century, the famous Spanish artist Santiago Rusinol lived in this house. Here he not only opened his school of painting, but also held the so-called “modern-style parties”, which earned him fame throughout the city in the aristocratic circles of Spain. The Cau Ferrat exhibition features works by many artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including such masters as Salvador Dali, El Greco and Picasso.
Address: Fonollar, s/n, tel.: 93 894 03 64. Opening hours in summer: from May to September, from Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 20:00; in winter – from October to April, from Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 18:00. On Sundays and holidays, the museum is open from 10 am to 3 pm. The museum is closed on January 1st, May 1st and December 25th.
5 things to do in Sitges
- Take a look at the museum of the legendary Bacardi rum and learn how to make the right cocktails at the master class.
- Make a trip to the monastery of Montserrat in the mountains.
- Stop for a minute to listen to a street guitarist.
- Taste the best paella in all of Spain.
- Dare to plunge into the water of the Mediterranean Sea, which is very cool in these parts even in summer.
Night clubs and discos
Rough fun continues here from early morning until late at night. Sin Street is the center of a cluster of discos and dance bars. At night, all its space is filled with crowds of vacationers. The most fashionable discos are Pacha and Atlantis, they are famous throughout Spain. The main fun there begins late at night, so you should not go to clubs earlier than at 3-4 in the morning. Monday is considered a day off.
Sitges is considered the unspoken gay capital of the entire Mediterranean, so the city has many specialized shops, gyms, bars, clubs and saunas. If you are going to visit this or that institution, pay attention to this fact. It even publishes a special map showing gay establishments: you can pick it up at Parrot’s Bar on Plaça Indústria.
Holidays and events
Perhaps one of the highlights of the year in Sitges is the annual carnival-gay parade, which takes place in February. This event attracts thousands of people from all over the world. Solemn processions, dances, bright, unusual and scandalous costumes – all this will continue in Sitges for a whole week.
In March, the city hosts a traditional vintage car rally called the Barcelona-Sitges Rally.
In summer you can visit theater and flower festivals. At the end of August, Sitges celebrates the feast of St. Bartholomew (the patron saint of the city) and the Fiesta Mayor. In September, you can visit the Santa Tecla Folklore Festival, and in October, the Fantasy and Horror Film Festival.
Weather in Sitges
In Sitges, compared to neighboring resorts, there are much more sunny days than cloudy ones (the sun shines here about 300 days a year). The average daily air temperature fluctuates between +26-28 °С, the humidity is low. All this makes Sitges a great place for a beach holiday.
