Sitges

08870 Sitges, Barcelona, Spain

Don’t forget to stray from the secluded and upscale beach of Sitges to wander its cobblestone streets for small moments of joy like looking up at these vibrant flowers dangling overhead, ready to drop, in one-of-a-kind Spanish ceramic pots.

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Strolling in Sitges

Don’t forget to stray from the secluded and upscale beach of Sitges to wander its cobblestone streets for small moments of joy like looking up at these vibrant flowers dangling overhead, ready to drop, in one-of-a-kind Spanish ceramic pots.

Escape the crowds and Go to Playa de Sitges!

I had visited the beach in Barcelona, and as those who have experienced it know, it is slammed pack and the water is close to factories! I wanted to find a beach away from the city craze, clean sea water and eccentric little restaurants to cater to my needs. Playa de Sitges is a little town about 30 minutes by train from Barcelona. A small walk to a very quaint, serene beach where you wont be bothered by locals selling coconuts and braiding your hair ! Sitges has several nice restaurants on the beach to enjoy, without the tourist fees. This little decorated city captures the culture of Spain without the chaos from a big city. If your looking to spend a serene, peaceful, relaxing day on the beach in Spain. Go to Sitges!

Sunny May Day in Sitges

We were in Barcelona for May Day, and figured it would be good to get out of town and avoid the inevitable demonstrations. So we rented a car (the Sants train station rental offices were open all day) and headed down the coast to Sitges and then Tarragona, before swinging back through the Penedes. It was the best weather of our spring 2013 trip and the promenade at Sitges was alive with walkers, skaters and bicyclists. Wouldn’t mind spending a few days here when the water’s a little warmer.

An Easy Getaway

One of the wonderful things about Europe is the extensive rail system throughout the various countries. Trains are easy, fast and much more comfortable than buses. In Spain, a particularly simple getaway from Barcelona is to the coastal enclave of Sitges, only 35 minutes from town. This lovely seaside resort has great beaches, wonderful seaside dining, some good shopping, and most importantly a vibe that just welcomes everyone - young, old, gay, straight, clothed, unclothed, tourist, local. Actually, these days Sitges is known for one of most vibrant and hippest gay scenes on the coast. When I was there it happened to be in late May and one of the first “real” beach days of the season. So, the town was bubbling with energy and activity. At that time of year, the sun also stays out until late in the evening, so there’s plenty of time to get in some shopping, check out the town, take a lengthy beach stroll, and savor a leisurely lunch. And just a half hour train ride away.

Mediterranean Sea

This beach was right in front of the hotel that I stayed in while I was on a press trip in Stiges, Spain.

Sitges, Spain

About 30 minutes off the coast of Spain lays a beautiful little town that has 28,171 locals that reside on this piece of paradise. Having my family here for the weekend, I wanted to give them a taste of Barcelona, but also show them that it is not all hustle and bustle here. So with that being said, we took the venture to the southwest of Spain and ended up in Sitges. Not only was this place completely opposite of Barcelona, but it was also a very nice and quick escape from the craziness that Barcelona brings about. Sitges is known for its beaches, night spots, and historical sights and was a very family oriented area, so it was the perfect place to go explore with my family. Since the weather was so nice on that day, we decided to go to the beach and have a picnic. We ordered a delicious pizza from one of the restaurants above the beach, picked up some treats and drinks from around town and hit the sand. The nice thing about this area (or at least at the time that we went) was that it was not too packed like the Barcelona beaches. Not only that but there was no real worry about pickpockets when you wanted to go test the waters and go for a swim. After the beach we went to explore the town a little and see what else Sitges had to offer. While wandering the streets, we came across many cute little shopping stores, bakeries, flee markets as well as old movie posters and film supplies that were being debuted in the streets. We were very curious to why they were exhibiting film supplies on the boardwalk and finally came to the realization that some sort of film festival was going on down in the main center of town. Little did we know that Sitges is well known for their film festivals and the one being held this time around was Zombie. Not only can you view new and old films and trailers at this event but also submit your own personal work for viewing. This was quite an event being held in this small town, and one that was pretty cool to experience. After this very fun and tiring excursion, we took the train back into the city, which is about 30 minutes, and went back to our daily routine for the week of site seeing and exploring the charming Barcelona city. I did very much enjoy wandering this city and do hope to return to Sitges either this year or sometime in the future. It was a very beautiful city and a relaxing one at that.

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