Sitges is a beach town about 21 miles southwest of Barcelona. It is well known for its very crowded carnival and its annual film festival. It has a rich history, a fun nightlife, and 17 beautiful beaches. It is a popular gay destination.
If you are traveling to or from Barcelona and Sitges, you can take a tourist bus, a municipal train or a bus.
Day Tours
Several tour companies include Sitges as a stop on a day trip departing from Barcelona. For example, you can visit Sitges, Montserrat and a cava winery visit in one day. Or, you can visit Sitges and take a tour of Tarragona. Another popular day tour is Sitges, a Barcelona city tour, and a cava winery tour.
Train
Sitges can be accessed by Cercanias Renfe, which is the suburban train network, from the center of Barcelona. Trains cost around 4 euros each way. You can get on the train in Barcelona at Estacio de França, Passeig de Gracia and Estacio Sants train stations. You must get off at the Vilanova i la Geltru or St. Vincenç de Calders stations in Sitges.
Trains to Sitges from Barcelona leave approximately four times an hour. The trip lasts between 38 minutes and an hour and a half, depending on the stations from which you depart and arrive. Trains stop at night around midnight and don’t resume until around 5:30 am If you need overnight transportation, then the bus would be your best option.
Bus
MonBus runs to and from Sitges and Barcelona. The bus leaves from Plaza España and Ronda Universitat during the day. The trip from Ronda Universitat to Sitges lasts 55 minutes and from Plaza España, 45 minutes (sometimes more on weekends as the bus makes more stops). Buses pass through Barcelona El Prat airport.
The night buses have a different name, they are not called MonBus, and they simply receive the numbers N30, N31 or N32. They run from Plaza Catalunya instead of Ronda Universitat or Plaza Espanya. The night bus trip is shorter, as it goes directly from Barcelona to Sitges, with a travel time of approximately 35 minutes.
The beach
Although there is a beach in Barcelona. Don’t even try to convince yourself that the beach in the center of Barcelona is nice, it isn’t. To enjoy the beautiful beaches in this area, you really want to go to Sitges. There are several nice beaches in Sitges, including some nudist beaches like Platja dels Balmins and Platja d’Aiguadolc.
Of its 17 sandy beaches, Les Botigues is located at the beginning of the coast, next to the Castelldefels beaches and three others along the Garraf coast. One of them is the beach of the town of Garraf. There are 11 beaches in the city and two to the west, difficult to access. As a popular gay resort, there are also some specifically gay nude beaches in Sitges such as Playa del Muerto, which is one of the western beaches that is more difficult to reach.
Facundo Bacardi, the founder of the popular rum distillery, was from Sitges. There is a rum museum in Sitges to commemorate their rum dynasty.
The best times to visit
Of course, if you long to get to the beach, any day with good weather is a good time to visit Sitges. There are also some events that make it a popular time to visit.
- Some would say that the best time to visit is the carnival. Every year during Carnival, gay and straight people from all over Europe flock to see one of the most extravagant festivals on the continent.
- Gay Pride Sitges takes place in June. For nine days in June, you can look forward to pool parties, foam parties, boat cruises, and parades through the streets.
- The traditional Sitges festival is in August. In honor of the patron saint, the city celebrates for a week with parades, fireworks, dances and a procession with a statue of the saint.
- The 10-day Sitges International Film Festival of Catalonia is in October.
Other places to visit near Sitges
The closest town to Sitges is Vilanova I la Geltru, where there is a railway museum. A little further from the coast you will find Vilafranca dei Penedes, famous for its cava wine. A peculiar photo opportunity on the way to Vilafranca is the town of California.
