Barcelona
Things to do in Sitges - Barcelona
Belonging to the Garraf region of Barcelona, this coastal town on the shores of the Mediterranean surrounds you with its magical warm light, having an average of 300 days a year of sunshine. But in addition to its good climate, is a destination full of life with people from all backgrounds, as it is a very touristic place, with great infrastructure, marinas (Aiguadolç, Garraf and Port Ginesta) and equipment. Here you can search and compare various hotels, apartments, hostels and houses in Sitges and their prices, from 5-star accommodation to the cheapest and most affordable.
One of the most well-known and representative points of the city of Sitges is its church that you will see near the beach called San Bartolomeo y Santa Tecla. But there are also other places of tourist interest such as the palace of Maricel or the museum Casa Ferrer.
Although you do want to party at night, you should know that it is a place with a lot of nightlife. Sitges is also known for being a town that hosts the gay movement, where you will find the famous street of sin, in the center of town, full of bars and small pubs with music and terraces with a lot of atmosphere, very close to the beach. As a curiosity, it is worth mentioning that the first Pachá discotheque in the world was opened here. These streets are also home to the most varied and select restaurants with all kinds of lunches and dinners, exotic menus, meat and fish, which you can enjoy near the sea listening to the waves at night by candlelight.
As autumn approaches, around October, a very well known activity both nationally and internationally is the Festival of Fantasy and Horror Cinema, in which the latest films of these genres are shown, where you can watch films all night long.
And in February you can enjoy another very popular event, the Sitges Carnival, which brings together people from many other towns and cities to walk the streets in their best costumes.
Sitges travel guide
Until next week, the Barcelona town of Sitges, located in the Garraf region, will once again host one of the most colourful and multitudinous carnival events on the Peninsula (with the permission, of course, of the city of Cadiz).
However, this splendid coastal municipality is much more than comparsas and floats. Without detracting from its splendid beaches, its prestigious fantastic film festival (which this year takes place from the 6th to the 16th of October) or its great preaching among homosexual tourism, the truth is that Sitges is also one of the greatest sanctuaries of Catalan modernism, as well as a generous range of architectural wonders.
One of the must-see points is the superb Maricel de Mar (calle de Fenollar, s/n), a notable modernist building erected between 1910 and 1913 by the Barcelona decorator and engineer Miquel Utrillo (1862-1934) on top of an old hospital, whose interior now houses a picture gallery.
Its beauty is comparable to that of perhaps the most emblematic building in this municipality, the Cau Ferrat (calle de Fenollar, 8). Its architect was the prolific painter, playwright and journalist Santiago Rusiñol (1861-1931), who transformed two humble 16th-century fishermen's houses into the headquarters of the famous modernist festivities.
At the same time, the main religious temple of Sitges, the church of Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla (in the image), an original parish from the 17th century, enlarged in the 19th century and declared a National Historical Monument in 1972, should not be missed. Its three naves house interesting examples of Gothic and Baroque painting, ossuaries and an organ from 1679.
Although more modest, it is also advisable to visit other points of interest, such as the Vinyet sanctuary (of neoclassical style and with a bell tower dating from 1872), the Casa de la Vila or Town Hall (1888-1889, of neo-Gothic style), the Casa Llopis (1793, also neoclassical), the beautiful Paseo de la Ribera (located between the Baluard and Terramar staircases) or the monument to El Greco (1898).
Sitges Festival, to die of fear
Preferred destination for many of those who take flights to Barcelona because of its location, just 25 minutes from the center of the capital and only a quarter of an hour from the airport. Sitges is a coastal and tourist city that is traditionally linked to culture, and in many ways, Sitges has been a pioneer in the organization of many festivals and events.
The town usually attracts by its beaches, promenade, historical center, museums, the sport port, the great amount of buildings with different types of architecture (neoclassical, modernist and noucentist) and by its great offer of leisure. All this has made Sitges one of the most visited municipalities on the Mediterranean coast.
However, Sitges also has a somewhat sinister but interesting appeal. It is one of the highlights of the town all year round and 10 days that bring all sorts of strange and terrifying beings to the city as well as many curious people wanting to meet them. It is the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, the first fantastic film festival in the world and at the same time one of the cultural events with the greatest media impact in Catalonia and the Mediterranean in general. With a solid trajectory, the Sitges Festival (which is how it is popularly known) is a meeting point, presentation, exhibition and, of course, projection of fantastic cinema made in any corner of the world.
Its history began in 1968 as the 1st International Week of Fantastic and Horror Cinema, a beginning that has become an unmistakable reference for film lovers and the public eager to live new experiences as well as to learn about new trends and technologies applied to cinema.
Figures such as Quentin Tarantino, Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Cameron Diaz, Viggo Motensen, John Landis, Sam Raimi, Santiago Segura, Guillermo del Toro or Aitana Sánchez Gijón have passed through here among a long list that year after year constitutes a claim for all types of media.
In short, if our thing is to spend fear or be astonished by unknown or strange figures, beings from another world, we can not help but spend October in Sitges. And if you need accommodation do not miss some of the best rated hotels in Sitges.
Sitges Beaches
Sitges is currently one of the busiest beach areas in Catalonia. In it sun, beach and leisure come together perfectly. So in summer many people decide to visit this area of the Catalan coast to enjoy almost unique beach days.
So prepare the protective cream, swimsuit, bikini or simile, we are going to visit some of the beaches of Sitges.
We start with the beach of the Riera Xica. With this peculiar name we find a very complete bathing area in terms of services. In addition, a train station is just over a kilometre away. It is only 320 meters long to enjoy the bath and about 15 meters wide. Although it is small, it has received the tourist quality distinction. And as a pro point it has a footbridge for people with disabilities.
Now we come to the Beach of the Frigate. Of reduced size, it has the majority of services, but it lacks the most important perhaps, a zone of parking. It also lacks a toilet area and although generally that is not necessary, we have to bear in mind that in most cases it may be necessary. The advantage is that the train station is about 600 meters.
We continue visiting some more beaches, such as Balmins Beach, which has all the necessary services to offer the comfort that tourists seek in their long days of sun and sand. The train station is only 800 metres away and access to it is easy. It has a footbridge for handicapped people and an adapted shower.
We could continue to visit more beaches in Sitges, but we will only name a few more such as the Terramar Beach or the Sitges Shops.
