Sitges

Quite unlike any other Spanish holiday resort, Sitges has a unique charm, a style all of its own and an easy sophistication which lends itself to the aspirations of the gay holidaymaker who might be seeking that little bit extra.

Sitges has escaped the fate of so many of its Spanish holiday resort counterparts and remains a singularly beautiful destination. The unique, stylish and unspoiled town of Sitges lies about 35 kilometres south of Barcelona. With its stunning architecture reminiscent of the Spanish colonial style and its relaxed atmosphere, effortless sophistication and easy charm attracting some of Europe’s most celebrated jetsetters to its shores, there really is nowhere else on the Spanish mainland to compare. And, as if that wasn’t enough, you’ll find the town’s gay scene welcoming and varied.

One of the first pleasant surprises you’ll get on arrival is that you’ll notice that the main gay beach is centrally located not – as with so many gay destinations – stuck out on a limb miles from anywhere. In fact, there are 17 sandy, well-kept beaches stretching along Sitges’ 4 kilometres of coastline, and these include an out-of-town rather cruisier gay beach as well as a couple of naturist options: You’re more than likely to spend a lot of your day at one of these beaches, before wandering into town to check out some of Sitges’ impressive galleries and boutiques. The town’s artistic, bohemian heritage is well documented and this is still in evidence today, with many examples of local painting and sculpture on sale. Collectors may wish to keep back a little bit of extra luggage space, as should fashionistas who will seriously enjoy updating their wardrobes: clothes shops here are not cheap, but they do offer a level of quality and design sadly lacking from so many cloned British town centres these days.

All that retail therapy is bound to make you a little bit hungry, and Sitges is well known for its trendy daytime cafés, Granja Elsa, Mont Roig and Los Vikingos are three favourites where you can sit around chatting with friends, enjoying a snack and a bevy while watching the seemingly endless parade of attractive blokes strolling past!.

When night time comes, your thoughts might well turn to enjoying a meal out, Sitges Bon Estar, La Borda and Alma, while the lively atmosphere and superb French cuisine of Gabriel’s is also high on our list of preferred eateries. We can’t fail to give the restaurant at Hotel El Xalet a mention (outdoor dining at its best) while new Italian Agli Speecchi is ideal for a light lunch or romantic dinner.

When it comes to bars, it seems a shame to select some and not others for mention here, so please don’t treat what we write here as exhaustive. There are dozens of gay bars in the town, most of which are indoors with air conditioning, and these vary from mixed, gay-friendly early evening venues to seriously late nighters.

Never let a trip to Sitges go by without popping into the famous Bar 7 (camp or what?) and to El Piano, where they host regular cabaret spots. Another regular is Bar Magma, on the ground floor of the Hotel Madison Bahia. Magma is gay friendly rather than exclusively gay but this in no way distracts from the bar’s excellent, attentive staff, stylish décor and impressive array of cocktails.

If you’re tempted by a bit of drag, Comodine might well be right up your alley, while Eric and the boys are always eager to welcome you to Bourbon’s.

As the clock ticks into the wee small hours, dancing queens might well end up in El Candil while those after less dance but more fun should head for Man Bar, XXL or El Horno.

Sitges is steeped in history, especially in the field of the arts. Once a centre of Modernist movement, the town boasts three museums housing a variety of collections, primarily focussing on Catalan Modernisme. Collections include paintings and ceramics, while the Museo Cau Ferrat includes work by Rusinol, El Greco and some early Picassos.

Holidaying in Sitges means that the surrounding area of Catalonia – and its many attractions – is easily accessible. Barcelona really shouldn’t be missed, but also try the Roman ruins at Tarragona, the Universal Studios Theme Park at Port Aventura, the monastery at Montserrat or the Dali museum at Figueres.

We hope you’ve gathered by now that part of Sitges’ attraction is its versatility: cultural centre, seaside resort or home to a great gay scene, it really is up to you what you make of your trip. But, however you decide to spend your time in this most captivation of towns, we hope that you’ll find something to tempt you among the range of package holidays and accommodation-only options which you can read about over the next few pages.

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