Types of Holidays
The Spanish town of Sitges is located approximately 35km southwest of Barcelona.
Spain as a country is a hugely popular holiday destination, partly because of its weather and numerous tourist attractions, and partly because of its close proximity to the UK.
With flights from London taking under two hours, it is ideal for any type of holiday, from a weekend away to a longer family holiday.
Best Time to Go
Although only 20 minutes from Barcelona, Sitges has its own microclimate.
Throughout the year the weather is mild with no extreme temperatures.
The winters are extremely mild, with the lowest average temperature being 10°C in January, while August averages 29°C.
Sitges enjoys about 300 days of sunshine per year, and rainfall varies monthly â" July, for instance, has 5.4mm of rain and August gets about 120.4mm.
For those looking for the ultimate weather, summer would be the ideal time to go.
Sitges also has cultural activities and festivals all year long, making it a great destination whatever the time of year.
Sights to See
Sitges is home to a number of attractions and has a vast history.
The Cau Ferrat is a house previously owned by Santiago Russinol, a modernist painter with huge influence on the movement. Tourists can now enjoy the painting and sculptures on display, including works by Picasso and El Grecos.
There is also the Church of Sant Batolomeu I Santa Tecla, which dates back to the 17th century. Inside are two Gothic sepulchres, from the 14th century, as well as painting from Pere Pruna and a Renaissance retablo from the 15th century.
Also in Sitges is the Museu Romantic âCan Llopisâ, which reproduces the lifestyle of a family of Catalan householders during the Romanticism period.
Activities
The main activity in Sitges is the Santa Tecia Festival, which is held between the 15th and 23rd of September. The festival has been taking place since 1321 and the Spanish government considers it of national touristic interest. It includes fireworks, historical parades and human towers.
In July there is the Annual Tango Festival, where tango dancers from around the globe perform displays and lessons on the beach and streets, and Fiesta Mayor festival occurs from the 21st to 27th August, boasting dancing, music and parades.
Beaches
Despite being a relatively small town, Sitges has a staggering 17 beaches, covering everything from family beaches to gay-friendly and nude beaches.
Platja Sant Sebastia is located to the east of the Sitges church and is popular with all types of people.
Platja de la Fragata is a popular family beach and has volleyball nets and pedalo hire to keep the children entertained.
Platja dâAiguadolc is popular with nudists and those wearing swimwear; located 15 minutes by foot from the preceding beach, it offers quite a lot of seclusion.
Platja dels Balmains rests on the eastern side of the Sitges Church and is predominately a nudist beach, and has a fabulous backdrop of the mountains.
Platja de la Rodona is the main gay beach in Sitges, and is always extremely busy.
Nightlife
Sitges has a plethora of nightclubs, many of which are open until early morning. The difficulty is not in finding a club to spend the night, but if youâre straight you may have problems in finding one that isnât primarily gay. Carrer Sant Bonaventura, in the middle of town, has nine gay clubs alone.
Man Bar is a decadent club for those looking for something out of the ordinary. It could well be the raunchiest gay club along the entire Spanish eastern coast, and has dark lighting, chains and metal bars. The rear dark room is where patrons are encouraged to âplayâ, and the main dress choice is rubber, uniforms and leather, except underwear nights where patrons are made to wear suitable underwear or be naked. Man Bar is closed in winter, but the rest of the year is open from 10pm to 3.30am.
The largest gay bar is Mediterraneo, which is in a restored 1960s house with an Iberian garden and modern styling.
If you want something more relaxed then the bars may be a better choice. The Placa del Cap de la Villa is packed with bars offering beers, cocktails and tapas, and these bars tend to welcome all ages and sexualities.
Accommodation
Sitges has a variety of accommodation on offer, covering almost every budget.
Hotel Galeonâs rooms start from just £47 a night. The three-star hotel is located in the centre of Sitges, and it has an on-site restaurant should you not want to go into town to eat. The hotel also features a garden, swimming pool, tours and ticket assistance, and air-conditioning.
Hotel Platja Dâor is slightly more upmarket; rooms have satellite TV, air-conditioning and fridge or minibar. The superior rooms are located over the road from the main hotel in separate blocks, and consist of a double bedroom and twin bedrooms, two bathrooms and a kitchen, and visitors are treated to bathrooms, flowers, fruit and wine on arrival.
There is also the Alenti Sitges Hotel & Restaurant, a four-star, nine-room boutique hotel situated in the centre of town. The hotel was designed by renowned architect Carlos Ferrater Lambarri and Lucia Ferrater. The hotel has two double rooms, located in the main fa§ade and overlooking the Carrer del Pecat. The rooms are soundproofed and equipped with many details to ensure the comfort of guests. To top it off, the hotel has an exclusive suite complete with a 40 square metre private terrace and therapy tub.