Holiday lettings & accommodation in Sitges

Sitges is a mid-size town, with a permanent population of just over 28,000, but it manages to cram a huge amount into a small area. The town is entirely navigable on foot, although the more central your accommodation the less walking you will need to do. The area around the Església of Sitges church is particularly attractive, sitting to the left of Sitges’ main beach and filled with pretty squares of white-painted buildings. It also boasts some of the town’s main cultural attractions such as the town’s old marketplace, which is now an exhibition centre, and the town hall, which dates from 1889. Night owls should look for an apartment within striking distance of Carrer 1er de Maig, locally (and jokingly) known as “The Street of Sin”, where the drinks flow generously and the music thumps till the early hours. The picturesque and wealthy area around Sitges’ Port Aiguadolç has some excellent (if expensive) bars and restaurants. Book an apartment overlooking the waterfront here and watch the yachts moor up as their owners head into Sitges for a cocktail.

A holiday in Sitges means some serious beach-time, and the town does not disappoint, with seventeen clean, safe beaches within its boundaries. Families should head to Platja de la Fragata which has volleyball nets and pedalo hire. All beaches are LGBT-friendly but the main gay beach is Platja de la Bassa Rodona. The two nudist beaches are Platja d'Aiguadolç and Platja dels Balmins - their mountainous backdrop also makes them Sitges’ prettiest. Get away from beaches and spend a day exploring the town’s culture. The most interesting museums are the Museu Romantic, which includes an extensive doll collection; Museu Cau Ferrat, with some excellent glass and ironwork artefacts, and Museu Maricel which boasts a fine collection of maritime-themed art. The main annual events are the Sitges Film Festival, a major international fantasy and horror festival, with recent attendees including Anthony Hopkins and Quentin Tarantino, and Sitges Carnival. The carnival is one of the world’s largest, attracting over 250,000 people. The gay carnival happens the week before, so prepare for a full fortnight of dancing, music and general mayhem!

Despite its bohemian and arty reputation, Sitges is still a working fishing town, and that is reflected in the quality of the seafood available. Avoid eating fish on a Monday - there is no catch on a Sunday, so the fish is fresher later in the week. Japanese food is also very popular in Sitges: a sign of both the quality of the fish, and the cosmopolitan nature of the population. Sitges is famous for its nightlife, and visitors are spoiled for choice on a night out. Remember that the Spanish prefer to go out late and stay out late, so if you walk past a bar that appears to be dead at 9pm, try again at 11pm. Your first stop should be Sitges’ infamous “Street of Sin”, also known as Carrer 1er de Maig. Start at the top of the street in Parrots Bar and work down, stopping in at Pacha’s official bar, Pachito.

The easiest way to get to Sitges is to fly to Barcelona, which sits just 35km up the coast and then take a direct train or bus all the way into the centre of Sitges. The town itself is compact and very simple to navigate. Unless you have a mobility issue, the easiest way to get around by far is on foot - although there are buses available if they are needed. Buses are the only form of public transport - the town is too small for an internal train or metro system - but this also means that you can rent holiday accommodation in most areas without having problems getting back in the evening. Sitges is so close to Barcelona that it seems a shame not to take the train there in the morning and spend a day exploring this most magical of Catalan cities.