Sitges

Enjoy a Bear event, Carnival, Pride or just a relaxing holiday in Sitges

City Overview

Sitges is a small Catalan town approximately 35 kilometres southwest of Barcelona, in Catalonia. It is famous for the Carnival and Film Festival. Located between the Garraf Massif and the sea is it popular for its beaches, nightlife and historical sites.

While the roots of Sitges' artistic date back to the late 19th century as a result of the Catalan painter Santiago Rusiñol taking up residence the city. There is a large expat resident population living in Sitges and almost 40% of the residents are foreigners.

Sitges is often compared to Ibiza and offer referred to as the Saint-Tropez of Spain. There are 17 beaches and is a popular destination for the gay community.

Getting Around

Sitges is relatively small and generally walking is the easiest way to explore the town. If you need to go a little further then the local train or a taxi is the best option.

Airport Transfer

Barcelona’s main airport Aeroporto del Prat is approximately 20 km from Sitges. To get to Sitges from the airport there are three options, bus, train and taxi.

By Bus these is the MonBus which run twice per hour during the day Monday to Friday during the day and every hour on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays. There is a night bus if you arrive exceptionally late.

By Train from the airport it takes about 20 minutes. Take a train showing “Vilanova G” or “St. Vincenç de Calders” on the front and get off at Sitges. Trains run until about 10.30 pm only. By Taxi from the airport it will take about the same time as the train but costs approximately €70 depending on time of day and traffic.

Places to stay

Most of the hotels in Sitges are within easy walking distance of the centre of town and what is considered as the gay village. All the hotels listed on our website are gay friendly. The hotels get fully booked during the main gay events and the main holiday season so we advise you to book early.

Sitges Beaches

There are 3 places on the beaches which are the most popular with the gay community.

Playa De la Bassa Rodona

The most centrally located gay section of the beach is Playa De la Bassa Rodona and opposite the Hotel Calipolis. It is not exclusively gay as there are straight people whom do not notice they are in predominately gay section of the beach or prefer to be amongst us as we are fun guys to be around. It is still packed with gay boys during the peak season. Just look for the gym toned and sun-tanned guys wearing speedos and designer sun glasses.

The only downside of this section of the beach is it attracts beach sellers and masseurs trying to sell you something or offer massages. When going to swim ask somebody close to you to watch your belongings.

Playa De Las Balmins

This is the main nudist beach a 10-minute walk from the Sitges centre. The clientele is not exclusively gay but mixed. You do not need to remove your speedos so you can go with friends whom like to get an all over tan even if you do not.

On the sea front you need to walk along the breach to the left to go pas the church and continue your walk and climb the hill and go past the cemetery and the beach in then in front of you. The beach has two sections which is on the right-hand side of the beach which is mainly gay.

Playa del Muerto

This beach is mixed nudist beach with a gay section by longest distance from the centre of Sitges. If you want to walk it will take you 40 to 50 minutes or you can take a taxi part of the way and then walk for about 10 minutes.

To go by taxi, ask for the L’Atlantida disco which will cost about €10 and then walk along the beach in front of the disco to the right and you will reach the 2nd beach which is Playa del Muerto and exclusively gay. It has a small bar and forest behind across the train track where guys between swims and tanning for some fun. Be careful crossing the train track as the trains go past very fast.

If you want to walk then from the Terramar Hotel along the beach to the right and you will reach the beach by the L’Atlantida disco. Keep walking and then you will reach Playa del Muerto.

Bars, Clubs & Parties

Sitges considering the size of the town has a great selection of gay bars. Below is a summary of the most popular bars.

Beso Bar is dance bar with DJs located on Sin Street in the centre of the gay village.

Bears Bar Sitges is open all year and centrally located at Calle Bonaire 17.

Bukkae is one of the busiest and most cruisy bars in Sitges with a large cruising area, lockers, showers and a sling.

Bunker is a large sex/cruise club with DJs, a maze and slings.

Parrots bar is a Sitges institution with terrace right in the centre of the gay village with a terrace so you can sit outside people watching.

Privilege Bar is a very popular dance bar during the busy summer season and during the gay events. There is one Gay Club in Sitges which is called Organic.

Cafes & Restaurants

Depending on where you are staying Sitges the town is full of cafes and restaurants. The choice of different types of food is great. Look for places to dine with your eyes and nose to see the food being eaten by other diners and if the customers are cute.

Saunas

Sitges has two Saunas, Parrots Sauna which is located in the Parrots Hotel and convenient of staying there and another called Sauna Sitges at Carrer Espalter.

Shopping

Sitges is full of small boutique shops selling all the all the popular LGBTQ brands and some fetish items if you will need for your holiday or parties.

Main LGBTQ Events

The main LGBTQ events in Sitges are Carnival, Sitges Bear Week and Sitges Gay Pride.

At the end February is the annual Sitges Carnival which is one of the top Carnival events in the world attracting thousand of visitors to Sitges over 7 days with two main parades. It is amazing to see and if you want to take part get a costume to impress as the locals and visitors make a lot of effort dress up.

Every June Sitges Gay Pride event is held. It is a 10-day event with lots of parties, open air concerts and other events in the town. The main parade takes place on the Sunday afternoon.

Every September is the annual Bears Week. It attracts over 5,000 bears, cubs, otter and bear chasers to the town for another 10-day event.

For all the above events when accommodation in Sitges gets sold out it is wise to book in advance to not be disappointed or having to stay away from the centre of Sitges.

Day trips close to Sitges

Barcelona is approximately 40 km from Sitges and another popular gay destination. You can travel by train for a day trip or overnight stay. The city has a gay area which is called Eixample (Slang name “Gaixample”) and is centrally located in the city and hot spot with all bars, clubs, saunas etc close by.

Other

Currency – Euro (EUR)

Language – Spanish

Visas – Not needed for travellers from the US, Canada and Europe

Best Time To Visit – March - November

Timezone – Central European Standard Time (GMT+1)

Homosexual Activity – Legal