Sitges, Spain: A Travel Guide
I PROMISE I’m going to give a life update / excuse for why I haven’t posted anything in *checks notes* OVER A YEAR! But for now, I’m going to jump right into a travel guide of what (I think) is the perfect little weekend getaway, or even day trip, from Barcelona. Drum roll please….it’s SITGES!
There are so many things to do in Sitges! It’s small and very walkable with great nightlife, stunning beaches, beautiful museums, and of course great food! And, it’s only 30-40 minutes from Barcelona, which makes it ideal for a day or weekend trip outside of the city.
So without further adieu, here is a travel guide for Sitges, Spain with my recommendations of where to stay, where to eat, where to drink, and just general things to do in Sitges!
How to get there
From El Prat airport
To get to Sitges directly from the Barcelona Prat airport (like we did), the quickest options are a taxi or a bus.
We ended up taking a taxi because we landed very late and missed the last bus. Our taxi wound up being about €65, which is a little pricey. The price can even get up to €75 depending on the time of day and traffic.
In terms of price and convenience, a bus is definitely the best way to get to Sitges from the airport. If you land at a reasonable hour, you can take the Garrafbus to Sitges for only €8. It picks up outside of Terminal 1, so if you land in Terminal 2 you can take the free airport shuttle to T1. The bus can run from every 2 hours to every half hour, depending on the time of year and day of the week. You can check their website here to see the timetable for a specific day.
So if you’re looking to save some money, I would definitely recommend taking the bus if it’s available. It’s a lot cheaper than a taxi and the journey isn’t that much longer. A taxi will take about 25-30 minutes and can cost between €65-€75, whereas the bus can take about 40-45 minutes and only costs €8.
The drive there was very scenic but also very hilly and curvy. If you’re like me and get easily car sick, you may find the journey to be a lil much. Just FYI……but thankfully it’s not too long!
You can also take a train, which is the cheapest option at only €4.60. It’s also the most hassle though since it’s not a direct connection. To get from the airport to Sitges by train, take the R2N train from Terminal 2 going to Barcelona-Estació De França and ride it 1 stop to El Prat de Llobregat. Then, you’ll need to switch to the R2S train going to Vilanova I La Geltrú and ride that 6 stops to Sitges.
From Barcelona city
If you’re in Barcelona city, the best way to get to Sitges is to use the metro station closest to you to connect to the R2S train which will take you straight to Sitges. You can get on the R2S train in Barcelona city from Estació De França, Passeig De Grácia, or Sants stations.
We took the train on our way out of Sitges and back to central Barcelona. The Sitges train station is very centrally located in Sitges, just a short walk from the old town.
When to Visit
In terms of when to visit, you can’t go wrong weather-wise in coastal Catalunya. The coolest months will of course be December-February, but even then it’s just highs of 60°F (15°C), lows of 41°F (5°C)…which is basically a hot summer day in Ireland…. Plus, it hardly ever rains.
Even during the off season, there should still be a good buzz in Sitges from the locals visiting for a day/night from Barcelona. I visited in early June and the atmosphere was great! And even though it was peak season, I didn’t find accommodation expensive.
Where to Stay
As it was a group of 6 of us visiting Sitges, we opted to stay in an Airbnb. We also knew we wanted to be somewhere close to the beach, as our overall plan for the weekend was to chill the F out on said beach. We stayed in this Airbnb which we were really happy with. Not only was it only a few minutes walk to the Platja de la Ribera beach, but it was also a short walk to the main area of town with lots of bars and restaurants.
However, there are several small beaches in Sitges, and plenty of hotels along the seafront. For example, on the other side of La Iglesia de San Bartolomé y Santa Tecla, a stunning baroque-style church right on the water that stands elevated over Sitges, there is another stretch of beaches that would be a lovely area to stay in as well.
Overall, Sitges isn’t very big so the sea front and old town are pretty walkable!
How long to stay
The great thing about Sitges is that it’s proximity to Barcelona city makes it totally doable to just visit for the day. But although it’s small enough to see the whole town in a day and be back to Barcelona by nighttime, I’d really recommend staying at least 1-2 night to experience the nightlife in Sitges, and to be able to relax and chill out on the lovely beaches. The beaches here are way nicer than those in Barcelona. Plus, you’ll have more time to wander around and really explore the town, which is just overflowing with beauty in all it’s nooks and crannies.
What to do
Beaches
HIT THOSE BEACHES BABY! The beaches in Sitges were reallyyyyyy nice, especially considering city beaches are sometimes….not that nice (like Barcelona’s Barceloneta beach, for example).
The main beach near old town is Platja de la Ribera, but there’s also Platja de la Fragata, Platja de Sant Sebastià, Platja dels Balmins (a gay-friendly beach where clothing is optional), and many more. They’re all beautiful in their own way.
Along the beaches there were also plenty of chiringuitos, small bars on the beach selling drinks and tapas. So you don’t even have to leave the sand and sun for long to get some food and one (or several) alcoholic beverage(s).
Paddleboarding
Another thing we did was stand up paddle boarding with Sitges Surf Club. None of us had ever done SUPing before and Sitges Surf Club gave us a lesson before we set up. The SUPing was done at Platja de la Marina beach. This was a great location great because as you paddle along the coast you paddle away from the city and towards more rocky cliff beaches that are only accessible either from the water or by a small hike. So it’s a great way to see more of the stunning coastline.
Although we (ok fine…me in particular) were really bad at it, it was still a fun way to spend the day out. But BOY was I bad…not only did I not once manage to stand up on the board, I also couldn’t even get any pictures because I would lose balance and fall off!
Sitges Old Town
Of course, walking around Sitges’s Old Town should definitely be on your list! I LOVE a good walk in a new place – I put my Airpods in, just wander around and take it all in, all while burning some cals and upping my step count. There were lots of cute bakeries, cafes, and buildings around the old town to keep me entertained. One thing I really loved was all the old tile work around the city.
Museums
In terms of museums / a lil bit of culture…
I would also 1000000% recommend visiting some/all of the Sitges Museums, which are all right next to each other right on the water. Specifically:
- The Palau de Maricel – Walk or take a guided tour through this stunning palace that’s covered with beautiful tiles and other amazing details, and that has amazing panoramic views of the sea. If you love tile work and architecture, you’ll love a stroll through its 7 areas. Plus, admission is only €5, so it’s a great affordable activity!
- The Museu del Cau Ferrat – a museum with gorgeous tile work and a collection of everything from paintings, forgings, ceramics, glass, archaeology, sculptures and furniture. Everything there is mostly by the artist Santiago Rusiñol, but there are a few things from Picasso and others.
There’s also 3 other museums in that complex, so you could definitely make an afternoon out of visiting all of them! And even if you decide not to go in, even just seeing the museums from the outside is absolutely gorgeous. They’re right by the water with a beautiful view of the town and beach. It’s also right next to the Church of Sant Bartomeu and Santa Tecla, a beautiful baroque-style church up on an elevated terrace which just so happens to be a gorgeous place to watch the sunset.
If you’re doing a full weekend in Sitges, you’ll definitely have time to peel yourself away from the beach and visit at least one of these museums!
Do a Food or Wine Tour
This something I didn’t have time to do but I would’ve LOVED TO! So even though I myself didn’t get a chance to do a wine tour, I don’t think this guide would be complete without mentioning some of the fun wine tour options in Sitges!
Even though Sitges is a relatively small village, there are still several food and/or wine tours available. I mean this is SPAIN we’re talking about, after all. So whether you choose to do just a wine tour, or a wine and tapas tour, or even a paella making class in Sitges, you can pretty much be certain that it’s going to be DELISH. Doing (at least) one of these tours is on my list for the next time I visit Sitges!
Where to eat
One of the things I love about Spain is that the food is SO GOOD, and Sitges is no exception. Many of our meals in Sitges weren’t planned beforehand – we just wandered around until we saw something that looked good! Here are a few restaurant standouts:
- La Cúpula Garraf – This was definitely our bougiest meal of the whole weekend in Sitges. And also my favorite meal! (It’s fun to be fancy every once in a while!) This restaurant isn’t walkable from within Sitges town itself. From the Sitges train station, you take the R2S train towards Barcelona just one stop to Garraf. Then, this restaurant is only a few minutes walk from the Garraf train station. The whole journey from the Sitges train station is about 10 minutes, and totally worth it.
The views from this restaurant are insane, so I would definitely recommend requesting an outdoor table. Our table was right on the edge looking over the cliffs at the water and it was just the most incredible, bougie, over the top lunch. I felt like feckin Beyonce sitting there sipping my white wine and looking at the incredible view.
We got the squid ink rice with octopus to share and although it didn’t necessarily LOOK very appetising (see below), it was actually really good! This place was just a little pricier than most places we ate at, but the view/experience really made it worth it.
- Restaurante Fragata – had a nice Spanish lunch here and it has nice views of the harbor.
- Veggie Garden – casual spot with exclusively vegan options. Whether you’re vegan or not – you’ll like the food. Plus, it’s really good value for money!
- Villa Marina – A mediterranean restaurant right at Sitges port. The pastas were absolutely delicious and the waitress was so nice!
Where to drink
In terms of bars, there is no shortage of nightlife in Sitges. Unbeknownst to me before arriving in Sitges, it turns out Sitges is one of the gay capitals of Europe, so there is DEFINITELY no shortage of gay clubs & bars. They’re mostly all located between Plaza Industria and Calle Boniare. There’s everything from cruise bars to dance bars to tiki bars with outdoor seating for people watching. It made for SUCH a fun atmosphere.
From my observation, most of the gay bars were geared towards gay men, not women. As a straight female who didn’t want to intrude on a queer male space, I opted for cocktail bars and outdoor terraces great for people watching! Some of the bars I enjoyed most were:
- El Gin Tub – their specialty was gin (of course) and boy do I LOVE gin.
- Parrot’s Pub and Terrace – the square where this is located (pictured above) is GREAT for sitting, drinking, and people watching. There’s gay bar with outdoor seating on each corner. Parrot’s Pub had a tiki bar feel and absolutely insane drinks of all shapes, sizes, and colors.
- Sea You Sitges – This bar is right at the entrance of the Port of Sitges. It has a large terrace that’s perfect for watching the sunset or taking in amazing view of Sitges old town.
So basically, whether you are looking for a chill beach getaway to spend some time away from the hustle and bustle of Barcelona, or you’re just looking to expand your horizons and explore somewhat outside of the “main” popular destinations of Spain, Sitges is the perfect lil spot! There are so many nice places to eat and drink, and things to do, that you can’t go wrong with a weekend in Sitges!
