Sitges

A charming beach town with all kinds of vibes

A perfect day tour to Sitges!

Only 79 € per person
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Are you going to spend a few days in the wonderful city of Barcelona? The Catalan capital sure has tons of exciting things to do! However, if time isn't an issue, we strongly recommend taking a look at the many options you have nearby. One of the most visited towns in the metropolitan area of Barcelona is Sitges, a beach town located just about 40 km away from Barcelona where you can arrive with a 35-minute train trip.

Sitges offers entertainment for all sorts of travellers. It has clean and beautiful beaches, a charming old town, green routes for the hikers and a delicious typical gastronomy, as well as an exciting nightlife that could well be considered historical, due to its status as one of the top 'gay towns' in Spain. If you want to learn more about Sitges, don't miss the following lines ?we'll give you all the information you need to plan your visit from Barcelona!

Sitges, an interesting recent history

Sitges is located in the coast of Garraf, which is between Barcelona and Tarragona. Its main economic activity is tourism, as it has always enjoyed the presence of lots of visitors. However, this beach town has a long, rich history, as the first inhabitants of the area date back from the Neolithic period! In the Middle Ages, the town received the name it has today, as it was the name of the powerful family that controlled the town. One of the most interesting facts about the history of Sitges is that a colony of fishermen from there moved to Cadiz and established there a colony that is nowadays known as Isla Cristina, also a tourist beach town.

Before tourism gained ground, Sitges' main economic activity was farming, especially vineyards and carob trees and, of course, the Mediterranean dwarf palm, which is typical from Garraf. Of course, fishing was also an important activity, as was shoe making -but, whereas there still are vineyards and farming in the area, fishing and shoe making have almost disappeared.

But, as we've said, tourism is the main economic activity nowadays, and it's not only because of the beautiful and clean beaches where people can enjoy themselves in spring and summer. In the 80s, homosexuality was decriminalised in Spain and Sitges stood out as one of the main destinations for those who were seeking people with their same interests, in an atmosphere where love and sexual freedom where sprouting after decades of repression. We can't forget that Spain was under a dictatorship until 1975, which made the 80s a decade of moving forward in many areas, not just the acceptance of homosexuality. Another example of this freedom that came from a need born in decades of repression was the cinema movement known as el destape (nudity), when nude bodies started to appear in films and magazines after decades of censorship. As we've said, Sitges became a top destination for those seeking freedom. In 1980 the first gay club, Trailer, was inaugurated, and other gay-friendly places started to open as well. The Calle del Pecado (Sin Street), with many gay clubs and pubs like Parrots, Comodín and Candil (and where the club Trailer was located) became a landmark that has lived on until today.

The very same Sitges Carnival became another important landmark, as in 1980 it was forbidden for the gay organisations that had already been formed in the town. This helped give birth to a 'gay carnival', and many homophobic events took place up until the late 90s, including several violent episodes. Sitges was a place of freedom, but a threatened one. 10 years later, the Monument against homophobia was inaugurated: an inverted triangle located by the beach which constituted the first memorial for homosexuals in Spain. Once again, Sitges would make history.

  • 2-3 hours
  • 1.000.000