Sitges
After a busy day in Barcelona, a short train ride home to your home-base in Sitges is LITERALLY like a breath of fresh air.!! Relaxed is the vibe, stroll for miles on the beaches, or on the bustling walking street, unless it’s during the Sitges Festa Major.!!
Sitges’ artsy reputation dates back to the late 19th century, when poets and painters took up residence, in the 1960s it became a centre for the Catalan counterculture. The 17th century seaside church of Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla, a prominent landmark and reference point in Sitges (locals call it “La Punta” meaning “The Point”).
Jim's Useful Spanish Phrases
My collection of some useful phrases to help with restaurants and getting around - using a bit of Spanish. Its always a lot easier to use a little native language, and many favourite memories come from at least trying.
See the Famous Human Towers in Sitges
Plan to arrive in Sitges a day of two before the Fiesta Major - when the town of Sitges hosts its annual festival in celebration of the patron saint, Sant Bartolomeu. The Fiesta Mayor includes musicians, dancing, parades of giants and castellers (the building of the human towers)
Also included are huge firework displays, but most spectacular is the La Nit de Foc (the night of fire) when the Diables de Sitges (Dance of the Devils) performers, dance through the streets with really frightening fireworks twirling on sticks and a fire breathing dragons. Even though the festival has become a popular tourist attraction, it is a serious religious and local cultural event celebrating Catalan culture. Sitges Festa Major is in late August, and a similar, smaller version in late September.
Simple Fish-Market Style Counter Service Restaurant
There are many really good restaurants in Sitges, but our favourite local restaurant was La Paradeta, that cooks up fresh seafood displayed for you to choose. Just make sure that you understand your order number when it’s called in Spanish, as very little English is spoken here!!
(We had a really cute little girl at the next table, obviously listening to us, when we said that we have to remember our number, 28, so when they announced it, she jumped to her feet calling over to us.. "Veintiocho".!!)
They have now expanded to 8 restaurants in Sitges and Barcelona.
Sitges Boasts about 17 Beaches Nearby.!!
More than four kilometres of fine, white beaches on the Balearic Sea, Sitges offers family-oriented beaches to very small private coves... But, note that these all come with varying degrees of clothing optional.!! Many are simply right in town accessible by the beautiful promenade alongside Passeig Marítim, or many others are easy to reach via public transport.
Strangely enough, we did not see a single seagull..!!
Taking the Train from Sitges to Barcelona
A quick 30 minutes trip from Sitges to Barcelona Sants station puts you right in the middle of the city and close to most attractions. Modern, fast train service runs along the seaside to make day trips to Barcelona easy - then after a busy day in Barcelona, Sitges is a welcome calm at the end of every day.
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