Throughout the European summer, a huge rainbow hovers over the city of Sitges, giving the small Mediterranean city a special color.
Sitges is just a few minutes from Barcelona, Spain. Trains leave every 30 minutes from Paseo de Gracia station to this little paradise, which has everything within easy reach.
The city overlooking the Mediterranean Sea welcomes LGBT tourists with open arms throughout the European summer, that is, from June to September. Two words cannot be attributed to Sitges, "prejudice" and "discrimination": here residents live in their daily lives with the bustle of gay environments and stores with excellent infrastructure.
This year, Sitges prepared its second Gay Parade, receiving twice as many tourists as the previous year. The event was organized by AFGAL (Asociación de Gays y Lesbianas de Sitges) and had the support of the city's mayor, in addition to local establishments.
Essential itinerary
To start the day off right with a good breakfast, look for a good table on the huge terrace of Café Montroig, located on the best-known and trendiest street in Sitges, Calle del Pecado (originally Calle 1º de Mayo). If you prefer a calmer option, La Montserratina bakery has some of the best cappuccinos in Sitges and excellent sweet delicacies.
Facing Rua do Pecado is La Ribera beach. On the right, in front of the Hotel Calipolis, is where the largest concentration of gays is. If you walk to the left, passing the church (symbol of Sitges) and the historic center, you reach Sant Sebastian beach, a little more familiar. Further ahead, Del Balmins beach is another popular beach for gays and nudist supporters.
Are you hungry?
You can try one of the thousands of restaurants on the Sant Sebastian beach promenade or return to the famous Calle del Pecado and try the menu at the Alenti hotel restaurant, which has a special charm. A more homely and cheaper option, on the same street, is a tapas and fish restaurant called El Pescadito.
After lunch, you can return to the beach or take the famous siesta, as almost all stores will be closed until 17pm.
If you want to shop, go to Calle Parellades, where you will find the Frank store, which sells the famous ES brand swimwear.
After walking and returning to the hotel full of bags, how about a swim, a shower and an aperitif?
A true oasis in the center of Sitges, La Villa Bar and Garden offers super sophisticated drinks and very special mixes. This way you start the evening with a magnificent taste in your mouth…
As in the European summer the sun sets between 20pm and 20:30pm, there is still time to watch the sunset in Sitges sitting on a terrace overlooking the sea… At the Nautical Club there is a small deck with white tables.
For dinner, there are several options: Parrots Restaurant, L'Angle d'Adriana, Al Fresco, or even the tourist restaurants La Niña, La Santa Maria and La Pinta, located on the promenade and offering great fish recipes.
Boiling
Before going out to party, which in Spain starts at around 3am, take a tour of the bars. El Siete is frequented by a more mature crowd and has a fun decoration with thousands of Barbie dolls. El Candil, on the other hand, welcomes a younger audience. For those looking for sex, XXL has a dark room on the second floor. If you want to have a good drink, there are several bar options with themed nights, including Man Bar, Dark and Bside. For those who like striptease shows, there is the Privilege Music Bar.
If you have energy left, Sitges has a unique after hours restaurant, Le Male a Bar, located in the Oasis shopping center. Open from 6 am until noon.
And if after all the excitement you still haven't found your great love, a walk along the beaches will definitely help you get out of that loneliness!
More about Sitges:
sitges.sweb.cz/gaymap.htm
www.gogayguide.com/Sitges
www.lukasandwichstudio.com
www.sitges.cat
www.sitgestur.cat
www.renfe.es
www.hotelalenti.com
www.parrotshotel.com
*Article originally published in issue nº48 of A Capa magazine – August 2011
