Has anyone taken a side trip to Sitgis? I’ve seen it a couple of times on HGTV and it looks interesting. How to get there? Things to do? We’ll be in Barcelona a few days before our 10/20 tour.
Posted by
Barcelona + Sweden
4180 posts
Hello, I am originally from Barcelona and am quite familiar with Sitges, I've also seen it on House Hunters a few times here in the States :)
First and foremost, Sitges is a beach town with a vibrant LGBT scene and famous film festival from October 3rd - 13th, you may not be in time for that though. Other than the beach and film festival, Sitges has a nice seaside esplanade and some boutique museums and galleries, and also a picturesque 17th century seaside church.
It's quite easy to get to Sitges from Barcelona, just take the R2 or R2S regional trains south from Barcelona Sants station, it takes about 30-45 min.
Honestly though, I don't know how much time you have in Barcelona, but Sitges (out of beach season) would be low on my list, unless you can be there during the film festival. I much prefer Tarragona, as a day trip from Barcelona, which is a little more south on the same rail time. Tarragona has some of the best Roman Ruins in Spain, which are also UNESCO Heritage Sites, a great Antiquity Museum, and also a nice medieval quarter with shops and restaurants.
Posted by
3439 posts
We went to Sitges - really a brief stop as part of a day tour to Tarragona. I thought Sitges was a really neat little beach town. The beaches were deserted when we were there (October 2017), but it was still pretty. What we really remember is the sweet bartender who wasn't sure how to make a gin and tonic. He brought us two huge goblets full of gin and ice, and two small bottles of tonic water.
We used Spanish Trails for our tour to Tarragona. I don't know if the current version of this tour includes a stop in Sitges, but between the two I would pick Tarragona.
Posted by
Barcelona + Sweden
4180 posts
As Estimated notes above, it's quite easy to make a quick stop at Sitges, on your way to Tarragona using the R2 local train.
Although, I should mention that those big goblets of Gin Tonics are typically how they are made in Spain, all over Spain these style of Gin-tonics are quite popular, I'm also not a fan though.
However, it is the Vermouth (Vermut), a wine-based blended drink, that is the traditional drink of the Sitges and Tarragona area. Especially in Tarragona, one can find many local Vermuterias and even a Vermouth museum.