| Located on the Costa Dorada, Sitges is wildly popular | | | | some small Picassos. The Museu Maricel holds Gothic |
| among the southern Europe resorts, particularly with | | | | and Romantic paintings and sculptures as well as |
| gay tourists. It gets very crowded during the | | | | ceramics from Catalan. And the Museu Romantic, you |
| summer, and most of the tourists at this time are | | | | can see how a Sitges family of wealth lived in the |
| young swinging Europeans. Yet Sitges never gets | | | | 18th and 19th centuries. |
| tacky, as so many gay-oriented resorts do. | | | | Where To Stay |
| Instead, Sitges is a city rich with culture and | | | | San Sebastian Playa is probably the best hotel in |
| Bohemian ideals. The Spanish modernismo movement | | | | Sitges. Located right across from San Sebastian |
| sprang from the artists and craftsmen here, and | | | | beach, it has a wedding-cake facade and an Art |
| Sitges still is at the core of much of Spain's arts. Dali | | | | Deco interior. Each guest room has a balcony |
| and Federico Garcia Lorca both visited here during | | | | overlooking the sea. Its amenities include a |
| the heyday of Sitges, which ended abruptly with the | | | | restaurant, bar, and private garden, as well as |
| Spanish Civil War. Sitges is still a city of art, but it has | | | | babysitting for anyone who needs it. |
| never regained its prior prestige. | | | | If you prefer to be inland, the Hotel El Xalet is a |
| In addition to its rich heritage, Sitges is convenient to | | | | ten-minute walk from the nearest beach. This |
| Barcelona (a 30-minute train trip or 45-minute drive). | | | | contemporary Modernista hotel almost looks like a |
| What to Do | | | | Gothic church. Antique mosaics in the lobby give the |
| The Carnaval of Sitges, just before Lent, is a | | | | hotel a unique atmosphere. You'll also find a small pool |
| kaleidoscope of fancy dress, feathers and sequins, | | | | in the private garden and a refreshing roof terrace to |
| and vibrant floats. The King of the Carnestoltes | | | | have breakfast on. The restaurant is open only during |
| starts the party on the Thursday prior to Lent, and | | | | the summer. |
| the carnival ends on Ash Wednesday with the Burial | | | | Where to Eat |
| of a Sardine. Sant Bonaventura is when the gay | | | | El Velero, on a beachfront promenade, is one of the |
| population of Sitges hold their own grand celebrations. | | | | best restaurants in Sitges. The glass greenhouse |
| If you're gay, this is a perfect place to party while | | | | terrace holds the best seats. The food is excellent, |
| you vacation. Sitges has beaches and bars close | | | | with a focus on fresh seafood. |
| together, but it's not so large that you get lost in the | | | | With cocina del mercado, or whatever's fresh in the |
| crowd. Summer and Carnival are the times to mingle | | | | market, cuisine, Els Quatre Gats is named for an old |
| with the gay crowd; in the off season, Sitges gets | | | | Barcelona cafe that Picasso favored. Enjoy fresh |
| quiet. | | | | grilled fish, lamb with local herbs, veal kidneys in |
| During summer, though, one beach is primarily gay, | | | | sherry sauce, and garlic soup, this restaurant is sure |
| while the other is very much a nudist beach, further | | | | to please your palate. And the restaurant's only a |
| out of town between Sitges and Vilanova. If you | | | | few steps away from Passeig de la Ribera. |
| can't find the nude beach, stop at the L'Atlantida | | | | Nightlife |
| disco and ask for directions. | | | | The nightlife in Stiges is hectic, colorful, and primarily |
| There are other beaches, of course, and water | | | | gay, so if you're straight you may have trouble |
| sports from swimming and sunbathing to waterskiing | | | | finding a bar for you. Look for the maps that are |
| and scuba diving. The beaches to the east tend to | | | | distributed to show you where the gay bars are. |
| be quieter -- Aiguadoic and Els Balomins are examples | | | | The largest gay disco bar is Mediterraneo, in a |
| of these. The Playa San Sebastian, the Beach of the | | | | restored 1690s house. You'll love the covered |
| Boats, and Fragata Beach cater to families. The Playa | | | | terrace, the Iberian garden, and the company. |
| de la Ribera is where the younger crowd go. All | | | | Bourbon is another great gay bar for the younger |
| beaches here are top-optional for women. | | | | set. |
| For more intellectual pursuits, there are three | | | | For a mixed crowd, try Ricky's Disco. It's near the |
| excellent museums in Stiges. The Museu Cau Ferrat, | | | | beach, and has a really great dance mix. |
| in a building that was once two 16th century | | | | Jakob Jelling is the founder of Please visit if you're |
| cottages, was Santiago Rusinol's home, and today | | | | planning a trip to Spain. |
| holds his works as well as paintings by El Greco and | | | | |