Sunshine, sangria and a whole lot of style.
There are some places that simply have a way of making you slow down.
Sitges is one of them.
Nestled just 40 minutes from Barcelona on Spain's Catalonian coast, this colourful seaside town has long been a favourite within the LGBTQ+ community—and after spending a long weekend there, it's easy to understand why.
It's effortlessly beautiful.
Think winding cobbled streets lined with whitewashed buildings, vibrant shutters overflowing with flowers, golden beaches, late-night cocktails, independent boutiques and some of the friendliest people you'll ever meet.
It somehow manages to feel glamorous without trying too hard. Like stepping back into the 1970s—in all the best ways! (Not that I was around in the 70s, but as someone with a huge appreciation for mid-century style, I feel qualified enough to make that statement.)
Relaxed, but buzzing.
Stylish, but never pretentious.
A people-watching dream!
Whether you're planning a romantic getaway, celebrating with friends, partying the night away or simply looking for somewhere to completely switch off, Sitges offers a little bit of everything.
We actually ended up being there during the 2026 World Cup Final—Spain vs Argentina—so the town was even more electric than usual.
A Town That Celebrates Everyone
It's impossible to talk about Sitges without mentioning its incredible LGBTQ+ community.
For decades, Sitges has been one of Europe's most welcoming and celebrated gay destinations, attracting visitors from around the world. But what makes it feel so special isn't just the number of bars, beaches or events—it's the atmosphere.
There's an openness here that's hard to put into words.
Whether you're holding hands along the promenade, enjoying a drink in one of the many LGBTQ+ bars or dancing until the early hours, there's a genuine sense that everyone is welcome exactly as they are. It's inclusive, relaxed and wonderfully unpretentious.
The town effortlessly balances its lively nightlife with a laid-back Mediterranean charm. By day, you'll find people soaking up the sun on the beaches, wandering through the old town or enjoying long lunches in the squares. By night, the streets come alive with bustling terraces, cocktail bars, cabaret, drag performances and music that keeps the town buzzing well into the early hours.
One of the things I loved most was how naturally the LGBTQ+ community is woven into everyday life here. It doesn't feel like a separate part of the town—it is the town. Families, locals, couples, solo travellers and groups of friends all share the same streets, cafés and beaches, creating a wonderfully diverse and welcoming atmosphere.
Whether you're visiting for Pride, Bear Week or simply looking for a sunny escape where you can completely be yourself, Sitges has a unique way of making people feel at home.
And I have a feeling that's why so many people return year after year.
So...
Here's how we spent our long weekend.
Saturday – Arrival, Exploring & Living the Spanish Dream
We arrived on Saturday due to my work schedule. Ideally, I'd say fly out on the Friday if possible, but hey—we do what we need to do!
We caught the earliest flight from London Stansted, leaving at 6.30am, which meant that by 10.30am Spanish time we were already at our hotel dropping off our luggage.
Where We Stayed: Sabàtic Sitges
We stayed at the Sabàtic Sitges, Autograph Collection by Marriott, around a seven-minute walk from the heart of town.
The hotel is beautifully designed, with spacious rooms, balconies, two pools and plenty of those little luxuries that make a few days away feel properly indulgent. There's even a very cool all-electric VW campervan shuttle into town, although the walk was so short and pleasant that we never actually used it.
The adults-only rooftop pool has cabanas and loungers, while there's a separate family pool on the ground floor.
We chose Sabàtic because we wanted the best of both worlds. I wanted somewhere we could disappear into a cabana with a book, cocktail in hand, but still be able to wander into Sitges whenever we fancied some life.
After a very busy few months, that balance was exactly what I needed.
After dropping off our luggage, we freshened up and headed straight into town to start exploring. On the short walk we passed beautiful Spanish-style villas and a stunning Art Deco-style pharmacy, and before we knew it we'd reached the seafront and the Passeig de la Ribera.
One thing I noticed almost immediately was just how stylish everyone seemed to be.
Nobody looked like they were trying too hard.
As someone who spends their life thinking about clothes, that's always something I notice when travelling.
Brunch & Lunch at Pic Nic
By this point we were both pretty hungry and had read about a cool brunch spot called Pic Nic, right on the seafront.
Perfect views of the beach and glistening sea, a buzzing atmosphere, delicious food and lovely cocktails.
Yes, we had a cocktail at 11am.
We were on holiday—don't judge me! 😉
Pic Nic is open for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner and, from what we saw, always seemed to have customers streaming in. They also cater for large groups and events.
Highly recommend.
An Afternoon Wander...
After brunch, we used the afternoon to explore and get our bearings.
We wandered through the cobbled streets, taking photographs and capturing little moments along the way—beautiful architecture, old signs, stained-glass windows, lanes running down towards the sea, a palm-tree-lined promenade... and the odd selfie in the sun!
We strolled up to the Palau de Maricel, a stunning building perched above the Sitges seafront. Built on the site of the old Hospital de Sant Joan, the Palau was constructed between 1910 and 1918 by artist and engineer Miquel Utrillo for the wealthy American industrialist and art collector Charles Deering.
As you head over the peak, you're suddenly greeted by a gorgeous view of the little cove below—Platja de Sant Sebastià.
It's a bustling beach full of life, surrounded by bars and restaurants and plenty of places to simply sit and watch the world go by.
So naturally, we did exactly that.
We found a quirky little bar called Pub Voramar, ordered Piña Coladas and sat planning the rest of our trip.
Afterwards, we wandered back through town to our hotel, showered, changed and headed out for the night.
A little hotel FYI: if you're planning a more beach-and-nightlife-focused trip, there are plenty of beautiful hotels right in the centre of Sitges. They just don't necessarily offer the same amenities.
I really wanted some time to unwind around a pool after a busy few months, hence our choice.
Another hotel I'd love to try is Hotel Romàntic, which is much more central. Slightly chintzy vibes—but in a wonderfully stylised way.
The Night is Young!
For our first night, we wanted tapas and cocktails along the esplanade, so we chose Marmut Sitges.
Amazing spot right in the thick of things, with great food and drinks at very reasonable prices. Most of the seating is outside, so the people-watching is incredible, with the sea breeze rolling in from the front.
We started with Aperol Spritzes before moving on to an array of tapas—cheese, Patatas Bravas, mixed meats, olives—all washed down with Sangria.
When in Spain...
We finished our first night with a wander and a drink in Sitges' gay quarter. I mean, the whole town is pretty gay—but much of the nightlife centres around Plaça Indústria.
There's great energy, a really welcoming atmosphere and a mixture of different bars to suit pretty much every taste. The square itself also has lots of outdoor seating, so it's a brilliant place to start the night and see where it takes you.
Sunday – Slow Mornings, Cocktails & a Poolside Cabana
As much as I wanted to explore Sitges, I also wanted some proper downtime to enjoy our fabulous hotel and its amenities.
It's the reason we booked the Sabàtic, after all.
Pool Time!
We had a slow morning sipping tea on our balcony and watching Sitges wake up, before readying ourselves for a day beside the pool—which, for me, involved a rather heavy layering of Factor 50!
The adults-only pool and gym sit on the rooftop, alongside a bar and plenty of covered seating for when you need to escape the sunshine.
We positioned ourselves in one of the central cabanas, looking directly across the infinity pool towards the sea.
Back in London, I'd found a brilliant shop selling vintage books and bought a few that caught my eye. One of them came to Sitges with me: Popcorn by Ben Elton.
We swam, read, drank cocktails, made plans for the evening and ordered some delicious cabana service—Spanish club sandwiches... yum!
Eventually, as evening crept in, we headed back to our room, showered and dressed for another night exploring.
Before leaving, we had a drink at the lovely hotel bar, where I tried the locally distilled Paó de Sitges Gin.
Really fresh, clean and crisp.
Definitely one to remember.
We wandered down into town, taking a stroll through the market along the seafront near Av. Sofia and Passeig Marítim.
We also popped into a cute boutique I'd spotted the day before called Zappa. It's quite pricey, but there were some real statement pieces from both established and independent brands, all beautifully curated.
The town was even more electric than usual because that evening was the 2026 World Cup Final—Spain vs Argentina.
Now look, my partner and I are not football fans.
But even we agreed that there was something quite incredible about being in Spain while the country was playing in a World Cup Final.
For dinner we chose Vitale, a cute pizzeria right on the seafront. Stunning pizzas, great service and, as always in Sitges, a brilliant atmosphere.
As the evening grew later and the match got underway, the streets became packed with fans and onlookers.
We didn't avidly watch the game, but with it playing in practically every bar, it was impossible not to follow what was happening.
We joined the festivities, drinks in hand, as the game drew to a close and Spain were crowned the winners.
Quite a night.
Possibly one too many gin and tonics.
But a wonderful time was had!
Note from today: Some of the best moments while travelling aren't the ones you book. They're the little streets you accidentally discover, the tiny cafés you stumble across or the unexpected conversations you have while lying beside the pool.
Sometimes you just have to let the magic happen.
Us before heading out into the nightlife of Sitges!
Monday – Birthday in Sitges!
Today was actually my birthday.
Lucky me!
Part of the reason we'd come away was to mark another year on Earth—and I woke up feeling a little worse for wear.
Absolutely nothing to do with the copious amount of alcohol consumed the night before...
We're not big breakfast eaters, so we didn't partake in the hotel breakfast spread, although I have to say it looked delicious. Instead, we went for a morning swim to awaken our minds, bodies and souls after the night before.
A Very Important Trip to the Supermarket...
Now, I adore a foreign supermarket.
Call me sad, but I LOVE it.
Wherever I am in the world, I have to find a decent local supermarket and explore. I want the local delicacies, fresh produce, dips, breads... especially when I'm in Europe.
So that was our next stop.
We bought some nibbles, drinks, fresh fruit and all the necessary ingredients to make a cocktail back in the room, before heading back for our own little picnic.
The hotel had also very kindly given us a bottle of local Cava to sample.
It did not disappoint.
Glasses clinking, sunshine on the balcony...
Happy Birthday to me!
Once dressed and pressed, we headed back out.
It's funny how quickly somewhere unfamiliar can begin to feel like home. By this point, we could weave our way through the streets of Sitges and navigate the town without any stress.
Birthday Dinner – Ohana
For my birthday dinner we booked Ohana, a very stylish, family-run tapas restaurant.
My FAVOURITE restaurant of the entire trip.
Ohana, the best restaurant in Sitges!
Amazing food. Great service. Scrumptious drinks.
If you come to Sitges, you must have a meal here.
But please, BOOK!
People literally queue down the street hoping to get a table. It's always packed—but that only adds to the buzz.
It's a family establishment with incredible food at the heart of the business, and at the end of our meal they gave us a very generous measure of something they called vitamina, which, to my understanding, was a homemade limoncello.
The perfect way to end a perfect meal.
We waddled home, full of good food and great memories, and had one final birthday toast on our balcony while watching the town of Sitges go to sleep.
Tuesday – One Last Adventure in Paradise
By Tuesday we'd completely settled into Sitges life.
And with our final full day ahead of us, we wanted to squeeze in a little more of everything we'd come to love—wandering, eating, sunshine and, naturally, another cocktail or two.
One place that really stayed with me was Platja Balmins. There's something wonderfully nostalgic about this beach. It has that slightly timeless quality I kept noticing throughout Sitges—as though you've somehow wandered into another decade.
In all the right ways.
We spent the day wandering along the beach and through the historic streets of Sitges, capturing everything on our cameras as we went.
I adore taking photographs when I travel. I love coming home with hundreds of little moments to look back on, then turning them into lookbooks, journals and stories like this one.
Travel excites me so much, and one of the things I love about writing The Style Spot is getting to relive those moments all over again while sharing them with other people.
By early afternoon, I needed a sugar fix.
Ice cream.
We stopped at Dino's Ice Cream, because surely no Mediterranean trip is complete without at least one?
It came highly recommended and absolutely lived up to the hype.
Although a word of warning: don't waste too much time attempting to take an arty photograph of your beautifully whipped confection in 35-degree heat. It very quickly becomes a sticky mess!
Cocktail Hour...
By this point we'd developed a rather swift habit of having a cocktail in the hotel bar before heading out for the evening.
There was something wonderfully old-school about it.
Getting dressed, heading downstairs and having that first drink before dinner felt strangely nostalgic—almost like stepping into a little old-Hollywood ritual.
And I loved it.
Cocktail Hour!
Dinner – Villa Marina Sitges
For dinner we tried Villa Marina Sitges, in a fabulous location overlooking the sea.
Now, I don't know whether we simply made the wrong choices, but unfortunately this one wasn't for us.
The location is beautiful and the atmosphere and service were lovely, but neither of us particularly enjoyed our mains and we left feeling a little underwhelmed.
Perhaps we simply ordered badly, so take this one with a pinch of salt. Every travel guide needs one miss amongst the hits!
Afterwards, we actually went back to Marmut for cocktails and some light nibbles to fill our still rather empty tums.
And then Sitges delivered one final surprise.
While we were sitting there, the most fabulous drag queen came shimmering through, advertising her show later that night.
Naturally, we accepted the invitation.
We finished our final night at Bar Comodin with a wonderfully entertaining drag performance.
Camp.
Silly.
Full of glitter.
Exactly how our last night in Sitges should have ended.
Wednesday – Time to Head Home
The hardest part.
There's always something bittersweet about packing your suitcase after a brilliant trip.
Fortunately, our flight wasn't until early evening, so we could check out, leave our luggage with the concierge and squeeze in one final trip into town for brunch and some last-minute shopping.
One Last Brunch – Montroig Café
We already knew where we wanted our last meal in Sitges to be: Montroig Café.
It did not disappoint.
The café sits inside one huge covered courtyard with an atrium above. It's really pretty and always full of interesting characters.
Highly recommended for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.
Full from our delicious brunch, we popped into a few souvenir shops to pick up some mementos and gifts for family.
And then, last but certainly not least, we discovered our favourite menswear boutique of the trip: Lo Sitges.
A small treasure trove of independent European brands, cool standout pieces and fun co-ords.
My partner Olly actually bought a brilliant denim co-ord there for his 40th birthday celebration later this year.
The owner was just as fun and vibrant as the shop itself. She runs their Instagram, shares all the new pieces and is very happy to ship globally too.
Definitely check them out.
After a successful final shopping trip, it was time to head back to the hotel, collect our luggage and make our way to the airport.
But we left Sitges with exactly what I hope every trip gives me.
A well-rested mind, body and soul.
A camera full of memories.
A notebook full of ideas.
And plenty of inspiration to bring home.
P.S. Barcelona Airport is pretty robust, with lots of shops and places to eat, so you won't be short of things to do once you're there. But like any major international airport, it can get very busy—so leave yourself plenty of time.
Why Sitges Feels So Special
What makes Sitges different isn't just the beaches or the nightlife.
It's the atmosphere.
There's a genuine sense of openness.
People smile.
Nobody seems in a rush.
Everyone feels welcome.
For a town that's become such an important destination for LGBTQ+ travellers around the world, it somehow still manages to feel authentic rather than manufactured.
Perhaps that's why so many people visit once...
...and keep coming back.
Your Sitges Long Weekend: The Quick Guide ☀️
Fancy recreating our little Mediterranean escape? Here's our five-day Sitges itinerary, minus the rambling, cocktails and questionable decisions. Well, some of the cocktails...
Saturday – Arrive & Explore
Stay: Check into Sabàtic Sitges and drop off your bags.
Brunch: Head to Pic Nic for seafront dining and cocktails.
Explore: Wander the old town, visit Palau de Maricel and admire Platja de Sant Sebastià.
Afternoon drinks: Piña Coladas at Pub Voramar.
Dinner: Tapas and sangria at Marmut Sitges.
Evening: Explore the LGBTQ+ nightlife around Plaça Indústria.
Sunday – Poolside Paradise
Morning: Relax by the rooftop pool at Sabàtic Sitges.
Afternoon: Explore the seafront market and browse Zappa boutique.
Pre-dinner: Try a locally distilled Paó de Sitges Gin.
Dinner: Delicious pizzas at Vitale on the seafront.
Evening: Cocktails and a wander through the lively town centre.
Monday – Slow Living & Fabulous Food
Morning: Enjoy a leisurely swim and a slow start.
Afternoon: Explore a local supermarket, pick up Spanish treats and enjoy a balcony picnic.
Dinner: Book a table at Ohana for fabulous tapas — my favourite restaurant of the trip!
Evening: A gentle stroll through the old town.
Tuesday – Beaches, Boutiques & Drag Queens
Morning: Explore Platja Balmins and the historic streets.
Afternoon: Stop at Dino's Ice Cream for a sweet treat.
Cocktail hour: Enjoy a pre-dinner drink at your hotel.
Dinner: I'd recommend returning to a favourite restaurant rather than Villa Marina, which wasn't quite for us.
Evening: Cocktails at Marmut followed by a fabulous drag show at Bar Comodin.
Wednesday – One Last Taste of Sitges
Brunch: Visit Montroig Café for a relaxed final meal.
Shopping: Explore the independent boutiques, especially Lo Sitges for some brilliant menswear.
Afternoon: Pick up souvenirs, collect your luggage and head towards Barcelona Airport.
My biggest tip? Don't overplan.
Sitges is one of those places where some of the best moments happen when you're simply wandering, discovering a little bar or taking an unexpected turn down a beautiful street.
Book the restaurants you really want to visit, leave plenty of time for the beach and, most importantly, enjoy the freedom to do absolutely nothing.
Sometimes that's the best part of a holiday.
Did You Know?
🌈 Sitges has been one of Europe's best-known LGBTQ+ destinations for decades and hosts a major Pride celebration each year.
🎨 The town has a long artistic history and was once home to painter Santiago Rusiñol, who helped establish Sitges as a creative hub in the late 19th century.
🏖️ Sitges has 17 beaches, each with its own character—from lively central beaches to quieter coves.
🚆 Barcelona is only around 40 minutes away by train, making Sitges a brilliant long-weekend escape.
🍷 The surrounding Penedès region is famous for producing Cava, Spain's celebrated sparkling wine.
☀️ Sitges is known for its wonderfully sunny Mediterranean climate—which might help explain why nobody ever seems to want to leave.
📍 Currently on My Radar
Restaurant: Ohana – Hands down my favourite meal of the trip. Family-run, packed with atmosphere, fabulous food and absolutely worth booking ahead for. And if they offer you a little vitamina at the end... say yes.
Cocktail: Paó de Sitges Gin – Locally distilled, fresh, crisp and dangerously easy to drink.
Boutique: Lo Sitges – Independent European brands, statement pieces, fabulous co-ords and an equally fabulous owner.
Beach: Platja Balmins – There's something wonderfully nostalgic about this beach. It felt like stepping back in time—in all the right ways.
Creative Prompt: Next time you travel, leave one afternoon completely unplanned. Wander without Google Maps, take the quieter street and see where it leads. Sometimes the best memories are the ones you never intended to make.
Enjoyed This Post?
If you enjoy creative travel, costume design, museums, style and discovering places through a designer's eyes, I'd love to have you along for the journey.
You can find more stories over on The Style Spot, where I share the places, people and ideas currently inspiring me.
Stay in the Spot.
Px
