Barcelona’s own beaches are convenient, artificial and busy, and about half of visitors leave slightly underwhelmed by them. Sitges is the standard answer: a white walled town forty minutes down the coast by ordinary commuter train, with seventeen beaches, a promenade, a seventeenth century church standing on a rock above the water, and an old town of narrow lanes that fill with restaurants and bars in the evening. It requires no booking, no car and no plan, which makes it the easiest good day out from the city.
Getting there
Local train from the central stations, around forty minutes on the faster services.
Ordinary fare, no reservation, trains through the day and late back.
The last train back is late but not indefinitely so, and it is the one thing worth checking before you settle into an evening.
The station is a five minute walk from the seafront and the old town.
By car it is a short motorway run with a coastal alternative, and summer parking in town is difficult.
The town
The church on the rock, which is the image of Sitges, standing between two beaches with a terrace around it.
The old town lanes behind it, whitewashed, narrow and full of restaurants and bars.
Two small museums in nineteenth century houses, one built by a painter and one by a collector, both far better than a beach town needs.
Modernista mansions along the front, built by locals who emigrated to Cuba, made money and came back.
The promenade, long, flat and made for a slow walk at dusk.
The beaches
The central pair either side of the church, busiest, with everything you need on the promenade behind them.
Walk fifteen minutes in either direction and the crowd thins considerably.
A family beach at the western end, with shallower water.
A well known nudist and gay beach further out, signposted and long established.
Blue flag water and proper cleaning, which is the main practical difference from the city beaches.
Beyond the beach
The wine region immediately inland, which produces Catalonia’s sparkling wine and has cellars open to visitors, reachable by the same train line.
The coastal path west towards the next town, along the cliffs, with small coves on the way.
A natural park in the hills behind, with walking routes.
The carnival in February, with parades over several days, which is one of the biggest in the country.
The film festival in October, a serious international event for fantasy and horror cinema.
Practical notes
Sun and shade are in short supply on the central beaches. Umbrellas are rented and go quickly.
The old town lanes are the place to eat rather than the seafront, and the difference in price and quality is substantial.
It is a real town with residents, and the noise rules in the old town are enforced late at night.
Sunday is the busiest day for Barcelona day trippers, so a weekday is noticeably calmer.
Off season closures affect some restaurants and beach bars, though far fewer than on the Costa Brava.
Where this fits in a Barcelona trip
Sitges is a half day if you rush and a full day if you do it properly, and it is the best hot weather escape from the city.
For the other easy day out from Barcelona, inland to a mountain monastery rather than to the sea, our guide to Montserrat covers the trip.
For the wilder coast in the other direction, with cliff paths and coves rather than a promenade, our guide to the Costa Brava covers what is north of the city.
And for the city beaches themselves, and whether they deserve their reputation, our guide to Barceloneta and the city beaches covers what is on your doorstep.
The short version
Take the local train, walk five minutes to the sea, and spend the morning on a beach fifteen minutes’ walk from the church rather than the one in front of it. Eat in the old town lanes rather than on the promenade. Stay for the sunset over the water, which is what the town is for, and check the last train before you order another drink. Come in May, June or September rather than August, and either plan around the February carnival and the October film festival or avoid them entirely.
