NB. There may be temporary changes due to Covid-19.
Do you want to know what the most popular gay city on the Catalan coast is? I bet you think it’s Barcelona, but no, it’s not. There’s a small town – 40 km away from Barcelona, Catalonia – that is incredibly gay-friendly. Its name is Sitges.
If you are planning an LGBT trip to Barcelona, you should definitely go to Gay Sitges too! It is a popular destination for all members of the LGBT community and especially for the male audience.
In this ultimate travel guide to Gay Sitges, I’m going to tell you everything you need to know about this place. You’ll know how to reach it from Barcelona and discover the best things to do during your stay. Let’s see, then!
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Best time to visit Sitges
The best time to visit Sitges is from late spring to late summer. More precisely, between May and June when temperatures are warm but it’s not too hot, and prices are lower than in July and August. You will also enjoy the beach and the events during Sitges Pride, which is usually held in June.
Regardless, you can visit gay Sitges at any time of year. It doesn’t necessarily have to be during the warm season. There are beautiful events throughout the year, and nightlife doesn’t stop during the winter months.
Sitges gay area
It is a pretty small town, and the good thing is that gay life in Sitges is concentrated in a small area. For this reason, it will be effortless to move on foot from one venue to another. The main area is the one that surrounds Plaça de la Industria and gay street Carrer de Joan Tarrida. Here you will find most of Sitges LGBT clubs, bars, restaurants, and shops.
Another popular area is the beach, just a few minutes from Plaça de la Industria. Nevertheless, it is probably incorrect to talk about a “gay neighborhood,” as you will find a friendly atmosphere in any area. We call it Gay Sitges for this very reason!
Sitges gay bars
In Gay Sitges, there is no shortage of bars to start the night the right way! There are more than 20 gay bars in the old town, and they’re quite close together. You will find venues of all kinds, whether you prefer a relaxing evening or a dance party.
As I mentioned before, fun in Sitges is mainly concentrated in the months between May and September. During the rest of the year, you’ll find events too, but you’ll have to check the dates and times of each venue more carefully. You will most likely have to organize your fun nights on the weekends.
And now let’s check out some of the best gay bars in Sitges.
Parrots Pub & Terrace
Parrots is not only a pub. It’s an institution in LGBT Sitges! The Parrot Group “colonized” the town with a series of LGBT friendly venues: a hotel, a restaurant with discounts reserved for the hotel’s customers, and also one of the best Sitges’ gay saunas.
This pub is one of the most renowned in town, and it continues to welcome a multitude of LGBT people even after more than 30 years of operation. It is located in Plaça de la Industria, right next to the other bars.
The terrace opens at 10 AM, while the bar starts serving drinks from 5 PM until 3 AM.
Plaça de la Industria 2
Queenz Music Bar
Queenz is a busy bar with a terrace, a dance floor, and a cabaret restaurant zone. The bar is open nightly from 10.30 PM to 3 AM.
Carrer Bonaire, 17
El Horno
“El Horno” translates to “The Oven” in English. The reason for this name is probably the hot cruising area in the back of this traditional bar. This bar is open every day from 5 PM to 3 AM.
Carrer de Joan Tarrida 6
La Villa
La Villa is a friendly LGBT Sitges bar in Joan Tarrida. It is a tropical vibes garden-bar, perfect for chilling and drinking a good cocktail. It’s open 7 PM – 2 AM.
Carrer de Joan Tarrida 8
Comodin (permanently closed)
Comodin was one of the oldest bars in Gay Sitges. It is always busy, especially during the summer, when there were drag shows almost every night.
C. d’en Tacó 4
Sitges gay clubs
What to do in Sitges when the bars close? Nightlife doesn’t stop at 3 AM. In the summertime, the parties continue in the clubs until the morning. Let’s check out some of the most popular LGBT clubs in Sitges.
Privilege Dance Bar
Privilege is not exactly a club, it’s more a dance bar with a wide dance floor and three bar zones. The clientele is rather young and mainly male, but it is actually a friendly space open to everybody.
During the offseason, Privilege is open 11 PM to 3 AM (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday only). On the other hand, during the summer, it’s open daily from 10 PM to 3.30 AM.
C. Bonaire 24
Organic
Organic is the club that fills up when the other Sitges bars close around 3 AM. It’s a predominantly gay venue and is located in the gay area of Sitges. The club hosts many events, including the Sitges Foam Party and 80s/90s music parties.
It is open nightly in the summer months from 2.30 AM to 6 AM. In the offseason, it is open only on Saturdays.
Carrer Bonaire 12
Gay cruising in Sitges
In addition to those listed, there are also cruising clubs in Sitges, and they are popular with guys who want to have nights of pure fun. Among these clubs are Bukkake, Bunker, and XXL.
For the daytime fun lovers, there are two gay saunas in Sitges: Parrots Sauna, which is in the Parrots Hotel, and Sauna Sitges.
There are cruising spots even on some of Sitges gay beaches.
The most popular meeting points are Playa del Muerto and Playa de las Balmins which are nudist beaches. There’s another gay beach, probably the most popular one, called Platja de la Bassa Rodona, but nudism is not practiced here. It is a more organized gay beach that has umbrellas, deck chairs, and other services.
Lesbian Sitges
I have been asked if there are lesbian bars and clubs in Sitges. In the past, there was only one lesbian bar in Sitges, called Marypili, which was later closed. Also, if you are a lesbian, you will not find cruising spots for women only. However, if you are not looking to exclusively pick up women, I advise you not to miss the fun experience in this small magical village of Sitges!
As a girl and lesbian visitor, I enjoyed the atmosphere despite the absence of an exclusively-lesbian scene. I attended LGBT events and LGBT/gay bars where I met a lot of people and felt at home!
Gay Sitges map
Below I leave you the gay map of Sitges that includes all the above listed LGBT clubs, bars, beaches, and much more.
Sitges gay events
Sitges Pride
The first Pride of my life was in Sitges back in 2015, and I remember it as an exciting, fun, and unforgettable experience.
Sitges Gay Pride is held every year in June and features a week of super gay events in the village venues.
The parade is colorful and more intimate than the ones held in the big Spanish cities like Barcelona and Madrid, but it is no less beautiful. The parade ends on the beach with a seaside party with music, drinks, and a lot of fun (Sitges Pride Official Website).
Sitges Bear Week
An event for our gay bear friends could not be missing in Gay Sitges. Bear Week lasts over 10 days and is held every September in town. Additionally, it is not just another bear event. It is one of the most important events for bears in Europe with its over 5000 annual participants.
Sitges Carnival
Sitges Carnival is not officially a gay event, but it can be classified as such, considering the rainbow tones and the large number of gays and drag queens taking part in it. You better wear a costume or a mask and be original to compete with everyone else.
It is a very popular event that lasts 7 days and welcomes tens of thousands of participants. It takes place between February and March and includes a series of fun activities such as the two main parades and the Annual Crazy Bed Race.
Other events
Gay Sitges events are not limited to those listed so far. If you are interested in knowing all the other annual events held in the city, I recommend visiting the official Gay Sitges page.
Gay restaurants Sitges
The following is a list of some friendly restaurants in Sitges. I remind you that in this little city, as in the rest of Spain, people are accustomed to eating quite late. The average dinner time is 10 PM. However, in some cases, such as the drag shows right after dinner, they may sit at the table a little earlier.
I also advise you to book a table in advance, otherwise, you may not find room.
Parrots Restaurant
We have already talked about Parrots and the many services they offer. Sitges’ Parrots Restaurant is an informal and perfect place to enjoy a good Mediterranean dish at a reasonable price. The venue is located in the same area where several of the gay bars are concentrated.
Here you can eat inside or outside on the terrace. On weekends there are usually drag queen shows that entertain the guests. They serve tapas too.
You should book in advance to avoid the risk of not finding a seat. The kitchen is open from 19.30 onwards.
Carrer de Joan Tarrida 18
Beach House
If you like international cuisine, especially oriental food, I recommend Beach House. The restaurant is on the seafront and has a rooftop terrace and a street patio. It’s not exactly a Sitges gay-only restaurant, but it’s definitely an LGBT and family-friendly place.
It’s also skilled in vegan and vegetarian dishes.
Passeig de la Ribera 33
Queenz Restaurant
Queenz Dinner Show is the perfect place for an informal dinner with friends. It is a super friendly restaurant of Gay Sitges! The nice thing is that the evenings are enlivened by cabaret events and drag shows that last about an hour and end around midnight.
It is possible to book a table online on the official website.
Address: Carrer d’Espalter 2 – 4
Gay hotel Sitges
If you are not staying in Barcelona and your visit will last more than one day, you will need to find accommodations.
Don’t worry about the location! You can stay in any area without having issues with distances since this little village is a place where walking is enough to move from one point to another.
However, if you are interested in experiencing Gay Sitges in full comfort, I recommend you choose one of the following options:
- stay in the center of the village, so you’ll be equidistant from each area;
- stay in the midst of gay nightlife to have clubs, bars, and restaurants right under your hotel/accommodation.
There are many excellent gay hotels in Sitges, such as the Parrots, the Liberty Hotel, Hotel Calipolis, the MiM, the Montserrat Hotel or the Globos Hotel.
Below I included some gay-friendly hotels where you could book your reservation.
To save money, as an alternative to hotels, you can look at Airbnb or Misterb&b (the gay equivalent of Airbnb) and opt for an apartment.
Barcelona to Sitges: how to reach it
Usually, the tourist who decides to visit Sitges is in Barcelona and wants to take a short trip out of town. What is the best way to get to Sitges from Barcelona? You can do it in three ways: train, bus or taxi.
- The fastest way is the train, which takes on average 45 minutes to arrive at the destination. From Barcelona, you can take the train from three points: Estació de França, Passeig de Gràcia, or Estació Sants. The train passes first through Estació de França, then through Passeig de Gràcia, then through Estació Sants, and then heads toward Sitges.
You will have to get off at either Vilanova i la Geltru or St. Vincenç de Calders, and you will be in Gay Sitges.
The fare is approximately $5 (4.10 €) one way. Rides start from 6.45 AM until 6.45 PM. - The bus ticket will cost approximately the same as that for the train, but the advantage is that you can also make the journey at night.
The company is called MonBus, and you can take the bus either from Ronda Universitat or from Placa Espanya.
The night buses, which run all night only on Saturdays, are called N30, N31, and N32. The departure is at Plaça Catalunya. The night buses don’t make intermediate stops, so the travel time is shorter at about 35 minutes total.
You can buy the ticket and pay for the trip directly on the bus. - Taxis are the least convenient way. As comfortable as it may be, I strongly advise against it. The average one-way price is $80, much more than what you would pay using public transportation.
- There’s actually a fourth travel method, and that is renting a car. I recommend renting a car only as a last resort because if you drive, you will not be able to drink, and it won’t be very easy to find parking in Sitges.
I think I told you everything. Now enjoy your stay in Gay Sitges!
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