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| Gay SitgesThere are many venues that offer the best of gay Sitges life, appealing to all tastes and ages. This Sitges gay guide is a selection that should be enough to see you through your first 24 hours on holiday - there is so much to do.Beaches and BeyondPlatja de la Bass Rodona - For the highest density of gay men per square metre (during the day, at least) head to the strip of beach in front of the Picnic Bar, near the centre of town, on the main promenade.Platja dels Balmins - To the east of the church, carry on past Platja San Sebastiá uphill towards what appears to be another church, but is in fact a cemetery, then down towards this nudist beach. Quieter than a lot of the other beaches in town (due to the effort involved in getting there, perhaps), the sand is nonetheless often coated with a fair spread of roasting bodies. The beach is mixed, although little gay enclaves develop in random locations. Platja del Home Mort - For the more adventurous, take a walk to the most secluded beach in Sitges. Just be sure to leave those stilettos at home, and take some sensible shoes. Follow the promenade all the way to the end (past the Terramar Hotel), then clamber over the rocks and along the road next to the beach until you reach the Atlantida Disco. Take the hill path next to the railway line, as it runs up the hill and down again. Keep going along the path, which runs parallel to the railway line, past the first beach (mixed nudist) to the second beach (gay nudist). The Catalan name means "Dead Man's Beach" which just about sums up how you may feel by the time you finally get there. In summer, an enterprising local sets up shop selling refreshments (goodness only knows how he gets them there), otherwise take your own drinks as you will be thirsty after the trek (even more so if you go wandering around the forest the other side of the railway line from the beach).
CafésAfter a hard day on the beach you will be in need of a little light refreshment to keep you going until evening.Montroig Cafe - Marquès de Montroig - Not "officially" gay, though most of the time you'd be hard-pushed to tell. Open all day for breakfast, lunch and evening snacks, as well as plenty of coffee and cocktails in between. This is the ideal place to sit and watch as the best of Sitges passes by. BarsOpening hours are a law unto themselves here - one moment a place will be deserted, then suddenly it will fill up then empty later on just as fast. To confuse things further, there is an unwritten sequence of bar-hopping followed over the course of an evening, depending on the time of year and day of the week. However, most bars don't tend to become busy until 11pm or so.In any case, the following trail should take you from early evening through to the small hours of the morning. Parrots - Plaça Industria, 2 - Sit here from late afternoon, under the incredibly colourful frilly sunshades, and sip a cocktail or two. Plan your evening ahead if you're not too distracted by the passers-by. B-Side - Sant Gaudenci, 7 - One of the more recent additions to Sitges, this stylish bar opens earlier than most and is ideal for an aperitif or two before dinner. El Siete (Bar 7) - Nou, 7 - A lively, decidedly "ex-pat" bar with europop music, friendly patrons and a photo gallery of previous years' carnivals. A fun place to be especially when it becomes so full you are unable to move. Piano Bar - Sant Bonaventura, 37 - Friendly and laid back new bar with a mixed clientele. Relax in elegant, intimate surroundings as your hosts entertain you with songs from the musicals as well as their own compositions. Usually busiest from about 11pm to 2am. XXL - Joan Tarrida, 7 - Harder sounds than the europop played in a lot of Sitges bars, the smart metallic decor downstairs contrasts with the darker industrial surroundings and nocturnal adventures upstairs. Starts to fill up at about midnight, until the bar closes (2am or so). Le Male A Bar - CC Oasis, Local 28 - You may bump into the owners of other bars here, as this place is often open until 6am or even later. Tucked away in a local shopping centre, you may want to hunt it out during the day so you can find it again in the dark. Further InformationFriends - The Gaymap - Downloadable map, with list of bars, clubs, accommodation, etc., to help you find the places listed in our Sitges Gay Guide.If you want more details on anything in our gay Sitges guide, or if you have any questions about gay Sitges or Sitges in general, our local agents will be pleased to assist you. Just ask when you arrive, or after you have settled in to the apartment. |
