Gay Sitges Travel Guide: Sitges is one of the best gay beach destinations in Spain, just 30 minutes by train from Barcelona. In this detailed Gay Sitges travel guide, I will share the best gay bars, beaches, hotels, gay events and everything you need to plan your trip.
The gay scene is so prominent in Sitges, it takes centre stage in the main part of town with most of the gay scene centred around Plaça Indústria. In fact, if you Google ‘Sitges’, it specifically mentions that it is filled with gay bars. This is not just a town or city with a gay scene; Sitges is a gay town!
Sitges is also well-known for its Mediterranean beaches, pretty narrow streets and stunning marina. The town centre and gay hub is compact with everything walkable, making it one of the easiest LGBTQ+ destinations in Spain to get around.
What a lot of people do not realise is that they can easily visit from Barcelona (which is a very popular gay destination in Spain). Sitges is just 30 minutes southwest from Barcelona by train — see below for instructions.
Let’s take a look at all that Sitges has to offer gay travellers in my detailed ‘Sitges Gay Guide’ and find out why I can’t wait to return!
Is Sitges Gay Friendly?
Yes, Sitges is one of the most gay friendly destinations in Europe. I have visited Sitges multiple times for this reason!
I have travelled to many gay friendly destinations in Spain, but Sitges is one of the best. Being gay in Sitges, like in Barcelona and Madrid (see my gay Madrid guide), is just another very normal part of society and no one notices the many gay couples walking around hand in hand.
This is a result of the very positive LGBTQ+ rights and culture in Spain as a whole. Same-sex intercourse has been legal since 1979 and Spain was the third country in the world to make same-sex marriage legal. In fact, Spain often ranks high as one of the friendliest destinations for LGBTQ+ travellers.
Add to this the many gay bars, gay beaches, hotels and shops, and you can start to see why Sitges is its own mini gay mecca.
Gay Bars in Sitges
Most gay bars in Sitges are located around Plaça Indústria, Calle Bonaire and Calle Joan Tarrida, all within a few minutes walk of each other.
When you travel to most small beach towns, you feel lucky to even find any gay bars: however, Sitges completely breaks this rule. Whilst it is a small, beautiful and quaint town, it has over 20 gay bars and clubs – rivalling the likes of Barcelona and Madrid!
The gay bars and clubs are all neatly centred around Plaça Indústria and the adjoining streets. This square is full of small bars with outdoor seating and is where everything starts. I also love to people-watch, so this was a good spot for an afternoon cocktail.
Here are my favourite gay bars in Sitges:
Parrots Pub & Parrots Terrace
This is probably one of the most well known bars. It can be found on the square itself and the star of the show here is Lady Diamond, so expect some hilarious drag acts.
The terrace opens from 10:00am serving breakfast and food throughout the day. The bar is open from 5pm through to 3am, when it’s traditional to move onto a late-night club that will take you through to the early hours. Bear in mind – 3am is NOT classed as early hours for Spaniards!
Address: Plaça de la Indústria, 2, 08870 Sitges, Barcelona, Spain
Central Café Bar
This is another bar/café found in Plaça Indústria where I often took a chilled afternoon coffee (or cocktail!) and again sat people-watching.
Later on in the evening it becomes livelier with drag shows and cocktails being served. The waiters here were also very cute!
Address: Plaça de la Indústria, 5, 08870 Sitges, Barcelona, Spain
Runway Bar Terrace (previously Carousel)
All the bars here are very close by. Runway Bar Terrace is 30 seconds from Plaça Indústria.
I actually came here every night during Sitges Pride as I found it had some of the best drinks offers, a good-sized seating area outside and a very friendly crowd.
Address: Carrer de Joan Tarrida, 14, 08870 Sitges, Barcelona, Spain
Comodin
This is one of the longest running gay bars in Sitges and attracts all types of people of all ages. Expect drag shows every night in summer and for it to always be busy.
Comodin opens from 10:30pm and is 5-10 minutes from Plaça Indústria towards the Old Town.
Address: Carrer d’en Tacó, 4, 08870 Sitges, Barcelona, Spain
Even more Gay Bars
Sitges has something to suit everyone. If you have time to do a full bar crawl take a look at:
- Bears Bar
- La Villa
- Bar 7
- El Horno
- Man Bar
- Cox Bar
Gay Clubs in Sitges
When it hits 2am onwards it is time to move on from a bar and go to one of the larger dance venues to party until the early hours – during my visit for Sitges Pride I barely slept; they do everything so much later in Spain!
Some popular gay clubs in the past included one called Organic, this has now permanently closed which leaves:
Queenz Music Bar
I went to Queenz at some point every night during my time in Sitges. This is a busy, narrow bar with good music. At peak time expect to be pretty much sandwiched on the dance floor between hot guys – there isn’t too much room but that’s not always a bad thing!
Address: Carrer Bonaire, 17, 08870 Sitges, Barcelona, Spain
Gay Beaches in Sitges (and how to find them!)
There are three main gay beaches in Sitges, the first is La Playa de la Bossa Rodona, located in the centre of town just a few minutes walk from Plaça Indústria.
Sometimes when you visit a destination, you have to go out of your way to find the gay beach; however, I am glad to report that in Sitges this is not the case (apart from one I’ll mention below).
All beaches are technically mixed, but during peak season La Playa de la Bossa Rodona is where the majority of gay guys hang out – you can’t miss the sudden change in clientele.
There are also two other beaches close to town: Playa De Las Balmins and Playa Del Muerto. Both are nudist beaches, the first being mixed and the second being predominantly gay. Playa De Las Balmins is only a ten-minute walk from the centre and Playa Del Muerto is a ten-minute taxi plus a little walk.
For a detailed explanation and maps to find these beaches head over to ‘How to find the gay beaches in Sitges‘, and if you are also spending time in Barcelona, check out the best gay beaches in Barcelona.
Gay Hotels in Sitges
Most gay travellers stay in the centre of Sitges, close to Plaça Indústria, for easy access to nightlife and to the beach.
Here in Sitges, the concept of a gay friendly hotel is a bit lost because it is a given that every single hotel is gay friendly. However, here are some good options for gay hotels in Sitges.
Elite Hotel Sitges – Gay Men Only
If you are looking for a dedicated gay hotel in Sitges, Elite Hotel might be the one for you. Elite Hotel is for gay men only, and comes with a sun terrace, bar, steam room, hot tub, and solarium.
The property also has a lounge area, coffee shop, and outdoor seating area. You might also be interested to know that it is clothing optional…enjoy!
Hotel Aldara
Hotel Aldara is a newer gay friendly hotel in Sitges, and whilst it lists itself as gay friendly, it’s marketing and imagery on Instagram shows that it leans much closer to a gay hotel (a little like the Axel brand if you are familiar with them).
The hotel roofs are light, airy and stylishly decorated and you will find a rooftop pool and sunbathing area up top.
Location wise, it is next door to Sitges Sauna, 5 minutes walk to the gay bars and a few minutes from Sitge train station. I can see the appeal!
Parrots Hotel
This is the only gay hotel in Sitges that is more likely to be categorised as ‘gay’ rather than simply ‘gay friendly’, of course the hotel welcomes everyone!
Parrots Sitges Hotel is also famous for its Parrots VIP promotion which allows guests discounts, benefits & freebies at over 20 bars, restaurants and shops in Sitges.
Guests who reserve directly with the hotel also benefit from the Parrots Big Six, which include a Free Daily Bottle of Water, The Parrots VIP Promotion, Exclusive Beach Pack, Free Use of Parrots Gym + Fitness, Special Early Check-In and Late Check-Out benefits.
It gets 4/5 on Tripadvisor mainly due to good staff, excellent location and a good breakfast! Take a look at the hotel here.
Calipolis Hotel
The Calipolis Hotel is one of the larger beachfront hotels and is directly opposite the gay beach, which means it is a winner when it comes to location. It is also a Travel Proud property with booking.com.
It also boasts a beautiful pool, gym and the rooms are modern and spacious.
Hotel Montserrat
I found this one to be best for budget and location. Hotel Montserrat is a basic hotel in the heart of the gay nightlife which comes with a simple breakfast.
I stayed here during Pride because I left my booking until the last minute (typical!), however this turned out well because it had all I needed for the right price and was literally minutes from all the action. It is also another Travel Proud property.
Gay Pride and Events in Sitges
Sitges is a great destination for LGBTQ+ events year round, including Sitges Pride, Bear Week and Carnival.
Gay Pride Sitges
Gay Pride in Sitges was one of my favourite gay prides in Spain.
With a week long schedule of daytime beach parties, night parties, drag events and of course the parade, you will want to pace yourself.
Going back to my first point on how compact and gay sitges is, Sitges pride becomes a very immersive experience.
Sitges Bear Week September
Held every September, Sitges Bear Week is one of the biggest and most popular Bear events in Europe. Expect over 5,000 in attendance (bearing in mind – no pun intended – the size of Sitges, this is a lot).
The festival lasts for 12 days in September. For all you bears, admirers and chasers, check it out!
Sitges Bear Week Spring
A newer addition usually around late April or early May, check out this edition of Sitges Bear week, also known as May Bears or Spring Bears meeting.
Gay Shops in Sitges
You are undoubtedly going to want to look your best on the beach. Luckily there are many shops in Sitges catering to the gay market and that stock many of my favourite brands.
Expect to find brands like Addicted Barcode Berlin, ES Collection and more all around the main square area. You can buy everything you can think of when it comes to gay style apparel. Check out my favourites:
- Addicted: Carrer de les Parellades, Sitges, Spain
- Menswear Sitges – Barcode clothes: Carrer Primer de Maig, 22, 08870 Sitges, Barcelona, Spain
- Dantes: Carrer de Joan Tarrida, 3, 08870 Sitges, Barcelona, Spain
- Molly and Tommy
Gay Saunas in Sitges
There are two options for gay saunas in Sitges. They are smaller than those you would find in cities like Barcelona, but still worth checking out:
Parrots Sauna
There is a steam room, dry sauna, jacuzzi and other spaces. Open 6pm-9pm.
Sauna Sitges
This long-running small sauna includes a dry sauna, steam room etc. It also sometimes hosts foam parties. It is open 4pm-9pm but sometimes later during pride events.
How to get to Sitges from Barcelona
The majority of people will fly into Barcelona. From Barcelona, here are your options:
By Train
There are three stations to depart from in Barcelona: Estació de França, Passeig de Gràcia and Estació Sants.
Look for the R2 Sud train which will take you to Sitges in 30-50 minutes depending where you start. The price should be around 5-6 euros – see the scheudule here.
This is your cheapest and quickest option.
By Bus
The company to use during the day is called Monbus. They leave from Plaça España and Ronda Universitat during the day. The journey will take 45-55 minutes and go via Barcelona airport (El Prat de Llobregat), so you could also get on the bus here.
There are also night buses (not Monbus) numbered N30, N31 or N32. These run from Plaça de Catalunya. This bus is direct so the journey will take about 35 minutes.
For both, check their website for the most up-to-date timetables (they are quite regular). The price is the same as the train at €4.10 each way.
By Taxi
A taxi will take about 40 minutes and will cost €75.00 – €85.00.
Gay Sitges – FAQ
- Is Sitges gay friendly? Yes, it is one of the most gay friendly destinations in Spain.
- Where is the main gay area in Sitges? Centred around Plaça Indústria.
- Best gay bar in Sitges? Parrots for socialising and people watching.
- Best gay beach in Sitges? Playa de la Bossa Rodona (main beach in Sitges).
- How to get to Sitges from Barcelona? 30-40 minutes by train.
- When is best to visit? May to September (especially for pride or around big events like Barcelona Circuit)
It is quite incredible that such a quaint and picturesque town has such a vibrant and thriving gay scene. Hopefully you can see why I fell in love with Sitges and I hope that you make it your next destination of choice. I plan to be back there for Pride this year, see you there!
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