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Some great holiday spots  Key West Key West has a long tradition of laid-back, live-and-let-live attitude; the year-round temperate climate lends itself to relaxation... Ibiza seems to be the destination of choice again for anyone looking for anything from serious clubbing to chill out luxury...it alos offers an outstanding selection of gyms. Explore our guide for your 2008 Ibiza holiday here... South Beach offers vibrant nightlife, excellent shopping and the finest restaurants set along the stunning Atlantic and Biscayne Bay shorelines... More information on South Beach Sitges is a beautiful old beach town south of Barcelona which is dominated by the impressive old church which hangs over the sea... In any season of the year, Barcelona basks in the sun. You can eat in open-air restaurants or have a drink on the terraces, by the shores of the Mediterranean sea... To find out how to plan your ideal day for a 2008 vacation in Mykonos read this short article which tells you where you need to be on the Island, when to be there and how to get there. ... |
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Sitges Sitges is a beautiful old beach town south of Barcelona and, while a day excursion from Barcelona, many people visit Sitges as their main holiday destination. The skyline of this small town is dominated by the old church which seems to hang as an ever present protector of its inhabitants. For a little more about this Catalonian gem read on.
History
Sitges dates back to the 10th century and by the middle ages Sitges was the only port town on the coast from Barcelona to Tarragona. More recently Sitges became home to a community of artists who flocked here for the unique light. For examples of some of this work visit the Hotel Romantic, where many guests paid for their holiday with works of art, now hung around the walls of this beautiful Sitges hotel. Nowadays, tourism seems to be the main source of income along with construction…construction of villas and hotels for tourists! Sitges is one of the cities with the highest prices per square meter in Spain.
The Sitges you see today reflects this long history although fortunately it never succumbed fully to the ravages of 1970’s tourism. There are still world famous artists who spend some months, or some years, of their life here a lively and cosmopolitan mix of tourists, expats and predominantly Catalans.
Weather
Sitges has its own special micro-climate making summer last longer than many places along this coast line. The Barcelona locals will often ring up the Sitges hotels on a rainy day to see what the weather is like, more often than not the sun is shining and they head to the Sitges beaches. The sea at Sitges is warm enough to swim in from April to October.
The Beaches
If you are likely to burn or get irritated by other tourists it may be worth avoiding the beach from 1pm to 3pm…that’s time for lunch and siesta. The best time to get a nice tan is the first hours in the morning, or late in the afternoon.
The main beaches everyone heads for are in staggering distance of most hotels and apartments, in the centre of town. These long sandy beaches have a party atmosphere, even if a little busy. There are sun loungers and parasols to hire as well as plenty of space if you just want to lie on a towel. A few locals wander up and down the beach selling chilled drinks and ice creams. Toilets are near the café PicNic. They cost 25c and toilet paper is only available on request from the senorita collecting the cash!
For a quieter alternative walk towards and beyond the church to San Sebastian. The first bay here is a nice beach, bordered by great restaurants but now you’re up and walking it’s worth going a little further. Next cove along is cosy with an excellent restaurant close by. If you can muster the energy there is another beach that is the one we would recommend. It is another 5 minute walk over the next hill and is accessed by a steep slope down to this private beach. Nudism is allowed on this beach and it attracts an eclectic mix of families, hippies, gays, tourists and locals…it can get busy with locals on Sundays. The beach, however, is much quieter than the ones in town, has great swimming and is sheltered from winds by steep cliffs. Impressive sun sets can be viewed as a back drop to the old church.
Restaurants and night life
Before going out, it may be the time to look for a good place to eat. There are plenty of options to choose from. Along the promenade are a range of popular restaurants, including the enormous Santa Maria famed for its seafood paella. The restaurants along here tend to be a ‘white linen’ dining experience. So a little dressier and slower than some of the other restaurants. For similar restaurants (but in a more poetic setting) head for San Sebastian beach, the other side of the church. Here’ you are likely to be seated close to the beach and really feel like you’re in a quintessentially Spanish seaside town. Also some nice quite Spanish bars here open until the last drop is drunk!
If you are after something quick and easy there is a plentiful selection of sandwich shops and grilled chicken bars
Night life doesn’t so much start as evolve! Most people head for dinks after a day on the beach. The strip of bars along the Calle Dos de Mayo seems to be the destination for this. The objective is to get a front row table and then not shift - this is prime people watching real estate.
Around 10pm the "Sin Street" bars start to liven up and through the summer, there is action almost every night. The bars Carrer del Pecat are full till 3-3:30am. The it’s off to Pacha which starts to fill up at around 3am.
Festivals
Sitges, like many towns in Spain needs very little excuse to celebrate. In the summer months it seems that every other day there is a team of children with fire crackers, or musicians in traditional costume, celebrating a saint’s day. This is in addition to a host of sports events and concerts taking place along the promenade throughout the year. Below is a list of some of the major events in the Sitges Diary.
February – The town comes to life forone of the most famous carnivals in Spain. Dates vary depending on Easter.
March – For motor heads there’s a vintage car rally between Barcelona and Sitges.
June – This is perhaps one of the most unique events of the Sitges calendar, Corpus Christi. Whole communities spend the nights decorating the streets of the town with fresh flowers and petals laid out in intricate patterns. The next day is one of celebration and the following evening the flowers are swept away. There are not many places left in the western world where towns come together to celebrate their culture in such a dramatic and transient way.
August/ September – The energy levels within the town crank up another notch, with the street concerts and cultural activities celebrating the Fiesta Major. This fiesta concludes with one of the most dramatic firework displays - huge, colourful and disturbingly loud explosions continuously appear across the bay, even the turrets of the ancient church drip with illuminated gunpowder. The crowd pack into the town for this evening event and every year the organisers promise locals and tourists a night they will find it hard to forget.
September – Towards the end of the month there are the folklore demonstrations of the Santa Tecla Festivals.
November – Since 1968 Sitges has celebrated the Catalonia International Film Festival takes place. It started as a ‘Fantastic and Horror Cinema Festival’ and now shows a much more comprehensive range of movies. This is Catalonia's main cinema event with more than 200 movies
Getting to Sitges
From the airport the easiest way to get to Sitges (and it is very easy) is to go by train. Get a ticket at airport station and hop on train. Get of at El Pratt (the first stop, 5 minute journey time) and then change to platform 2 for a train heading in the direction of Tarragona. Then it’s about 20 minutes to Sitges. The journey is an enjoyable one along the Spanish coastline often in air conditioned double decker carriages pumping out classical music.
Coming to Sitges by car is also easy. The fastest way is taking the C-32 Pau Casals highway (formerly A16). If you do not want to pay the toll, take windey coastal road C-31 (formerly C-246. Also Known as Costes Del Garraf).
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