Just down the coast from Barcelona, only 30 minutes away by train, is the charming old seaside city of Sitges.

The morning weather was cool, wet and unsettled the day we selected for our visit to Sitges.  We bundled up with sweaters, jackets and hats.  We carried a change of clothes in a backpack, along with a couple of bottles of water and sunscreen.

“The Train in Spain Drives Mainly in the Plain”

We were pleased to learn we could board the train to Sitges at an underground station just a few blocks from our apartment in the Eixample neighborhood.

There are underground Refre stations scattered around the city, part of the regional train system.  The station is unmanned, and we had a little difficulty figuring out the ticket machines, but not too much.

The old regional railroad station in Barcelona is beautiful, but it’s much quieter than you might expect, since the trains can be accessed from the neighborhood underground stations.

It was a treat to leave our apartment in urban Barcelona, walk a few city blocks, drop down into the underground station, purchase tickets, board a train, and in a half hour’s time disembark in the quaint, scenic seaside resort town of Sitges.  The ride down along the coast was picturesque and relaxing.

Our Two Heroes Conquer Sitges

Sitges is an delightful place, and by noon on the day of our visit the sun overcame the morning rain clouds and produced a glorious afternoon for sightseeing.

We started with coffee and breakfast sandwiches at a gay-owned cafe that caters to gay men.  We kept expecting to see someone we knew, but didn’t.  Then we strolled along the beach, up past the old Catholic church that sits on a bluff above the harbor, and continued walking along the beaches north of the church.  We walked and chatted and took in the sights.  As the weather warmed, we shed our jackets and sweaters and eventually changed into our shorts.  By about 3:00 PM, we were content to walk back over to the train station and board the train back to Barcelona, arriving home in time for a short nap.

Sitges is a tourist mecca, but it is a really beautiful, well-preserved old city with lots of Mediterranean character, gorgeous beaches (including what is claimed to be Europe’s first gay beach), and a wonderful, eclectic mix of people.  We loved it.