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The beach-loving Spanish town that's at its best in low season
Sitges might be known for its beaches, but look beneath the surface and it's the perfect place for an off-peak city break
Zipping down a blissfully quiet gravel track bordered by delicately scented olive trees, just outside Sitges on Catalonia’s Costa del Garraf, I spotted rows of twirling vines rippling into the distance. Armed with sturdy e-bikes, we zoomed on into Sant Pere de Ribes, passing bursts of bougainvillaea, before pausing to gaze at the town’s recently restored 10th-century castle, on the fringes of the protected Parc del Garraf.
“This is my favourite time of year in Sitges,” said Montse Arauz, founder of Kili Sitges and our leader on this two-wheel adventure. “The best season for our cycling trips is autumn, when the vineyards change colour turning red and yellow, and the temperature is perfect for outdoor sports. In summer, it’s so hot that we can’t go out until at least 6pm!”
The route whirled us down a rocky riverbed and past the late-19th-century Finca Mas Solers mansion, eventually emerging on the seafront promenade in Sitges, which was busy with local skateboarders, surfers, rollerbladers, walkers and joggers.
In July, August and early September, Sitges – a beachy Catalonian beauty 25 miles southwest of Barcelona – sizzles with summer crowds here to enjoy the golden-white beaches, the lively LGBTIQ+ scene and the evocative Modernista architecture. But outside the peak-season months, holidaymakers thin out, restaurants aren’t booked-out busy anymore, the Mediterranean can often still feel warm enough for a swim and there’s still a lively local buzz.
I’ve stayed all over the Spanish coast in July and August, from Tarifa on Andalucía’s wind-swirled Costa de la Luz to sultry, height-of-summer Sitges. But with every year that passes, I find myself seeking out quieter times by the sea – and I’m not alone, with non-summer tourism on the up in plenty of Spanish coastal destinations, and local tourist boards keen to show off their region’s beauty beyond the beaches. Sitges has around 300 yearly days of sun, and temperatures here typically wander up to 18C in mid-December, for example. As elsewhere across Spain, more and more Sitges hotels and activity operators are staying open year-round.
Take the five-star Dolce Sitges (doubles from £138, room only), discreetly built into the lavender-covered hillside beyond the west end of town, which relaunched mid-pandemic with a fresh-faced Mediterranean-inspired look courtesy of Miami-based Rose Ink Workshop. It is now welcoming Sitges-loving guests throughout the year with its smart coastal-hued rooms, updated-Catalan gastronomy, knockout views and a string of low-season packages.
The solar-heated pools might be open only from Easter to October, but you can have a vegan Natura Bissé or Scens facial in the elegant spa between soaks in the heated indoor pool, soothing sauna and steam room. And then linger over lunch out on the sunny terrace at La Punta, where chef Jaume Balada’s creative seasonal menus spotlight organic local produce in dishes such as mountain-style arròs (rice) with mushrooms, pork and botifarra or salt-baked sea bass for sharing.
“Sitges is always packed with activity. If it isn’t the October film festival, it’s something else. Sitges is a place for the whole year,” said Susana Parellada of Vivero Beach Club & Restaurant back in town, as I settled in for another long lunch, this time overlooking the tumbling waves and Sant Sebastià beach from a sun-flooded clifftop lounge. A parade of deliciously fresh Mediterranean dishes rolled out, including a fabulous vegetarian paella and bowls of moreish patates braves. Getting creative outside the summer season, the Vivero team has also introduced rooftop yoga classes, wine-tasting sessions and more.
A favourite on the low-season Sitges calendar is the November Semana de la Malvasía, a week-long celebration of the sweet, lesser-known local malvasía wine of the Penedès region (most famous for its sparkling cavas); this eighth edition (10-20 November) promises tasting events, wine-and-music pairings, dedicated restaurant menus and more.
Local wines and cavas are also put on show during the Ruta Gastronómica DO Penedès en Sitges, a new series of wine-pairing dinners around town throughout November and early December; local vintners are on hand to share the secrets behind their most-loved wines, with venues including elegant Mediterranean restaurant Alfresco (beautifully set inside an old fishing house) and seafood-fired La Nansa (a Sitges classic since the 1960s), as well as Dolce Sitges. And then there’s Sitges Tapa a Tapa, which sees local restaurants and bars compete for the finest tapa in town, and of course you can sample them all; it’s usually held in both autumn (November 24-30 this year) and spring (often May).
Any time of year is perfect for exploring the area’s many forward-thinking wineries; though summer is hugely popular, autumn is harvest season and winter means fewer crowds. Both the cava-making Penedès and the top-tier Priorat (one of Spain’s most prestigious wine regions) are easily day-trippable from Sitges, offering everything from leisurely cycling tours through the vineyards to romantic wine-and-tapas pairings in moody, centuries-old bodegas.
Try icons such as Priorat’s pioneering 1979-founded Clos Mogador and, in Penedès, renowned Torres (with its grape-growing history going back to the 1620s) and original cava-producer Codorníu (whose dazzling Modernista building was designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch). Or get to know smaller winemakers like Mas Rodó, a family-owned operation rooted in organic, hand-harvested vines and spectacular architecture design.
Looking towards the winter season proper, the run-up to Christmas brings craft markets and festive cheer to Sitges’ palm-dotted waterfront. But the most-anticipated event of all is Carnaval in February/March, when the town’s streets burst with sequin-clad parades, floats and party-goers in one of Spain’s greatest carnivals, whose costumes celebrate everything from flamingos to flamenco.
Even a leisurely wander around the meandering historical centre of Sitges is an autumnal or wintery delight, popping into the breezy-beach boutiques, the seafront 17th-century Església de Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla, and intriguing museums such as the Museu del Cau Ferrat, a fantastical 1890s Modernista creation that was once the home of pioneering Catalan artist Santiago Rusiñol. Also here is the Palau de Maricel, a tile-clad jewel of Noucentisme architecture designed by Catalan engineer Miquel Utrillo for American art collector Charles Deering, now open on weekends only.
Back at the Dolce Sitges, blood-orange sunset rays danced on the palm-shaded pools, hibiscus flowers fluttered in the breeze and, somehow, I had the beautiful, rustling Mediterranean gardens all to myself – just the recipe for another delicious evening in one of Catalonia’s most endlessly delightful corners, no matter the time of year.
Essentials
Isabella Noble travelled to Sitges with support from the Catalan Tourist Board.