![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges The Point - the most iconic landmark in Sitges](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5590/14654927517_d55fc6e934_o.jpg)
Sitges is a lovely Mediterranean coastal town, a seaside resort some 35km southwest of Barcelona in Catalunya, Spain. During my trip to Barcelona earlier this year, I visited Sitges for a day trip, taking a train there.
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges The coast and a mermaid statue](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3911/14654859838_8519505062_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges The beautiful sea](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3839/14654927867_dd2368a03d_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges The gorgeous beach](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5574/14841451645_faefb98685_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges A stroll by the beach](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3856/14818484036_d6d6c64bbf_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges The vibrant beach in Sitges](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3862/14654754960_0bc2691846_o.jpg)
It takes about 35 minutes to get to Sitges via the Barcelona Ave High-Speed train station. There are said to be 300 sunny days per year in Sitges, 26 beaches, 3 marina, 5 museums, one nature reserve and one golf course, with over 1,900 camping spaces, 29,000 inhabitants of 90 different nationalities, over 400 restaurants and shops, as well as 50 events yearly.
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Waiting for our train to Sitges from Barcelona](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3859/14861359983_f713b849ca_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Sitges station](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3867/14818525506_b4d4c44a54_o.jpg)
The beaches are beautiful at Sitges and there are plenty of attractions there. It is recognised as one of the most charming towns along the Catalan coast. Apparently, it also has one of the most vibrant and hippest gay scenes on the coast, so LGBT travelers will probably dig Sitges. I did notice many of the shops and establishments in Sitges have the rainbow flag hanging outside.
The port in Sitges, Port Ginesta has become the largest marina in Catalonia and is located at the foot of Garraf Massif. For a small town, there is a lot to see in Sitges.
Walking along the streets of Sitges, there is an old world small town feel, bustling with recreational activities:
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Interesting architecture](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3891/14654856319_a0eb0a1837_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Everywhere, the buildings have an old world feel](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5557/14818523486_49893b6ce4_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Church](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3876/14838404921_5c9372264d_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Arthouse cinema](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5563/14654871498_91fa0a120e_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Films that are showing](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3899/14841488605_defec4b805_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Concert poster, promotional posters](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3844/14839129444_a25560ddd1_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Cooking class for kids](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3855/14818520576_2ceb2b4973_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Restaurant selling Japanese tapas](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3870/14838402081_bf79b3d268_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Cakes and catering](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5551/14654868968_a005a5d502_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Small shopping mall](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5555/14654868428_efe0cecc4b_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Cakes and pastries](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5595/14841133332_870fd6b44e_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Awards won by the street for beautiful flower displays](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3873/14841132802_dc29cb0321_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Masks shop](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3854/14654848129_b7476697d0_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Tea shop](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3902/14654932787_2fe82d8c37_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Household wares shop](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5594/14838352631_a26176e536_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Cartoon character easter eggs, including Dragonball](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3912/14861303953_7c9339e982_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Chocolate eggs](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5567/14861304743_f4e78b8b8a_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Chocolate bunnies](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5558/14838354471_0f2994a1d4_o.jpg)
There was an art fair in Sitges when we were there and I went to check out some of the art pieces:
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Fira d'Art](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5586/14654902807_97be552f48_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges A blacksmith molding swords](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5577/14654815139_fa72d5c4ac_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Boats and yachts](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3863/14861316363_258880bff6_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Family themed](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3907/14818481766_7b58cd3a26_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Brightly coloured](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3884/14654829958_31db4eec0e_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Interested buyer](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5580/14654750170_9238996b6f_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Browsing](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5581/14841446995_e6904afd72_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Asian theme](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3910/14841446675_7997402476_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Wood pyrography art](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3907/14818478346_0382cf05a8_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges An artist with her works](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3903/14841445885_c5421764db_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Pop culture](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3913/14654827308_c496f514b2_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Strong contrast](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5589/14839089024_03ce5fdd05_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Strong colours](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3905/14818481426_b718b06414_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Contemporary artworks](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3906/14861316713_dceb406ccb_o.jpg)
One of the key historical site and attraction in Sitges is Iglesia de Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla. You can’t miss it – it’s the large, towering structure by the beach, overlooking the Mediterranean sea, where all activities revolve around.
The name in English translates as “Church of St. Barthlomew and St. Tecla”. Locals sometime refer to it as simply “La Punta” or “The Point”. Although a church has existed since medieval times on the same site, the present building was constructed relatively recently in the 17th Century, but retains two Gothic tombs from its previous incarnation, and also boasts an impressive organ and Renaissance-era altarpiece.
As Catholicism has dwindled in recent times, the parish church has lost some of its civic significance but it is still a popular wedding site and a great place to explore for visitors:
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges The Point from a distance](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3842/14654846139_3d677d5176_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges A cannon atop the Point](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3885/14654841869_a2e5cd94e9_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges View of the beach area from atop the Point](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5573/14838391511_2c44eb771b_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Some paintings left to dry outside](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5551/14654925477_a3d6013419_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges View of the tower](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5561/14818508896_0113e26cf9_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges View of the sea, with someone windsurfing](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5578/14839097114_6285d8ba6b_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges View of the seaside](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3884/14818489266_a387857af4_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges One of many small statues in the vicinity](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5559/14818510756_9a6487e223_o.jpg)
Next, we also visited Palau Maricel. The Maricel buildings were constructed between 1910 and 1916 and their construction transformed the face of the old town of Sitges, giving it a distinctive identity that has remained to this day.
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Door at the entrance of Palau Marciel](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3900/14861338913_6eea813bb4_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges The entrance](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5596/14841457255_941fb44b5e_o.jpg)
The Maricel was the work of two unique men: American industrialist and collector Charles Deering (Paris, Maine, 1852-Miami, 1927) and the engineer and artist Miquel Utrillo i Morlius (Barcelona, 1862-Sitges, 1934).
The Maricel’s story began in the autumn of 1909, when the painter Ramon Casas introduced Deering to Sitges. The American liked the town so much that he made immediate plans to build a residence in Sitges. Yes, Deering is supremely rich. Casas introduced him to his friend Miquel Utrillo. Utrillo soon became the millionaire’s trusted acquaintance, and in 1910 mediated in the acquisition of the former Hospital de San Juan Bautista that Deering bought from Sitges Council for 40,000 pesetas.
The following year Utrillo oversaw decoration of the property, creating a stately home complete with ornamental elements from different periods and origins. On completion Deering then purchased more houses in the surrounding areas.
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Exterior of Palau Marciel](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3859/14839115554_bc974fe870_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Beautiful view by the sea](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5557/14838390271_c8b5d59d41_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Inside Palau Marciel](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3852/14654839119_5a12a7c5d3_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Up the stairs](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3926/14841472545_bce792a42a_o.jpg)
As an avid collector, Deering coerced his companion Utrillo to travel throughout the peninsula in search of the relics from religious and civic buildings left in ruins. The items he found were then incorporated into the facades of the Maricel.
As sudden as he had came into Sitges, one day in 1921, Deering just packed up his bags and the art he had accumulated and left the Maricel, back to the United States. Today, many of the works can be found at the Art Institute of Chicago.
On the “Noble Floor” of the Palau Maricel one can find two rooms of notable beauty: the Golden room and Blue room, each room being decorated uniquely and designed for public use:
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges The Blue Room](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3899/14818505456_5e6ee9e3dd_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Rooftop](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3865/14838382291_e4d9ed5d5b_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Area to busk in the sun](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3859/14838381801_2f3b39dec6_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Rooftop garden](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3893/14839106014_59e8796e40_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Lovely aerial view](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3913/14654829119_8106413bc4_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Many arches](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3869/14838379271_08f2888922_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Decorative marble tiles behind the arches](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5570/14654913317_90f6db38c2_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges The picture tiles](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3849/14841458475_1dcc0ca737_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges The blue blue sea view](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5551/14841110572_f95873b46b_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Glazing out](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3835/14841460535_20e317167e_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Sheryl enjoying a sip of wine](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3902/14654762600_09f0acf4dd_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Signature bubbling wine from Sitges](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3902/14654909667_18679029e4_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges One room to the other](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3922/14838383741_bd5d85bdc3_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges The Golden Room](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5582/14654836109_3cf732c873_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Decorated ceiling](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3869/14838385871_71116a4126_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges A piano room](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3839/14818501226_e02d3944c9_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Catholic influence](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5578/14654834129_157584e308_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Patterned floor tiles](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3868/14818500476_f1eacd8111_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Golden arches](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3876/14654771970_b60b811a35_o.jpg)
After the tour, we had dinner at Fragata, a seaside restaurant with a wonderful view and excellent Spanish Mediterranean food:
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Sea-facing restaurants and cafes](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3922/14654930497_75a5c40659_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Fragata restaurant in Sitges](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5558/14839085094_352654f9d8_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Chapata con tomate - extra virgin bread toasted with tomato pulp and extra virgin olive oil](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3924/14841093682_137a480fb1_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Anchovies from the cantabrian sea over a parmesan homemade tart with tomato tartar](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3846/14654746610_a01330f0c5_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Tuna carpaccio with light vinaigrette and mild mustard seeds and scallion](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3862/14818474886_73a09b7137_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Grilled small calamari over caramelised onion and smoked olive oil](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3853/14818473646_79375378f8_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Fry of king prawns and small squids with romesco sauce and alioli](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3840/14838356511_0965e031c7_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Grilled scallops with sea urchin emulsion, asparagus, shallots and iberian select ham](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5582/14654743270_4286365087_o.jpg)
![Barcelona with Qatar Airways - Sitges Homemade deconstructed cheesecake with berries and crumbled cookies](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5562/14654804429_6c4dc7a633_o.jpg)
I love the food, the views, the sights and sounds in Sitges. After the meal, the group of us felt like we could sit there forever and just lazed the day away by the beach.
Writing this post makes me want to fly to Barcelona and visit Sitges again!