Ideal Post Pandemic Destination: Gay Paradise Sitges, Spain
A stunning beach town 40 miles outside Barcelona, Sitges is one of the best vacation spots for LGBTQ travelers. Sitges is loud and proud about the diversity of ethnicity, religion, and especially sexual orientations of not only locals, but visitors. Sitges does not conceal its cultivation for equality and diversity. Parity can be seen everywhere from grocery stores, restaurants, museums, to the hotels, bars, and beaches. Truly a peaceful paradise!
Though Spain is statistically the most diversity-accepting county, notably for queer folks, the journey to acceptance was obscene and disheartening. Unfortunately for the LGBTQ community, in 1933, extremist Francisco Franco attained power after the Spanish Civil War. Franco abolished divorce and abortion access, and deemed homosexuality as not only dangerous, but an illness.
Any show of queer affection, even as minor as holding hands, was criminal. Prison time was a popular repercussion for those caught, and severe mental and physical abuse by guards and doctors was common. Many queer people lived their lives in silence or passed as straight in order to remain safe.
Finally, with Franco’s death, 40 years of hatred for the LGBTQ community went six feet underground with him. In 1975, Spain elected a new prime minister, Adolfo Suarez González, who made steps toward repairing some of these stripped rights. Gonzalez officially decriminalized homosexuality, and all those held captive for being queer were released.
In 2005, Spanish Parliament voted to legalize same-gender marriage and granted equal rights in adopting children to same-gender couples. This step toward liberty and equality for queer couples inspired other countries, including the United States, to revisit equality laws and make progressive strides forward for their nations.
Sitges, Spain is a queer, coastal retreat. Locals and visitors dabble by day in the beaches (often nude!) and parade through stimulating art galleries. By night, they explore the plethora of queer bars, clubs, and top-notch restaurants. Sitges is an elegant city with the just right amount of consensual debauchery, truly showcasing why it is a sought-after gay vacation destination for the Mediterranean and beyond.
El Cigaliere of Sitges is the dream retreat for men (Sorry ladies. I suppose we have Dinah Shore Weekend to celebrate, but who do we talk to to demand we make it a year-round resort?) El Cigaliere has five bedrooms, each with a private bathroom, and a communal living room and kitchen.
All the resort rooms are exclusive to honoring prominent queer couples of the past, such as Rock Hudson and Lee Garlington. This resort of 100 percent gay men has a clothing-optional policy. A guest may disrobe as soon as he enters the door, and then he will quickly meet other men just like him.
Features of the resort include a private cottage on premise, swimming pool, gym, jacuzzi, a massage room, and ocean views of the LGBTQ beach nearby. Guests from all over the world as singles or couples, in all shapes and sizes, from every generation and ethnicity, mingle together here. El Cigaliere of Sitges prides itself on creating a space for gay men as well as maintaining comfort for the different lifestyles they lead.
Very close by is Platja de la Bassa Rodona: Sitges main and the most popular queer beach. Guests will find lots of LGBTQ couples (Yes, ladies and nonbinary folk, a space for us!) and plenty of nudity. The peak season is from July to September; however, you can find queers enjoying the soft sand and clean water year-round.
Platja de la Bassa Rodona is the only beach that has a sailing school with courses all year. Platja de la Bassa Rodona is regularly packed, offering a plethora of hammocks, beach bars, showers, and massage tables. It’s a beach for every queer to see and to be seen.
As you wind down from the beach day, gear up for a nightlife you’ll never forget. Often referred to as the “gayest town on the Mediterranean,” Sitges boasts approximately 24 queer bars. The Sitges gay bar scene operates year round. Two of the most popular LGBTQ clubs/discos in Sitges are Organic and Privilege.
Organic has been serving kings, queens, neithers, and in-betweens since 1994. This disco does not open its doors until well after midnight as other clubs close, and remains open until dawn. Organic is fun and unique because it plays only 80s and 90s music and hosts foam parties in a sunken pool weekly.
Near Organic is Privilege, open Thursday through Saturday from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m., featuring an immense dance floor with multiple bars under one roof. Privilege is always packed with the vibrant and beautiful locals and welcomes the visitors of Sitges.
Sitges is an unapologetic, celebratory LGBTQ beach town filled with discos, scenic views, warm beaches, historical museums, and optional nudity. It is a town where love is celebrated despite generations, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. Sitges is uniquely a queer and progressive paradise.
