Situated on the Mediterranean a short distance south of
Barcelona, Sitges is one of Spain’s most famous beach resorts . While from what
I can tell, much of the Spanish coast has been developed for mass market
tourism with ugly boxy buildings, Sitges is a true old town with a lovely
atmosphere from the narrow and busy streets of the old town to the nice beaches
and neat streets lined with villas of the very wealthy. The hills surrounding
the town are covered with pine forest.

Sitges is popular with the international jet set and the
artsy and gay crowd, ranking up there with Ibiza and Mykonos for edgy glamor.
Glamor is not for me, though, at least when it comes to accommodation. One look
at a list of prices for rooms at one and two-star pensions at the tourist
office kiosk outside the train station and I knew I’d be staying at one of the
campgrounds just outside of town.

Sitges was one of those rare ventures I make into the gay
little world of gay beaches, gay bars, gay cafes, and gay restaurants. While
the main beach in Sitges is quite standard, it seems most of the gays
congregate at a secluded cove between cliffs about a two mile walk south of the
town center . As the say, “When in Rome….” So I took off my swimsuit to fit in
with the rest of the crowd. It’s not the first nude beach I’ve been to. It may
not be the last, but I didn’t really see the appeal.

So why don’t all the young gay boys handing out fliers for a
big all-night beach party/rave hand one to me? I mean, I’m not that old, and they’re giving
them to lots of guys older than I am. I must just not be giving off homo enough
vibes. I must admit the rows of nelly men lining the streets of old town at
outdoor cafes checking out every man who walks by and making catty comments to
each other while sipping fruity little pink drinks really looks quite silly.
Note to self: Never be that way.

I had mixed feelings about Sitges. On the one hand I liked
the open atmosphere; it’s about the gayest place I’ve ever been with a crowd
that seemed like it might be majority gay and where no one bats an eye about
same sex couples holding hands and families with young children entirely
integrated into the town with nothing to indicate they perceive an “alternative
lifestyle” as a threat . I’ve been to a few other gay destinations like San
Francisco, Key West, Provincetown, Fort Lauderdale, and Puerto Vallarta, but
this is probably the gayest. On the other hand, though, it’s also somewhat more
subdued with hyper-sexualized images so common in gay spots in America less
prevalent. On the other hand, it’s not a sub-culture I feel completely
comfortable with, one where most socializing doesn’t start until well past my preferred
bedtime, even when I’m on vacation. Why does the party not get going until well
after midnight?

A few days at a beach town not doing much of anything
strikes me as a rather slothful and uninteresting type of travel experience I
would normally forgo in favor of my turbo-tourism of museums, cathedrals, art,
and outdoor pursuits. But after many tiring days on the trail in the Pyrenees I
could appreciate being lazy for a few days.