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Enjoy
a wealth of recreational activities in & around Sitges
For schedule of "Festivals & Holidays" please see the "Sitges" page
Sightseeing & activities in Sitges
Be sure to visit Sitges' outstanding museums housed in beautifully restored buildings. The entrance fee, waived on the second Wednesday of each month, is about €4 for the three museums:
• Cau Ferrat. In the old quarter of Sitges by the church, this was the turn-of-the-century home of modernist artist Rusinol. The Cau Ferrat Museum (house of iron, in Catalan) has a surprising collection of paintings by masters such as El Greco and Picasso and intricate iron works.
• Maricel del Mar. Next to the Cau Ferrat, this museum blends a spectacular setting by the sea with a collection of classic sculptures and maritime art
• Romantic at Casa Lopis. An attractive collection of 18th and 19th Century furnishings and dolls
Note: Subject to change, during most of the year, the Sitges Tourist Office offers 1 1/2-hour English-speaking tours of Sitges at 10 a.m. On Wednesdays and Fridays, you may take guided tours of the Cau Ferrat, Maricel del Mar, and City Hall from the tourist office between the Cau Ferrat and the church. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, there are tours of Romantic Museum at Casa Lopis from the main tourist office at Oasis Center. There is an entrance fee to the museums but no charge for the guide service conducted by guides in training. For confirmation of days and times, please call 93-811-7630 or 31.
Sitges has endless possibilities for sightseeing and activities within close range of the village. Whether on on a leisurely stroll, by car, train, or local tours, here are some highlights:
• Centre d'Etudis del Mar. A new museum and sea study center at the far end of Passeig Maritim in a beautifully restored mansion
• Whenever it is sunny, locals and tourists flock to Sitges' beautiful beaches -- nine of them. Top-less bathing and tanning are common. Nude bathing is allowed at the beach beyond the Terramar Hotel. Bathing-suit-optional is also found on the far end of the beach facing Las Palomas Catalanas.
• The private swimming pool, up the street to the right of Las Palomas Catalanas, is open to our guests and neighbors only.
• Boating and sailing is available in the port of Aiguadolç by contacting one of the boat agencies and at different concessions along Sitges beaches.
• Golf in the 18-hole, 70-par Club de Golf de Terramar, 93-894-0580. Best days to play are Monday through Thursday when they have fewer guests. Club and cart rentals are available. An 18-hole round costs about 70 Euros. Visit their website http://www.golfterramar.com/
• Club Tennis Sitges at Levantina, 93-894-0359. Cross the road to Barcelona (C-31) and go up the hill until you reach the clay tennis courts.
• Bowling at the Oasis Shopping Center on the road to Vilanova.
• Horseback riding at Hipica Sitges, 92-894-4422, on the road from to Villanova.
Sightseeing in Barcelona
The best way to visit Metropolitan Barcelona is by commuter train, only 35 minutes from Sitges. From the train station you can walk, take inexpensive taxis, use the metro (L), or the Bus Turistic, a daylong bus service to the 17 most important attractions of Barcelona. You may pick up the Bus Turistic at the main entrance of Sants station. There is also the "Rut del Modernisme," a walking escorted tour of the major buildings of Barcelona.
For more information see “Trains to Barcelona center” or for the Bus Turistic visit their website http://www.tmb.net/en_US/home.jsp. Here are some sightseeing highlights in Barcelona:
• Gothic Quarter and Barcelona Cathedral (L3, Liceu or L4, Jaume)
• Gaudí's Sagrada Familia church (L5, Sagrada Familia)
• Liceu Opera House, among the world’s best, at the Ramblas. For schedules call 34-93-485-9913 or their website http://www.liceubarcelona.com/teatre_liceu.asp
• Gaudi’s art nouveau Pedrera building and Museum on Passeig the Gracia
• Montjuic Palace and Olympic Stadium
• Picasso and Miró Museums
• La Boqueria/St. Josep monumental vegetable, meat, fish (everything) market, at Ramblas 101
• Port Vell with Mediterranean Aquarium, one of the world’s largest and Imax theatre (L3, Drassanes). Call 93-221-7474 or website http://www.aquariumbcn.com/AQUARIUM/index.php
• Maritime Museum of Barcelona (L3, Liceu)
• Museum of Monasterio de Pedralbes, Baixada de Moastir 9, an old monastery exhibiting the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection. Telephone 93-280-1434
• Palace of Catalonian Music (L4, Jaume)
• Pueblo Español (Spanish Village) on Montjuic Mountain, with replicas of all the major villages in Spain
• Golondrinas catamaran cruises from Portal de la Pau (next to the Columbus monument) to Port Vell and Barcelona Port. Telephone 93-442-3106 or website http://www.lasgolondrinas.com/angles.html
• Opera, Flamenco and theatre (see Spanish newspapers or Barcelona Metropolitan magazine for listings. For tickets go to La Caixa bank or box office.
Sightseeing in Catalonia
• Mystical Montserrat Monastery & Museum. Be sure to arrive in the chapel 20 minutes before the 1 p.m. Boys Choir short but inspiring concert. Performances are normally daily except Sundays, August and holidays. There is also a gondola ride from the foot of the mountain to take you to the abbey in a spectacular ride. Under two hours from Sitges by car or local tour (it takes longer by train and gondola). See www.abadiamontserrat.net.
• Penedés wine region, inland between Sitges and Barcelona (on the way to Montserrat). Thirty minutes from Sitges by car or local tour
• Tarragona and its impressive Roman ruins. Call the Tarragona Tourist office, 977-245-203 or 977-245-064, if you wish to arrange for a private guide. One hour from Sitges by car or train
• XII Century Monasteries of Poblet and Santas Creus near Valls, one hour from Sitges. Poblet offers complimentary tours in the mornings however they are in Spanish. Santas Creus offers tours in English
• Peñiscola and its 13th Century Papa Luna Castle where portions of the movie El Cid were filmed are reminiscent of a Greek village with cobblestone, winding streets, outdoor shops and seaside dining. Two hours from Sitges by car south of Tarragona in the state of Valencia
• Valencia, home of the Lladró porcelain factory, and 'perfect-to-the-naked-eye-seconds' showroom, is three hours from Sitges by car or train. Make sure you contact the Lladró Society in New York for an appointment if you plan to visit the factory or show rooms
• Scenic Costa Brava and Dali Museum in Figueras, 1 1/2 to 2 hours from Sitges, including:
€ Historic city of Girona with its outstanding cathedral and Jewish Quarter
€ Medieval villages of Pals, Peratallada, Begur and Monel, among others
€ Antique and ceramics shopping in La Bisbal region
• Universal Studio’s Port Aventura, in Salou near Tarragona, is an hour from Sitges. It is Spain's best amusement park with the largest roller coaster in the world (March 15-January 6).
Notes: We recommend Sitges Silver Service for sightseeing. Website www.sitgessilverservice.com/htm/index. P lease mention that you are a guest of Las Palomas Catalanas so they know the address. Costs are subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire a qualified English-speaking guide for the day we recommend contacting Yvette Mills ahead of time. Yvette can be reached on her mobile 34-679-845-460 or by email at yvettemills@yahoo.es.
Start your day at Las Palomas Catalanas with a spectacular Mediterranean sunrise at your private terrace, sipping a fresh cup of coffee brewed in your fully-equipped kitchen
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