Sitges Guide for a One Night Stay Near Barcelona Airport
Updated: Jun 20
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After a nice Spanish vacation in our holiday home in Zaragoza, the last thing I want to do is plow into the major city of Barcelona before my flight home. Because of the hour of departing flights, it's typical that my family will find a place to spend the night the night before in one of the cute towns near Barcelona airport, without having to go into the city proper.
We've had great luck with hotels within an hour of El Prat, all charming and offering what we need for the night, namely comfortable accommodations and a good meal.
This trip, we decided to venture into a town new to us, called Sitges (pronounced sit-chez). My pants had ripped the day before our trip, and we painfully kept ragging on about how "only snitches get stitches in Sitges", and apparently my pants were not snitches, because they had not yet been mended. The joke was as painful as it could be, but helped my 4 year old daughter to remember the name of the town in a single song fashion the remainder of our time there.
Sitges, being so close to Barcelona, turned out to be a perfect stop for our family for a one night stay.
Here's some details on where to stay, what to do, and what to expect of this lovely and charming town near Barcelona airport.
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Sitges Guide At a Glance
This Spanish seaside town just south of Barcelona's airport at first glance appears to be a sleepy oceanfront village with the typical nautical themed restaurants lining the sidewalk facing the sand.
The cornice of land has a distinct fortress enclosed church at the far end of the pedestrian boardwalk, and chiringuitos (beach bars) dot the landscape every several hundred yards.
Upon venturing down any of the numerous narrow whitewashed lanes you will be surprised to find they open up into a major pedestrian shopping zone. These arteries are filled with souvenir and beach shops, restaurants, and tapas bars.
The fact of the matter is, Sitges is a posh town, although you wouldn't know it. The shops are more of the linen and fine jewelry style boutiques, but paired with their flip flop and bathing suit hawking neighbors, it's a mystery really who the target market is.
If you stop to look at the housing listings in any particular storefront, you'll find that the cheapest front-window listing is a no-big-deal 315,000 euros for a 45 sq meter apartment. I live in a 45 sq meter apartment in Zaragoza part time, and I'm telling you, that's small.
I believe that Sitges caters locally to ex-pats with money, to summer sunseekers from Aragon and neighboring regions, and lastly, to the LGBTQ+ crowd looking for a comfortable place to hang their hat for a Barcelona stay.
In all ways, I found this resort town for the wealthy to be approachable and affordable nonetheless, and a perfect stay for one night before heading to the airport the following morning.
The Ideal Itinerary for One Night in Sitges
An overnight stay is all you need in Sitges, and its location just 23 minutes from Barcelona El Prat (BCN) airport makes it all the more convenient. Start the day in town for a lovely lunch at La Nansa, where you’ll find old school decor and fixed price meals of seafood, fideua, and other Catalan specialties.
After lunch, wander the seafront and head in to discover the aforementioned shopping lanes. This will waste approximately enough time for you to go back to your hotel room (I recommend Hotel Capri) and relax or shower for your next day flight before hitting the town around 730 or 8pm for the evening tapas time.
You'll want to do your research in advance for dinner or tapas bars, because they can get full and crowded quickly. Don't worry, I've rounded up the best tapas in Sitges for you already in a separate post.
After a nice night strolling post-tapas with the ocean air in your lungs, retire to your hotel for a comfortable and affordable nights stay before breakfast and the ride to the airport the next morning.
The Best Hotel in Sitges for a One Night Stay
If you need more details for an overnight stay in Sitges, I’ll reiterate that you should make home base the Hotel Capri.
The Hotel Capri offers secure parking in a gated garden lot behind the building for 15 euros a day.
The Hotel Capri also offers a lovely buffet breakfast from 8-10am (good if you don’t have too early of a flight out).
They have a pool and hot tub (in season) and several lounge areas for relaxing.
On top of that, the Hotel Capri also is easily accessible from the highway (no crazy narrow streets or navigating through madness) and just a block from the oceanfront promenade.
We thoroughly enjoyed our room, which had more than adequate amenities including stellar heating for the room, and a rain shower.
Service was delightful and helpful. We would definitely stay again.
Book your stay at the Hotel Capri:
Where to Eat Lunch in Sitges
Don’t forget to call ahead for a reservation at La Nansa Restaurant for lunch. We snagged the last table of the lunch shift about 2 hours in advance. The entire place was bustling and full so don’t miss out on having an authentic and old school dining experience here.
Their service was charming and accommodating and the future was superb.
Try their homemade artichokes, canneloni, and the seafood fideua.
The creme Catalan is a must to pair with the after-dinner drink they will provide you so don’t skip out on dessert!
Other Things to Do in Sitges
Sitges is very close to the Pinedes wine region, so if you have more than one night in Sitges, I highly recommend visiting a winery or two. This can easily be arranged with a private tour, or you may need to reach out directly to the bodegas (wineries) yourself.
View availability for one such tour below:
This takes a little careful planning, as wineries in Spain typically require visitors come within a 1 or 2 hour window and be reserved in advance. Check the bodega websites for details.
It is possible to also arrange visiting the wineries on a biking tour, which is a good way to burn off those tapas calories I guess! Not my jam, but if you are into it, check out this cool tour.
Of course during the warm summer months the beach is an obvious draw. Consider signing up for beach yoga before your big flight home.
How Far Is Sitges From Barcelona Airport?
Again, it is only 23 minutes away by car! It doesn’t get much easier than that. It’s a direct shot on the highway and there are two gas stations conveniently on the road leading into the airport, perfect for gassing up before returning your rental car.
Enjoy your overnight stay in Sitges!
