December 26th, 2009 | 
Author: Sitges was once a backwater - far from the tourist track. A place for locals and passing fisherman bringing their boats to harbour and their catch ashore. My, how things have changed!
Sitges is jumping with buzz and excitement all year round - but particularly in the spring at the time of the Sitges carnival. This small Catalan town near to Barcelona is a really mix of cultures and lifestyles.
The economy of Sitges is based almost entirely on tourism - no surprise then that it has more than four thousand hotel beds available with half of them in four-star hotels. in the last three decades, once drowsy Sitges has reinvented itself into a first-class destination in terms of holiday tourism, conferences, seminars and company meetings. More famously of course - is also a gay tourist town and in July and August gay men and women converge upon Sitges as one of the most popular gay holiday spots in Europe.
The town itself has a long and sandy beach, a handful of interesting sights and nightlife that thumps from dusk till dawn.In winter the weather can be wet and dreary, but the whole area comes to spectacular life in time for the yearly carnival in February, when the gay community opens its arms to the sky and delivers a colourful and at times a little outrageous show.
If you don’t like to party then stay away from Sitges in the early part of the year. February and March in Sitges are times of almost non stop partying and fun. The celebrations of King Carnestoltes start on Dijous Gras, or Fat Thursday, with the arrival of the ancient King in town. From the moment the King shows up on the scene until the “burial of the sardine” which takes place late afternoon on Ash Wednesday - its fair to say that life in Sitges moves to an entirely different rhythm.
There are childrens parades, folk dances and special carnival foods. For adults you can take in the Debauchery parade late on a Sunday night or the Extermination Parade on Tuesday. Forty of fifty floats and more than two thousand participants create an amazing scene that is sure to lift the spirits.
Sitges is also very well known for its world famous film festival and you can expect to see some of the worlds biggest stars attending it.
Take time out of your life to visit Sitges - you’ll have a lively time if nothing else.
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Gary M Hill is a travel writer based near Edinburgh in Scotland. He frequently writes articles devoted to how to enjoy a vacation in Europe. Barcelona is his favourite city in the world. Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Hill |
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Posted in Destination Tips