From Garraf Station to La Pleta on the GR 92
3.5 kmWalkers with some experienceDog-friendly
A walk up the GR 92 from the Garraf station to La Pleta, the park's modernista farmhouse: about 3.5 km in the sun with sea views. Return the same way.
From Barcelona30 min by car or train
TrainGarraf halt, R2 Sud
Minimum timeHalf a day
Best timeMay · Jun · Sep · Oct
What to do
What to do in Garraf Coves
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Isidro Jabato · CC BY-SA 4.0Must-seeLes Casetes Beach, Garraf
3 hEveryone; families with small childrenMay – mid-October for swimming
The crescent of Garraf with 33 white-and-green bathing huts, right beside the train stop: calm water, a gentle slope, Blue Flag in 2026 and lifeguards in summer.
Sakya Tashi Ling Buddhist Monastery at Palau Novella
1 h 30EveryoneAll year, Wednesday to Sunday and public holidays
Guided visit to Palau Novella, the 1890 Modernista mansion where a Buddhist community lives, in the heart of the Garraf Park. €9; closed Monday and Tuesday.
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Itineraries
Itineraries that pass through
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Garraf Coves, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Garraf Coves
May, June, September and early October: good water and a beach without the crowds. There are lifeguards from May to mid-October, from 10:00 to 19:00 between 25 June and 31 August. In winter, the natural park is a better plan than the sand.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Who you're with
Garraf Coves for whoever you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
Paddling Beneath the Cliffs
Garraf has a beach for everyone, but what hooks a teenager is in the sea and on the rock: a kayak beneath 200-metre walls or a summit climbed from sea level.
- What works bestThe kayak crossing from Garraf…
- Where to sleepHotel Estela Barcelona, with a…
- Where to eatEl Chiringuito de Garraf, on…
- Bear in mindThere is no shade or…
What works best
- The kayak crossing from Garraf to Sitges, from age 16 and with experience
- The climb to La Morella from the beach, the summit of the massif
- The Buddhist monastery, with stupas and a Modernista mansion
Where to sleep
- Hotel Estela Barcelona, with a pool, at Aiguadolç
Where to eat
- El Chiringuito de Garraf, on the sand, all day
Bear in mind
- There is no shade or fountains in the park: plenty of water
- The kayak requires being able to swim and booking 48 hours ahead
What to do with teenagers
Where to stay
Where to stay in Garraf Coves
Hotel Estela Barcelona
Why we like it: A four-star hotel facing Aiguadolç harbour, between Garraf and Sitges: 63 rooms, most with a sea-facing terrace, a pool and works of art throughout the building.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Garraf Coves
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
El Chiringuito de Garraf
What to order: the caldereta rice with lobster or the seafood paella to share, and the xatonada Garraf to start.
Avinguda Llorach, 5, opposite the les Casetes beach · open every day from 11:00 to 24:00, no midday closing · book on its website, up to 15 days ahead, or on 936 32 00 16
La Cúpula Garraf
What to order: The lobster rice caldereta or the seafood paella; for dessert, grandmother's cheesecake.
Avinguda Llorach, 5 · lunch Tuesday to Sunday from 12:45 to 17:30; dinner Friday and Saturday
Nearby
Near Garraf Coves
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Come by train
The halt is right by the beach and you save yourself the bends and the parking.
- 2Go up to the park in the morning
The white rock reflects the sun and the climb to La Pleta has no shade. Bring water: there are no bars inside the park.
- 3Visit the Buddhist monastery
The Palau Novella, the former mansion of an American from Sitges, is now the Sakya Tashi Ling Buddhist monastery and is open Wednesday to Sunday and on public holidays.
Local tip
Look at the huts from the harbour breakwater: it is the Garraf photo and from there you see them whole, with the massif behind.
Arriving by car on a Sunday in August at midday
The bends of the C-31 jam up and the village has hardly any spaces. Take the train, or arrive before ten.
What is Garraf and what is there to do here?
Garraf is a small village in the municipality of Sitges, tucked into a cove at the foot of the massif of the same name. Its image is the beach: a half-moon of 345 metres with 33 white and green bathing huts raised on the sand, between the railway line and the sea. Next to it is the harbour, now only for pleasure boats, built in 1902 to ship out the stone from a quarry used to extend Barcelona's port, and beside the road, the Celler Güell, the old Güell wine cellar attributed to Gaudí or his collaborator Francesc Berenguer, which is now part of a restaurant.
Behind the village begins the Garraf Park, 12,820 hectares of white limestone with sinkholes, dolines and dwarf palms, and dry-stone vineyard huts. It is the contrast that makes this place: in a short time you go from the beach towel to a landscape of dry stone and scrub.
How do I get there without a car?
By train, on the Rodalies R2 Sud, which stops at the Garraf halt, right by the beach. From Barcelona it is the easiest way: in summer the C-31 road along the Garraf coast, with its bends, gets congested and there is little parking in the village. By car you arrive via the C-32, exit 42 Port Ginesta-Garraf, or via the C-31.
There is no public transport into the park. From the halt, the GR 92 long-distance path climbs to the park office at La Pleta, a Modernista farmhouse from 1894: about 3.5 km of climb with sea views.
Beach or coves?
Garraf beach is urban, with fine sand mixed with stone and a very gentle slope into the water, with showers, toilets, lifeguards, ramps, sunloungers and pedalos. It has a blue flag. On both sides, the Sitges coast continues in cliffs with small coves; two of them, Cala Morisca and Cala Ginesta, have lifeguards in season. They are small: if you want a spot, go early.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the Buddhist monastery in Garraf?
The Sakya Tashi Ling community has occupied the Palau Novella since 1994, about 10 km from Sitges inside the park: a Modernista and neo-Gothic mansion from 1890, by Manuel Comas for Pere Domènech, an indiano who was ruined by phylloxera. It has stupas in the garden and an intact Catholic chapel. It is open Wednesday to Sunday and on public holidays.
How long is the beach?
345 metres long and about 29 wide, with fine sand and stones and a gentle slope into the water.
Are there lifeguards?
Yes, from May to mid-October. In 2026: from 25 June to 31 August from 10:00 to 19:00; in May, June and September with shorter hours.
Can I go with a dog?
Not to Garraf beach in high season. In the municipality of Sitges, the beach with free dog access in summer is Vallcarca.
Can I visit the Celler Güell?
The building can be seen from the road and is part of a restaurant. Its authorship is disputed between Gaudí and Francesc Berenguer.
Where can I stay?
There is hardly any accommodation in Garraf. The nearest is Sitges: the Hotel Estela Barcelona, in the Aiguadolç harbour, is about six kilometres along the coast.
Can I go kayaking?
Yes. Nootka Kayak & Sup runs a guided five-hour crossing from Garraf beach to Sitges beneath the cliffs, from March to October, on Thursdays and Sundays, for €90, for experienced people.
Where can I get information about the park?
At the La Pleta office, on the road from Rat Penat to Plana Novella, km 3.5: Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 13:30 and at weekends and public holidays from 10:00 to 15:00 (690 045 560).