La Punta, the Old Town and the Seafront Promenade

What it is

It is the basic Sitges walk: the old town around La Punta and then the 2.5 km of the Passeig Marítim, with the sea on one side and, on the other, modernista and Noucentista villas, restaurants, hotels and the streets that come down from the centre. It is flat, free and self-guided. Walking without stopping, the seafront promenade takes half an hour, but with stops at beaches, terraces and museums it turns into a whole morning.

The old town, step by step

1. Plaça del Baluard and La Punta. It is one of Sitges's viewpoints, over the sea, and the gateway to the old town. Here stands the parish church of Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla, from the 17th century, which people call La Punta: the most recognisable silhouette in the town.
2. Carrer de Fonollar. Turning east from the square, you reach the street of the Museu del Cau Ferrat and the Maricel complex, with the Museu de Maricel and the Palau de Maricel.
3. The Vidal-Quadras bulwark. At the end of Fonollar, the viewpoint over Sant Sebastià beach, one of the favourites of Sitges families.
4. Carrer de la Davallada. From Fonollar, to the left along Carrer de Sant Joan, you see the remains of the medieval wall.
5. Carrer d'en Bosc. It is the oldest street in Sitges: it follows the wall, with an irregular layout and dressed-stone doorways. Here is the Palau del Rei Moro, a Gothic building in the Catalan architectural heritage inventory.

The seafront promenade

From La Punta, go down the steps of the church: that is where the Passeig Marítim begins, running along the seafront. Over 2.5 km you pass up to eight urban beaches, beach bars and restaurants, and, in some stretches, modernista and Noucentista houses and villas. On the way you may also come across the Craft Fair (Feria de Artesanía).

If you want to go on: towards the harbour

The seafront continues east: from the Vidal-Quadras viewpoint climb to the Sant Sebastià hermitage, continue on foot along the Passeig de Balmins and, in the direction of the Hotel Melià, go down the steps of Carrer de la Bufera to the Port de Sitges-Aiguadolç. The route can also be done the other way round, starting at the harbour.

The museums on the way

On Carrer de Fonollar, the Cau Ferrat and the Museu de Maricel share a single €12 ticket; the Palau de Maricel costs €12 and the Fundació Stämpfli, €7. Under-17s don't pay, and on the first Wednesday of every month admission is free. Cau Ferrat and Maricel open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 17:00 from November to March and 10:00 to 19:00 from April to October; they close on Mondays. The Palau de Maricel is visited with a guide, at fixed times published by Museus de Sitges.

Getting there

By train, the Rodalies R2 Sud drops you at Sitges station, about ten minutes' walk from the sea; from Barcelona it is about 40 minutes. The tourist office is next to the station, in Plaça Eduard Maristany. By car it takes the same without traffic, but in summer parking near the centre is hard: better take the train.

When to go

All year. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant times for walking, with the promenade lively and without the heat or crowds of August. In summer, better first thing or at dusk. If you want to go into the museums, avoid Monday.

With children, a pushchair and a dog

The seafront promenade is flat and suits pushchairs and small bikes; the old town has steps and a bit of a slope on the climb to La Punta. With a dog you can walk along the promenade, on a lead. In summer, the Town Council allows dogs only on Vallcarca beach, outside the centre.