The Rodalies R2 Sud from Barcelona Sants tracks the Costa Garraf south, passing through tunnels cut through the limestone cliffs before the bay of Sitges opens on the right. The journey takes 35 minutes; trains run every 20-30 minutes. The fare is around €4.
Sitges in March
The Barcelona Marathon runs in early March, and Sitges in March is at the beginning of its year - the Carnival has just finished (Sitges Carnival is the largest and most elaborate in Catalonia, running the week before Lent, typically in February), and the Easter season has not yet begun. The town is in a useful lull: hotels available, restaurants operating for locals, the promenade accessible at any time of day.
The temperature sits at 12-16°C in early March - warmer than the marathon course, warm enough for walking. The sea temperature is around 13°C.
The Promenade
The Passeig Maritim at Sitges runs for approximately 1.5 kilometres along the sandy beachfront between the old town's clifftop church and the modern hotel district to the southeast. It is flat, wide tarmac with a view across the Garraf bay. Walking the full length and back - 3 kilometres - is the morning programme. The sea air in March has a clarity that summer haze removes.
The Passeig de la Ribera runs parallel to the beach along the old town's seafront edge, with terraced cafes and restaurants on one side and the beach on the other. The two promenades meet at the small headland where the 17th-century Church of Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla sits on the clifftop - the defining image of Sitges, with the tower above the sea.
The Old Town
Sitges was discovered by the Catalan Modernista movement in the 1890s - specifically by the painter Santiago Rusinyol, who moved here in 1891 and created the Cau Ferrat museum in a converted fisherman's house on the clifftop. The museum contains Rusinyol's personal collection of Modernista art, wrought-iron decorative objects, and works by El Greco. Entry approximately €10.
The streets of the old town between the church and the Rambla Vidal are narrow, pedestrianised, and flat at ground level. In March they are quiet enough to walk slowly.
Where to Eat
Fragata on the Passeig de la Ribera is the waterfront restaurant for fish - well-sourced, straightforward, with the sea visible from most tables. The xato (the Sitges salad of endive, salt cod, tuna, and anchovies in Romesco sauce) is the local dish and is in season in March.
Getting to the Airport
Rodalies R2 Sud from Sitges station runs north to Barcelona Sants and continues to Barcelona El Prat Airport in approximately 25-30 minutes. Trains run every 20-30 minutes. The direct airport connection is the specific logistical advantage of this day trip: you go from the seafront to departures without re-entering the city.