Thirty-six members gathered for our October 2024 'Mid-week walking "weekend" in Sitges'.  21 of the 24 who responded to the feedback survey reported that they would be interested to attend again in 2025, and 24 out of 24 that they would recommend it to others.  Four even offered to help organise next year, in 2025 - thank you James, Derek, Martin H & Martyn! For more on that trip, see the report “Camaraderie and a superbly planned schedule” in Sitges.

If you haven't yet visited Sitges, arguably Europe's premier LGBTQI+ destination, what are you waiting for?

Aside from the sunshine and beaches, the nightlife and culture, and all that Barcelona has to offer just 40 minutes up the coast, there is some great hiking to be done even right from the town. Derek & I have been visiting for more than 20 years, and now we have own place and are visiting more and more.  Join us there again in October 2025, and why not make a longer trip of it?

"GOC goes to Sitges 2025" aims to take into account your feedback from 2024 in order to improve and expand the trip for 2025 - to allow for more members to attend, and for longer, to provide new and different events to join as well as much of the same again, and to offer more opportunity to self-organise together as well.

Events are scheduled again for Monday to Friday, to allow you to make the most of your weekends and of your trip. Come early and/or leave late, and stay for as long as you choose.

October in Sitges is not as busy as the height of the summer season, culminating in Bears' Week in early September.  The weekends especially are still lively, however, while Mondays and Tuesdays in particular are quieter as some places close.  The weather in October is often lovely for hiking as well as for beach-going, and prices are at low season rates.

As well as everything else that Sitges has to offer, the weekend after, from Thu 23-Sun 26, you may (or may not) have the opportunity to enjoy the Creative Connexions Ireland festival again.  The week before, from Sat 11-Sat 18, there may again be an opportunity to join a GOC Mallorca cycling and walking week, a short flight or ferry ride from Barcelona.

What we hope to arrange for 2025 in Sitges is:

• on Monday afternoon (repeated Friday morning), the Sitges Rainbow Tour of local LGBTQI+ history with Colors Sitges Link again, plus this time perhaps one or more other guided tours of Sitges (eg. their new Route Discovering the feminine and feminist Sitges, or architecture, wine or photography) and/or a short & easy walk
• on Monday from 6pm, Welcome drinks - perhaps hosted again by Colors Sitges Link at one of the most historic buildings in Sitges
• on Monday from 8pm, a whole group dinner with set menu - likely again at Le Patio Jardin Terrasse restaurant in the heart of the gay village
• on Tuesday from 10.30am, the 10 mile moderate walk Sitges-Vilanova circular again (with faster, slower and shorter & easier options), this time returning by the coast to allow for an optional afternoon swim, plus a new & different alternative (inland) full-day walk
• on Tuesday from 8pm, Dine Around at several different restaurants in small groups, and meet at a bar later to swap notes
• on Wednesday, an opportunity to take a day off or self-organise other walks or different outings together, eg. biking in the Garraf natural park, wine tours in the Penedes, sightseeing in Barcelona, Monserrat, Tarragona, Vilanova i Geltru or elsewhere, shopping at Viladecans Outlet Mall - and perhaps an option of an additional short & easy walk as well
• on Thursday from 10.30am, the 8-mile, difficult walk Sitges-Ermita de la Trinita circular again (with faster, slower and shorter & easier options), possibly followed by a drink at the Sitgetana Brewery craft beer tap room on the way back into Sitges, plus a new & different alternative (inland) full-day walk,
• on Thursday evening from 7pm, we may be invited again by Colors Sitges Link to join their monthly members' social
• on Friday morning from 10.30am, a guided tour of three Sitges museums again, plus a repeat of the Sitges Rainbow Tour (2) of local LGBTQI+ history with Colors Sitges Link again, plus this time perhaps one or more other guided tours of Sitges (eg. their new Route Discovering the feminine and feminist Sitges, or architecture, wine or photography) and/or a short & easy walk
• on Friday from around 1-3pm, an informal closing gathering with a light lunch
• on Friday evening from 8pm, a last hurrah at the Queenz Dinner Show
• discount codes to book at hotels where other GOC members will be staying, and to book holiday apartments or villas for yourselves (see member-only information below)
• a community of Whatsapp groups this time, for you to self-organise shared travel, accommodation or anything else before or during the trip (see member-only information below).

Sitges is around 40 minutes by train from Barcelona and Barcelona Airport, and about 20 minutes from the airport by airport bus or taxi. Sitges can be reached comfortably in a day by high speed rail from London via Paris and Barcelona, or from further afield with a stop-over en route - see  Man in Seat 61 and member-only information below.

For more on what to expect and what's available, see Visit Sitges & Spain.info, Garraf Tourism & Garraf Routes and TravelGay & Patroc.

Please click to Join when you decide that you intend to join the trip, and please remember to click to Leave if you change your mind.

Please visit again for updates over the coming months, as plans for the trip develop. We'll aim to publish sub-events to confirm details and start inviting bookings for the walks, tours & meals by early summer 2025.

Please share any questions and suggestions in the comments below, or in the WhatsApp group.

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Do you have memories of visiting Sitges in the 1990s, 1980s or earlier? If you might be interested in contributing to an LGBTQ+ history project of Colors Sitges Link, please use the form below to contact me.