The best things to do in Sitges with kids

There’s a good reason that family holidays in Spain are so popular – and with its beaches, laid-back atmosphere, history and Barcelona on the doorstep, it pays to look beyond the crowded Costas to plan a trip to Sitges with kids.

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Easy to reach – it’s only 16 miles from Barcelona airport – the twisting cobbled streets are lined with whitewashed buildings, you’ve got blue flag beaches for kids to enjoy, and none of the mass tourism that affects other parts of the Spanish coast.

Known as a popular spot for artists and poets, you’ll find more than Bohemian charm here though, with a string of fantastic things to do in Sitges with kids as well as some great villas for families.

Beaches in Sitges for families

It’s the beaches which attract most people to Sitges with kids – and you’re spoiled for choice, with 19 separate beaches in and around the town (including nudist and gay beaches).

There are several which are particularly good for families, whether you’re looking for watersports and facilities or simply some gorgeous golden sand to relax on and paddle.

One of the most central beaches, Platja Sant Sebastià is popular with locals as well as families, although it does get busy during the summer months. With calm waters and golden sands, it’s still a great option with kids, especially you’ll find plenty of facilities including toilets and a nearby playground.

On the other side of the church, Platja de la Fragata is ideal if you’re looking for more activities than making sandcastles – there’s beach volleyball, and the option to hire paddleboards or try other watersports including sailing with Club Nautico. During the summer, you’ll often find extra fun including trampolines and mini golf too, although no sunbeds to rent here.

Next door, Platja de la Ribera is one of the longest beaches in central Sitges, and among the most popular for families with younger children. A better option than neighbouring Platja de la Fragata if you’re looking to relax, there are more calm waters, sunbeds and umbrella rental, as well as toilets and restaurants.

A little further along the coast, Platja de l’Estanyol has its own unique draw, thanks to the ‘Wibit’ floating 100 metres out at sea – this inflatable playground and obstacle course is enormous fun (if harder than it looks!). Another of the longest beaches in Sitges, it also has plenty of facilities and places to eat.

Or if you’re looking for the least crowded beaches in central Sitges, try Platja Riera Xica next door and Platja de la Barra which often has live music.

Further west, Platja Terramar and Platja de les Anquines are a half hour walk from the centre of town, although there’s a train service to save tired legs.

Backed by Parc Terramar (read on for more details), the pair of beaches are known for their warm water and watersports – the breakwater which surrounds the area makes it ideal with younger kids, plus it’s a good place to try out anything from kayaking and stand-up paddleboards to renting pedalos and surf boards.

Or head east and Platja d’Aiguadolç, around 15 minutes from the centre of Sitges, has sunbeds and umbrellas to rent, a restaurant and beach bars, plus surfing, paddleboarding and snorkelling to try.

If you’re looking to escape to a quieter stretch of sand, head further along the coast, not far from Castelldefels to Les Botigues Beach (also knowns as Platja de Castelldefels). A whopping 1.5km long, this Blue Flag beach also has great disabled access, as well as snack bars and cafes galore.

Platja del Garraf is another great option if you’re looking beyond Sitges itself, known for its pretty green and white houses lining the beach – dating from the 1920s, they once belonged to the area’s fishermen.

Enjoy some watersports

There are three separate marinas in Sitges, as well as various watersports to try on some of the town’s beaches, so you’ll have plenty of choice if you’re looking for family-friendly options.

Nootka Kayaking on Terramar beach is ideal if you’re in Sitges with kids who are new to watersports. They have summer camps which run during the mornings, as well as separate lessons and excursions to try kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding.

For a longer kayaking adventure, there’s a three-hour kayaking trip from Vilanova to Sitges – while it’s suitable for beginners, it’s best for older kids and teens

Or Club Nautic Sitges, right in the heart of town near the church, has a sailing summer camp as well as family courses if you’re all looking to learn, not to mention windsurf, paddleboarding and surfing classes.

The Aiguadolç area is also great for finding companies offering surfing and sailing lessons, along with the chance to try paddleboarding and rent your own boat.

And slightly further out of town, Port del Garraf, at the foot of Parc del Garraf, has its own water sports activity centre – there are sailing lessons aimed at kids, as well as various other watersports at Club Nautic Garraf.

Take a boat trip

If you’d like to head out on the water with your family, rather than getting a sailing qualification, you can also rent boats from Navega Sin Titulo in Aiguadolç .

You don’t need a license to hire these (although there are also options if you have one) with space for up to five on board – you can bring your own food and drink, then set off to discover the coast, find a quieter cove to sunbathe or just enjoy the scenery.

If you don’t fancy being the crew of your own boat, you can also arrange a sunset sailing trip with the captain (and a bottle of cava) included – minimum of four people.

Discover some history

This part of Spain has been inhabited since Roman times, and while you have to go to Tarragona for the best Roman remains (read on for more!), there’s still plenty to discover during a stroll around Sitges.

Everywhere you look, you’ll find intricately decorated doors, tiles which could have come straight from the Alhambra in Granada, and historic buildings ranging from Renaissance to art nouveau.

As you wander, look out for the ruins of the old medieval wall on Carrer de la Davallada, as well as the medieval arched doorways along Carrer d’en Bosch, the oldest street in Sitges.

Head to Plaça de l’Ajuntament as well: the town hall here is built on the foundations of the medieval castle, while the building next to it was once the Mercat Vell, or old market.

To spot all the highlights of Sitges with kids, try this self-guided walking tour, which takes you from Roman times to the modern day

Soak up the views

There’s barely a corner of Sitges which isn’t lovely, so you won’t be short of fabulous views as you explore – but don’t miss the viewpoint at Plaça del Baluard.

Climb the steps to Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla Parish Church – better known as La Punta, or the point, as you can see it for such a long way along the coastline – and you can gaze down to the sea, as well as being on the edge of the old town.

At the bottom of the steps on the waterfront, look out for the mermaid – the Sirena de Pere Jou statue – with her hand held up. You’ll see the palm is worn shiny by passersby touching their own hands to it.

Visit a museum

Museums might not top your list for a family holiday in Sitges, but there are some great options if you’re visiting with kids who love art or are looking for an option on a rare rainy day in Sitges – as the Spanish town gets 300 days of sunshine a year, that’s rarely a problem though!

Several historic buildings have been converted into galleries and museums, including the impressive collection at the Cau Ferrat Museum.

Once home to modernist artist Santiago Rusiñol, you can see three Picassos and two original El Greco paintings on display as well as his work and more detail about his life. There’s even a little quiz with challenges for kids, aimed at ages 7-10.

Or the displays in the Maricel Museum cover 10 centuries of art, including more modernist paintings, alongside sculpture and antiques.

Meanwhile the beautiful Palau Maricel has a collection of medieval art, although the building isn’t open every day. And the Museu Romantic (temporarily closed) is home to one of Europe’s largest collections of dolls and toys.

The museums are free for children aged under 12 to enter and often run family workshops during the year too.

Take the Tourist train

Riding the little tourist trains were one of my own favourite childhood memories of holidays in Spain, and an equally big hit with my daughter when she was younger – and Sitges has its own tourist train for part of the year.

Running from May to mid-September, as well as at weekends between February and May, it’s also a great way to get around with younger kids as the little train travels along the 1.5 mile promenade between Paseo de la Ribera and Terramar.

The full route takes around 30 minutes and costs 2.5 euros one way (or 4 euros return).

Play mini golf

Challenge your family with a game of mini golf in Sitges. A short walk from the beachfront, Minigolf Vinyet on Passeig de Vilanova has 18 holes so it’s easy to while away an hour or two playing the fun course.

You’ll also find ping pong tables and table football, plus sometimes trampolines, if you’re looking for more family fun in Sitges.

Head to the park

The beach isn’t the only opportunity to get outdoors in Sitges with kids – Terramar Park has some great places for kids to play, as well as the chance to enjoy the greenery.

Los Jardines de Terramar is shaded, and a great play area for younger kids, while you can also find a zipline, sound garden and plenty of picnic spaces among the trees – not to mention lots of space to run around.

Visit Garraf National Park

For a bigger outdoors adventure in Sitges with kids, head to the Parc del Garraf which has walking and hiking trails for all ages and abilities, as well as mountain biking.

There are some guided walks at weekends, or simply follow the sign-posted trails – the AllTrails site is a great way to filter some of the options, including some easy routes to try with kids or a more challenging route to the ruins of a castle, or find more information on walking routes in Garraf Natural Park with kids here.

Keep your eyes open for eagles, as well as the other wildlife living in the 12,820 hectares of hills.

Enjoy a fiesta

The Spanish love a fiesta, and that goes double for Catalonia – so if you time your holiday in Sitges with kids right, you can catch one of these fantastic and memorable celebrations too.

The biggest event in Sitges is the Festa Major, a celebration of the town’s patron saint, Sant Bartomeu. The main celebrations run for 36 hours from August 23, but events normally start several days earlier around August 19 and run for several days afterwards until August 26-28.

Expect a fire dragon, giants and the traditional Catalan human towers, as well as an impressive fireworks display – don’t plan on getting too much sleep with younger kids though!

It’s not the only fiesta to watch out for, with the Festival of San Juan on June 23, featuring more fireworks on the beach, while the Santa Tecla celebrations on September 22 and 23 are like Festa Major in miniature. But while these are the three biggest, you’ll find events taking place in Sitges most months.

Things to do near Sitges with kids

Sitges is also a great location to explore further along the Costa Garraf, down to the Costa Dorada and up to Barcelona and Costa Barcelona.

Railway Museum, Vilanova

If you’re visiting Sitges with kids who love trains, the Railway Museum of Catalonia in Vilanova y la Geltrú is unmissable.

Less than 10 minutes from Sitges by train (and the museum is helpfully right near the station), it’s home to more than 50 different types of trains, including a replica of the first one which travelled around this part of Spain in 1848.

Look out for luxurious vintage American passenger car, as well as steam, diesel and electric locomotives, and electromagnetic technology, plus a play area for kids.

Tarragona

Less than an hour away along the coast lies Tarragona, home to some of the best Roman sites in the whole of Spain.

One of the most important cities in the Roman Empire, Tarraco as it was then known, is most famous for its wonderful amphitheatre cut into the hillside above the beach.

But that’s not the only Unesco-listed site to explore: you can see some remains of the forum, walls and the circus, where chariot races were held, as well as the aqueduct just outside Tarragona.

There are several tours to help you explore – try this Roman walking tour or there’s also a scavenger hunt- style self-guided tour of Tarragona which is fun with kids.

Jungle Trek

If adventure tempts your kids more than Roman history, don’t miss Jungle Trek, the fantastic tree-top adventure park not far from Tarragona, around a 40-minute drive from Sitges.

With over 150 challenges and 13 high-ropes courses, there are options suitable for kids aged 4+ but you’ll also find bigger thrills for older kids as well.

Along with the tree-top circuits, you can speed down the Jungle Coaster zipline, enjoy the jungle nets, play tennis and try ‘soft paintball’.

Set in La Mora, it’s easy to combine with some time on the beach there too.

Visit a water park

There isn’t a water park in Sitges itself – apart from the Wibit inflatable course – but you can find two close enough for a day trip from Sitges with kids.

Aqualeon is around half an hour away by car, with the Kidzworld area aimed at younger children, plus a wave pool and slides galore, including family-friendly options but also more adrenaline-fuelled fun.

There are also some water rides at Portaventura – read on for more details

Visit a theme park

Just beyond Tarragona is Portaventura – where theme park meets water park meets animal attraction, there’s something for everyone to enjoy during a day out here.

With six themed areas, you can get a taste of different civilisations from around the world, including Polynesia, China and Mexico, plus a kids’ zone themed around Sesame Street. Along the way you could enjoy a 4D experience, try out the water rides, watch a live bird show, ride rollercoasters and meet Bert & Ernie.

You can also get combined tickets with entrance to Ferrari Land next door, packed with immersive experiences and high-speed rides, perfect for mini petrolheads.

Go wine tasting

The Penedès wine region is the heart of Cava county, where Spain’s famous sparkling wine is made – and Sitges is only around half an hour from the vineyards where you can buy and taste the wine.

And even better, you can find family-friendly options so it’s still something to keep on your wishlist for a holiday in Sitges with kids.

Bodega Freixenet has child-friendly tours, where you can head down into the cellars 20 meters below ground, plus alcohol-free cava or grape juice for kids to try – and there’s a little train ride included as well.

The tour is free for those aged 8 and under as well, and it’s walking distance from the railway station so you can get the train there too.

Visit Barcelona

It’s less than an hour to Barcelona by train, so Sitges is a perfect base if you fancy a day in Barcelona with kids as well.

Of course there’s a huge amount to discover in the city for families, so you can easily fill more than a single day – don’t miss at least some of the fabulous fantastical architecture from Gaudi, including the Sagrada Familia, and taking the funicular up mount Tibidabo.

But there are also a string of family attractions, including museums and the lovely aquarium to discover, some great street art and history galore to discovery here too.

Where to stay in Sitges with kids

I’m a big fan of staying in a villa with kids – not only do you have more space (which beats sitting in a darkened hotel room after younger kids have fallen asleep), there’s more flexibility and luxuries like a private pool while still often costing the same or less than a hotel.

Utopia Villas is the only company in Sitges which has beachfront villas, so as well as your own pool, you’re minutes from the sand – Villa Augusta, just 300m from the seafront, has a gorgeous pool.

Or there are villas near the Parc del Garraf, like gorgeous Ibiza-style Villa Leila, if you’re planning to get out into the mountains.

If you’re travelling with younger kids, the heated pool of Villa Anne is tempting, plus there’s everything from three-bed villas up to ones for bigger groups of friends and family in the collection.

Throw in high-speed WiFi as standard too (handy if you’re visiting Sitges with teens) along with the option to arrange babysitting, family-friendly tours and airport transfers as a bonus.

Disclosure: Compiled in association with Utopia Villas – all opinions on what to do in Sitges with kids are my own. This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission

Images courtesy of Depositphotos

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