Platja dels Balmins, located in the party town of Sitges, is about 45 minutes by train, south of Barcelona and a lazy 10 or 15 minute walk from the station. The town itself caters for the tourist with quite a few souvenir shops and eateries; it has a great feel and is well worth a stroll down through the narrow roads and laneways of the old town to the beach or waterfront area. There you’ll find cafes, bars and restaurants overlooking the sea. Make your way to the large 17th Century, Church of Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla, and walk along the coast towards the direction of Barcelona. The town is very photogenic. There’s an information office at the railway station that will give you a map of the town.
By road use the A32 and take the number 32 exit, cross the rail line and park in the vicinity of marina or Carrer Ramon Planes. Parking might be hard but perseverance will pay off. If you are lucky to find a park it might be tight and you would best to practice your reverse parking before you go.
The beach itself is located near the marina and at the bottom of the holiday apartments, with quite a few apartments overlooking the beach. The path from the road to the beach passes a couple of restaurants that also overlook the beach and serve the usual Spanish tourist fare.
This would have to be the most beautiful town beach that I have even been on, and that is a big call. It is a very pleasant beach with a southerly aspect and views of the old city to the west and the marina to the east.
It’s well attended and has a great vibe and atmosphere. The beach is mixed with a few textiles but almost everyone is nude or topless but as is the case with Europe there were no concerns. In fact no-one raises an eyebrow. There’s a good range of ages with family groups including kids. Quite a few of the younger crowd also come down and enjoy the sun and sand. The beach holds a couple of hundred people which is surprising for such a small beach. The beach is about 240 meters long and 50 meters wide and consists of 3 natural coves. The tide will engulf the smaller coves at the high water mark.
Sitges is very, very popular with homosexuals and these fellows tend to prefer the Western end of the beach. Families and couples remain at the end closest to the marina. Both groups mix quite well and respect each other, it all seems to work and it makes for a very relaxing beach day. Due to the long European summer days, your day will seem to last forever. Later in the afternoon there might be a couple of fellows dressed more for the niteclub (white sparkling swimming briefs and matching boots) wandering through the crowd handing out free admission cards for various nite spots.
The beach is likely to have a bit of a swell that might have a nice little wave, where you can show off your body surfing skills to the envy of the others. The sand is very fine and a slightly grey colour that has magnetic properties with your feet, you’ll bring this stuff home no matter how far you’re travelling. It’s also a dusty sand, sort like the stuff you’d find on a dry mudflat.
The beach boasts a small beach café, with beers, wines, cocktails and light meals, this was very nice and added to what is a great beach but you need to cover your nether regions to use the café. Like all Spanish beaches, there’s a shower on the beach to use after your swim. You will need a card to use the shower, available from the café, which will include a small deposit type system. Lifeguards are remain on the beach until about 7pm during the high season.
As with all Spanish beaches the behaviour on this beach is impeccable. The nuns of the Monastery of Pedralbes in Barcelona would have no problems with this beach. However, you are likely to see the odd couple of chaps in Euro style swimming trucks from time to time practicing their Greco-Roman wrestling in the water. There is nothing sexual about this beach, it is all about nudism. The beach is also spotless and accordingly the Countess of Cobblers would give this beach a 5 star rating.
Everyone pretty much just stayed put and kept to themselves. You get the feeling that if you were to engage in any sort of inappropriate behaviour you would be shortly after introduced to the local constabulary. I’d suggest they would have no qualms about taking you on a private tour of their facilities and insisting on an overnight stay, and the following morning, giving you a personal and private understanding of the Spanish legal system including an introduction to the local magistrate.
This is a great beach with great facilities, fantastic views and makes for a relaxing time at this beach. I’d recommend it to anyone visiting Barcelona or the area. This would easily be one of my favourite beaches.