Sitges, Spain: Europe's playful, scenic, homofriendly "provincetown plus"
There's a little town on Spain's sunny Mediterranean coast that most American homosexuals (let alone garden-variety straights) have never heard of: Sitges (pronounced SEAT-jes). It's about half an hour south of Barcelona and has for years been something of a secret getaway for those of us who like Euro boys. But that "Ha, I know about a fab place you don't" thrill may soon be a thing of the past, since this fetching, classy, yet playful resort is poised to plunge into the U.S. market, especially targeting the gay demographic.

Mention Sitges to any Euro queer, and if he or she hasn't been there, chances are his or her friends have. The town's year-round population of some 20,000 swells fourfold from June through mid September, and a very noticeable chunk of those visitors is made up of mostly young homos from all over the continent who go to sun on its beaches, possibly visit its handful of fine museums, definitely spend money in its boutiques and always-evolving restaurants, and of course party their patooties off all night long in more than two dozen varied bars and clubs--such as Mediterraneo and Trailer, names instantly recognizable in gay households throughout the European Union and beyond.

If druggier, more go-go Ibiza (another hot Spanish party destination, better known to gay Americans) is Spain's South Beach, then Sitges is the country's Provincetown--smaller and more romantic. And just like P-town, it's a quaint former fishing village that in the early 20th century became a magnet for artists, bohemians, and other "alternative" types (including the power brushes of Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro). In addition to its tolerant history, Sitges is proud of the Catalan culture and language it shares with the rest of the Catalonia region of Spain.

The sloping core of the town is a compact maze of narrow streets and lanes with few cars and lots of shops, galleries, restaurants, and hotels in all price ranges as well as historic early-20th-century art nouveau mansions--not to mention an explosion of real estate agents courting Sitges-besotted foreigners. Follow the pedestrian-only main drag, Carrer de les Parellades, down to bar- and restaurant-jammed Marquis de Montroig, which leads you the last several blocks out to the beach past cafes. Several sandy in-town beaches are divided by a series of piled-boulder jetties, all anchored by the symbol of the town, Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla church, off in the distance to the left. A couple of blocks to the right is the 935-foot-long Bassa Rodona gay strand with its blue rented chaise longues. If you're looking for an all-over tan, trek a good half mile farther, along the cliffs west of town, to the nudist Dead Man's Beach (Platja del Home Mort).

The gradual trend away from cut-rate mass tourism along Spain's Med coast is having its effect here too. On my last visit I noticed fancier eateries, retailers a la Armani and Cartier, and ever more upscale digs in addition to a new convention center being built. The gay scene is becoming year-round, and a center-left coalition that won city hall in 2003 is now reaching out to the gays who butter its bread. Sitges is aiming to expand its share of U.S. tourists, who make up about 25% of visitors (mostly gay and in August). But they tend to get there by accident after hearing about Sitges while already traveling in Spain.

Now the tourist office has joined the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association and started to spread the word on our side of the Big Pond. And that's why I'm wondering if my little Eurobeachy secret may soon be out.