Beaches near Sitges: the hidden Garraf coves by boat and on foot

Town beaches or hidden coves?

Sitges has plenty of beaches along its seafront, and you can walk to all of them. This guide is about the others: the small coves of the Garraf massif, where the hills drop straight into the sea and the road winds high above. From land you only catch them in glimpses, and some take a scramble to reach. From a boat you see the whole coastline, and all three marinas have coves less than 5 nautical miles away.

The map at a glance

From west to east: Port de Vilanova, the little coves around Playa del Muerto, Port d'Aiguadolç in Sitges, Cala Morisca, the port of Garraf and Port Ginesta, next to Castelldefels. Sitges sits in the middle, with a route each way.

Distances from each marina

In nautical miles and kilometres, in a straight line from each harbour mouth; along the coast the route is a little longer. At a relaxed cruising speed of about 6 knots, allow roughly 10 minutes per mile.

The table shows the pattern at a glance: each marina has its own stretch of coast. From Sitges you can go either way; from Port Ginesta, the natural route is the cliffs west of the harbour; from Vilanova, the coves on the way to Sitges.

Sitges is less than 5 miles from both other marinas: the question isn't where the cove is, but which marina it's closest to.

East: the Garraf cliffs

This is the classic route from Sitges and Port Ginesta. Leave Aiguadolç and within minutes you're under the limestone wall of the Garraf massif, passing Cala Forn and Cala del Gat on the way to Cala Morisca, Vallcarca and the little port of Garraf. From Port Ginesta, Cala de la Ginesta and Garraf beach are just round the corner.

Cala Morisca

The best-known cove on this coast, tucked between the village of Garraf and Vallcarca. According to spain.info it's about 140 metres long and 50 wide, with pebbles and sand, and nudism is practised there. You can reach it on foot from the coast road, the C-246, but arriving by sea is something else: you watch it open up between the rocks, and you're in the water without carrying a thing. From Sitges it's about 20 minutes by boat.

Size

140 × 50 m

Seabed

Pebbles and sand

By land

On foot from the C-246

By boat

About 20 min from Sitges

Cala del Gat

A small cove near Vallcarca, between Cala Forn and Cala Morisca, about 1.5 nautical miles from Sitges. It's one of the closest cliff coves to Aiguadolç, so it slots easily into a short trip, and it pairs well with Cala Morisca, less than a mile further on.

Garraf beach and port

The village of Garraf, with its little port and beach under the cliffs, is the turning point of a half-day trip from Sitges and the first stop from Port Ginesta, less than a mile away.

Cala de la Ginesta

Right beside Port Ginesta, barely 0.3 miles from the harbour mouth: on a short trip from there, you're swimming almost as soon as you cast off.

For this route, start from boat hire in Sitges or, closer to Barcelona, boat hire in Castelldefels, from Port Ginesta.

West: towards Vilanova

Past the western end of Sitges the coastline changes again and fills with small coves between the rocks: Playa del Muerto, Roses, Cala dels Gegants and Cala Xica follow one another before Platja dels Colls, already in Vilanova.

Playa del Muerto (Platja de l'Home Mort)

Known in Catalan as Platja de l'Home Mort, it's one of the best-known naturist beaches on this coast, and a favourite with gay visitors. On land, it's a walk along the coast from the western end of Sitges. By boat it's 1.6 miles from Vilanova, about 15 minutes, or 2.7 from Sitges.

Cala dels Gegants and Cala Xica

Two small coves side by side, less than a mile and a half from Port de Vilanova. They're the first stop if you set off from there with little time, and the start of a lovely half day working your way east.

For these coves, the easiest start is boat hire in Vilanova i la Geltrú; from Sitges they fit comfortably into half a day.

Which route for the time you have

For a full day, set off from Sitges marina or Port Ginesta, on a skippered boat or a catamaran.

The skipper settles the final route on the day, depending on the wind and the sea: if one direction isn't working, the other usually is. Want to stay out for the evening? Pair your swim with the best places to watch the sunset in Sitges, and see how much a private boat costs from Sitges, Port Ginesta or Vilanova i la Geltrú.

Anchoring with care: the posidonia meadows

The sea between Cunit and Castelldefels is a protected Natura 2000 area, ‘Costes del Garraf’, with meadows of posidonia on the seabed. Posidonia is a marine plant, not a seaweed, and a carelessly dropped anchor can tear it up. That's why skippers look for a patch of sand to anchor and leave the meadows alone.

Swimming and snorkelling

From June to September the sea off Sitges averages between 21 and 24 °C (70 to 75 °F), with August the warmest month. The rocky coves under the cliffs are the best for a look at the seabed with a mask, so pack yours: here's what to wear and bring on a boat trip.