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Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is located on the coast and bounded by the Collserola ridge and rivers Besós and Llobregat. The city is less than 150 kilometers from the Pyrenees. Barcelona's location on the shores of the Mediterranean means that it enjoys a warm, welcoming climate and pleasant temperatures all year round.
Barcelona is on Continental time 6 hours ahead of New York and seven hours ahead of Chicago. In 1996, members of the European Union agreed to observe a "summertime period" from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. The clocks are an hour ahead of solar time (GMT) in winter, and two hours ahead in summer. The clocks change twice during the year. Check the "Time Ticker" for current time in Barcelona.
Barcelona's Aeroport del Prat (code is BCN) is 12 kilometers (7 miles) south of the city in El Prat de Llobregat. Each airline is allocated to one of the two main terminals A or B for all its arrivals and departures. In A and B there are tourist information desks, cash machines, exchange offices (open 7am-11pm daily) and other services. For airport information, call 93 298 38 38, or check the airport website, which includes updated flight information. The International airport was designed by Ricardo Bofill for the 1992 Olympics. In 2000, the volume of passengers on national and international flights was over 19 million. A project to extend the runways has been drawn up in order to provide more space for the great number of incoming and outgoing flights
A passport is required, but a visa is not required for tourist or business stays up to 90 days. Individuals who enter Spain without a visa are not authorized to work. For further information concerning entry requirements for Spain, travelers should contact the Embassy of Spain at 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20037, telephone (202) 728-2330, or the nearest Spanish consulate in Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, or San Juan. For further information on entry requirements in Andorra, travelers should contact the Andorran Mission to the U.N., 2 UN Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10018, telephone (212) 750-8064. Students planning to study in Spain should be aware of a recent change in Spanish immigration laws, which require applications for student visas to be submitted a minimum of 60 days before anticipated travel to Spain. In an effort to prevent international child abduction, many governments have initiated procedures at entry/exit points. These often include requiring documentary evidence of relationship and permission for the child's travel from the parent(s) or legal guardian not present. Having such documentation on hand, even if not required, may facilitate entry/departure.
Forget traveler's checks, cash, or personal checks. All you really need is a valid ATM and credit card. Charge as much as you can, thus ensuring the best exchange rate at all times and only take out cash from an ATM machine as needed. Avoid exchanging back to US currency by paying your hotel bill with excess cash and charging the rest. All major credit cards are accepted everywhere. Keep enough cash to get you to the airport. Remember your fare on the way down and keep that much for the return.
Since 1 January 2002 the EURO (€) is the official currency of Spain (together with 10 other European countries. It is divided in 100 cents. Coins come in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 cents; and 1 and 2 EURO (€). Notes come in 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 EURO (€). Most shops, restaurants and hotels accept all major Credit Cards. As of printing, one Euro equals about 1.29 USD.
Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is located on the coast and bounded by the Collserola ridge and rivers Besós and Llobregat. The city is less than 150 kilometers from the Pyrenees. Barcelona's location on the shores of the Mediterranean means that it enjoys a warm, welcoming climate and pleasant temperatures all year round. Rainfall is occasionally heavy, with levels of around 1,000mm per year. This helps to maintain the many green areas around the city.
Spain's national holidays are the same every year. However, each Autonomous Community may also choose either Father's Day (March 19th) or Easter Thursday as a public holiday, as well as celebrating one "Community Day", which the Autonomous Community of Madrid celebrates on the 2nd of May. Furthermore, each town or city has its own feast days to commemorate its patron Saints.
National Public holidays in Spain and Catalonia 2006
On public holidays, all shops and banks are closed. Taxis will add a small surcharge to the fare on these dates. If the public holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, you will find many Spaniards talking about "doing a bridge" (haciendo puente). This involves taking the Monday or Friday off as well in order to enjoy a 4-day long break.
In Barcelona, as in the rest of Catalonia, there are two official languages: Catalan, the language of the region, and Spanish, the official language of Spain. English is spoken mainly on tourist areas. Barcelona offers great Spanish language schools. We can recommend C2 Barcelona (Language Communication Culture). A language school for Spanish and also cultural liaison (walking/talking tours of the city by neighborhood and cultural interest starting at $190/week). Email
The working day usually begins between 8AM and 9AM and people break for lunch at 2PM. In the afternoon, businesses open from 4PM to 8PM. There is a traditional "siesta" from 2 PM to 4 PM. Dinner is usually late. Usual diner time is 10 PM. It is not uncommon to have midnight dinner reservations.
Service and tip are included in the prices at hotels, in restaurants, and for taxi fares. For good service you may leave a few coins extra at your discretion.
The 1992 Olympic Games led to the building of new hotels in Barcelona, as well as the refurbishment and improvement of those which already existed. Since then, the city has had a top-quality hotel infrastructure. Accommodation in the city includes over 180 hotels with 30,000 beds, youth hostels, campsites and student halls of residence.
Barcelona currently has five metro lines covering a total of 80,5 kilometers and passing through 111 stations. It also has a city railway network, run by the autonomous government, the Generalitat de Catalunya, which supplements the metro network. A fleet of 840 buses connects all the city's districts. There are a number of travel passes, which can be used on public transport (metro, city railway and buses). These are valid for 1, 3 or 5 days.
Barcelona has a fleet of 11,000 taxis, which can be easily identified by their yellow and black livery. A green light on top of the taxi indicates its availability. You can take a taxi from any of city's numerous ranks and if you want to hail one in the street, just put out your hand when you see one approaching. There are a number of telephone taxi services. Many taxis accept payment by credit card. Personal Tour Guide: you can request one from your concierge. They come in a Mercedes - Benz and will both drive you and tour you. It is a great way to see the city if you do not have much time. I have used Mr. Jose Arias cell phone is 607-22-83-61. Highly recommend him. Was worth the 20 USD/hour.
Catalan cuisine is mainly based on products from the land, which adapt to the different seasons and the region's cultural and religious traditions. Olive oil, aromatic herbs, dried fruit, nuts and fresh produce are the basis of "market cuisine" which uses products found in
the market during a particular season of the year in its dishes. The Boqueria, on La Rambla, is the city's flagship food market. Its colorful stalls, with their abundance of fruit, vegetables and fresh fish, are well worth stopping to admire.
Catalan cuisine is also one of the happiest expressions of the Mediterranean diet. Dishes are painstakingly prepared using natural ingredients; they are also nutritious, healthy and really delicious.
"Calçots" -a type of onion- in spring mushrooms in autumn and "escudella" -a special stew- in winter are some of the most typical dishes. Bread rubbed with tomato, cured meats and paella are the most common, and can be eaten at most restaurants throughout the year.
We should also give a special mention to tapas: small portions which allow you to combine fish, meat and vegetable dishes. In recent years, tapas have established themselves as a different way of eating a varied light lunch or supper. They are usually accompanied by a good red or white wine, or the sparkling wine of the region, cava.
And to finish, desert. You will find it hard to resist the crema catalana -a type of créme brûlée-,coca -a flat sponge cake, turrón -a type of nougat- and the wide variety of sweets and cakes, made from cream and chocolate.
We would like to recommend Gay Barcelona (part of the Gay Iberia family) for a source of the Gay Life in Barcelona. Go to the Guia Gay or Gay Guide page.
Organizations
Some 40 minutes south of Barcelona by car, Sitges is steadily sneaking up on Ibiza and Mykonos as Europe's most popular resort destination for gay travelers. Its development into the gay capital of Spain seems a natural extension of its roots as a late 19th and early 20th century artists' colony, where Joan Miró was born, Modernist artist Santiago Rusiñol lived and Salvador Dali took holidays.
Like Provincetown, Mass., government officials here promote family tourism while simultaneously cultivating the gay dollar. (Inalienable Truth About Gay Men No. 1: Most will gladly spend more money for nice accommodations than their hetero counterparts.) Gays account for perhaps 30 percent of the summer tourism here, and most of that is male.
Sitges' year-round population of 17,000 swells to 80,000 in the high season, which runs roughly from May to September. The old village of Sitges begins behind a promenade stretching some 3 1/2 kilometers along the Mediterranean. At its foot, along the Passeig de la Ribera, are a few restaurants, overpriced thatches shops and pink "matchbox"-style private residences. The main landmark is the Esglesia de Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla parish church-the locals call it "La Punta" -a 140-year-old postcard-perfect cathedral perched atop a rocky elevation separating the main beaches to the southwest from the smaller ones to the northeast. Besides guys and tans, there are museums-the Museu Cau Ferrat with Rusiñol's collection of wrought-iron, ceramics and sculptures comes to mind-along with annual cultural events such as the wine harvest festival and Carnaval. But why kid around? There's no better place to spend your day than the string of 17 sandy beaches, part of Catalonia's Costa Daurada.
Sitges' gay beach is Platja de la Bossa Rodona, behind the Hotel Calipolis Av/ Sofia 2-6, 08870 Sitges. Tel. 93 894 15 00, Fx. 93 894 07 64. Email ( It has been renovated and it has a great location with many rooms having a beach front balcony. They will start around 75€/night). Other choices would be Hotel El Xalet C/ Isla de Cuba, 45 08870 Sitges. Tel. 93 811 08 72, Fax. 93 894 16 62.
Or you can always do the gay B & B's. .
There are leisure activities aplenty to be found in Sitges. But of course, the sport taken most seriously here is boy watching, and it is an Olympic-caliber activity. Hordes of gay men gather in the late afternoon at restaurants with sidewalk tables like Los Vikingos or Parrot's Pub for pitchers of sangria and to check out the passing parade of handsome men, most from neighboring European countries, a few from America.
We come now to Inalienable Truth About Gay Men No. 2: Most will stay up later at night than their straight counterparts. Make use of siesta and take a nap in the afternoon; you'll need the energy. The evening begins with dinner, which more often than not kicks off between 11 p.m. and midnight. Beer, sangria and tobacco-a pack of Marlboros costs less than $2-flow freely before and during the meal. Locals recommend establishments such as El Xalet ( Illa de Cuba, 33 ), with its garden-style seating; Miami (C/ San Pablo, 11), for fresh fish; Can Pages (C/ Sant Pere, 26), for barbecued game; La Borda (C/ San Buenaventura, 5), Maricel (Paseo de la Ribera, 6 - Not gay-exclusive but stylish), El Celler Vell (C/ San Buenaventura, 21), or Ma Maison (C/ Bonaire, 28).
We recommend you use information provided by Jean-Paul, Rick and Chris Nightlife in Sitges to stay current on Sitges Gay night life.
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