Spain’s Cannes, Sitges is lovely quaint beachside town complete with sun, stylish crowd and even its own Sitges annual film festival in October.
Just 1.5 hours train ride from Barcelona but it feels a long way from big city life, with a lazy, laid-back feel to potter in bars and sweet shops. Ancient museums, Sant Bartomeu church and cooking schools give some activity to wile away the hours when the sun gets to its peak.
However come March, the locals get their feathers and glitter ready for the onslaught that is Sitges Carnival, giving Rio a real run for its money. Endless guys and girls transform into wild birds of paradise, taking the opportunity to jump on floats and party hard, well and truly waking Sitges from its slumber.
To sleep, TripAdvisor has a top list of hotels, and The Dolce Sitges hotel has positive reviews too.
If you have the time, catch the train down the coast to the ancient Roman town of Terragona, where you can see one of the last few preserved amphitheatres in Europe. Weekend markets are also worth catching if you can.
