Sitges Carnaval

If you visit Barcelona this February, then you absolutely must hit one of the biggest and most anticipated festivals in Europe: Sitges Carnaval! Just 45 minutes south of the city lays the quaint seaside town of Sitges, and from February 25th – March 5th this usually quiet neighborhood comes to life for the Carnival.

This fantastic party is famous for its colorful parades, costumes, masks, folk dances, timeless traditions, and of course, delectable gastronomy! 

Sunday, March 2nd 2014

• ‘The Parade of Debauchery’ at 7:30 pm, kicking off at Cap de Vila. Expect bright costumes and music.
• For families with youngsters, catch the Children’s Parade at 3pm.

Also, in Vilanova (a little further outside Sitges) there will be a candy war on February 10th! Here, sweet treats fill the streets as the different teams of ‘Comparses’ battle it out with candy to see who comes out top in the friendly neighborhood ‘Guerra de Caramelos’.

For more info on how to get to Vilanova from Barcelona, check out the Renfe website.

Tuesday, March 4th 2014

• ‘The Parade of Extermination’ at 7:30pm, starting point at Cap de la Vila. More cool costumes and dancing on colorful floats!

Wednesday, March 5th 2014

• ‘The Burial of the King’ kicks off at 7pm at Plaça Ajuntament, while the festival officially wraps up with the ‘Burial of the Sardine’ taking place at 8:30pm on Passeig de la Ribera. The tradition goes that the‘King of Carnestoltes’ makes an appearance on the first Thursday of the celebrations, absorbs everyone’s sins throughout the weekend, and ‘dies’ during the rituals on the 5^th, in which everyone exchanges their festive garb for black mourning attire, marking the end of the festival and the beginning of Lent.