Cities

We are not normally found on our travels in the peak of Summer, preferring the quieter months at the May or September peripheries. But two music festivals in Spain; Cruïlla in Barcelona and Mad Cool in Madrid had caught our attention, so we built an itinerary for a ten-day mini-tour of Spain that would revolve around music festivals, good food and cold beer.

Platja de Sant Sebastià, Sitges 

We've visited Barcelona several times, so on this occasion the city would initially be a gateway. Once out of Barcelona Airport our destination lay some twenty-five miles further down the Mediterranean coast, the seaside town of Sitges. Nestled between the Garraf Massif and the sparkling Mediterranean, Sitges has always enjoyed an enviable setting. Originally a small fishing village, it prospered through trade with the Americas during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries before reinventing itself as an artists' colony. Painters, writers and musicians were drawn here by the quality of the light, much as they were to places like St Ives or the French Riviera. Later still, the town became internationally known as one of Europe's most welcoming LGBTQ+ destinations, a reputation it still enjoys today. That combination of beaches, culture and openness gives Sitges a character all of its own and with Barcelona only a short train-ride away it's easy to see why people love the place.

Sitges underpass

We arrived on a Saturday evening and the narrow streets around the old town were already filling up. We found ourselves with ringside seats in Plaça de la Indústria, better known to many visitors simply as Judgement Square where bars spilled out onto the pavements and the first beers of the evening disappear remarkably quickly. There is something wonderfully entertaining about people-watching in Spain. Nobody seems in a hurry. Families stroll together well into the evening, friends gather over endless conversations and the alternative famous nightlife of Sitges? Well, that would come alive long after we'd hit the sack! 

The Church of Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla, Sitges

Sitges is a very good-looking town. The elegant Passeig de la Ribera is a fine promenade where palm trees line the broad walkway and cafés overlook the golden beaches stretching away towards the unmistakable silhouette of the church of Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla, perched dramatically above the sea. It is one of Catalonia's most photographed skylines and it's easy to understand why.

Café Garden, Sitges

Platja de Sant Sebastià is widely regarded as one of Sitges' prettiest beaches and even persuaded us to partake in a dip in the Mediterranean. Located above the beach are bars and restaurants where you can relax with a with a cold beer or tapas and survey the locals and visitors as they drift past along the promenade.

Platja de Sant Sebastià, Sitges 

A ten-minute walk along the seafront takes you to the elegant Port of Sitges. Tucked away beside the adjacent marina was La Tasca del Navegante, a tiny tapas bar that looked as though it catered more for locals than tourists. We settled in with a couple of beers and ordered a selection of tapas that was perfectly suited to a lazy afternoon.

On our return from the Marina to the centre of town, quite by accident, we discovered that the 2026 Tour de France was passing through Sitges during its opening stages around Barcelona. Within minutes the streets, now lined with barriers and straw bales were filling with spectators, locals leaned from balconies and an excited buzz spread through the town. Like all great cycling spectacles, the build-up lasted considerably longer than the event itself. After perhaps half an hour of anticipation, the peloton exploded through the town in little more than thirty seconds, a blur of colour, speed and carbon fibre before disappearing into the distance as quickly as it had arrived. 

Far de Sant Cristòfol, Vilanova i la Geltrú

To prepare for our journey later in the week to Barcelona we decided to practise using the local trains, taking a short trip to nearby Vilanova i la Geltrú. Although lacking Sitges' obvious charm, Vilanova has long been an important working port and railway town. Its handsome lighthouse, Far de Sant Cristòfol, has guided ships along this stretch of the Catalan coastline since the nineteenth century. Sadly, the accompanying museum wasn't open during our visit, but the walk itself offered sea views and a pleasant excuse to explore somewhere slightly off the usual tourist trail.

Parc del Fòrum hosting the Cruïlla Festival, as seen from our hotel roof pool. Barcelona 

In Barcelona the first music festival of our trip was waiting and now it was time to head back to Spain's second city. The train headed north from Sitges and hugged the coastline for much of the forty-minute journey, occasionally offering flashes of the Mediterranean before disappearing between apartment blocks and tunnels. Spain's railways are wonderfully efficient and before long we were negotiating Barcelona's Metro system emerging in the city's eastern Forum district.

The Basílica de la Sagrada Família, Barcelona

Our base for the next couple of nights was the Princess Hotel on Avinguda Diagonal, overlooking the Parc del Fòrum where the Cruïlla Festival would soon begin. We'd stayed in this area before during the Primavera Sound Festival, so it felt reassuringly familiar. It isn't the Barcelona that most visitors picture. There are no medieval alleys or Gaudí masterpieces here. Instead, the Forum is a product of modern Barcelona, created for the 2004 Universal Forum of Cultures. Wide boulevards, contemporary architecture and expansive public spaces have replaced what was once largely industrial land, giving this corner of the city an altogether different personality.

Parc del Fòrum, Barcelona 

Our hotel room overlooked both the sea and the festival site. Seeing the stages being prepared below raised the excitement levels. We returned for a wander along the Rambla del Poblenou. Although only a short walk from the beaches, it feels a world away from the tourist crush of Las Ramblas in the city centre. Lined with cafés, bakeries and apartment buildings, it retains the atmosphere of a genuine neighbourhood where Barcelonans go about their daily lives.

The Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau, Barcelona

The Catalan summer heat was relentless, making any thought of rushing around the city seem deeply unappealing. So, we took it slowly, catching the tram to one of the world's most recognisable buildings. The Basílica de la Sagrada Família. Since our previous visit, another of the great central towers, the Tower of Jesus Christ had been completed. Gaudí began the basilica in 1882, blending Gothic and nature-inspired forms, and it’s still under construction nearly 150 years later. There is nothing else quite like it anywhere in the world.

As impressive as it remains, however, we weren't really looking to revisit Barcelona's greatest hits. Instead, we strolled down the adjacent Avinguda de Gaudí, one of the city's prettiest boulevards, stopping for coffee and croissants before continuing to one of Barcelona's lesser-known treasures. The Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau, which turned out to be one of the surprises of the trip.

The Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau, Barcelona

Originally designed as a hospital by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, it was completed during the early twentieth century and represented a radical belief that beautiful surroundings could aid recovery. Rather than one enormous building, the hospital was created as a series of elegant pavilions linked by underground tunnels, each decorated with colourful ceramics, stained glass and intricate mosaics. It is difficult to imagine many hospitals today being described as beautiful.

The Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau, Barcelona

Walking through the restored wards and operating theatres was oddly moving. The displays explained not only the medical history but also the philosophy behind the architecture. Patients recovering amongst gardens, sunlight and works of art seemed a remarkably enlightened concept for its time.

Parc del Fòrum, the Cruïlla Festival, Barcelona 

By late afternoon heat had become almost oppressive but thankfully, as with all Spanish festivals they start late to make the most of the cooler evenings. The Cruïlla Festival is the smaller relative of Prima Vera Sound and is hosted on the same industrial site, Parc del Fòrum by the sea. It was well organised, easy to get a beer, move around, and get to the front if you wanted.

Suede at the Cruïlla Festival, Barcelona 

From a distance we caught part of Garbage's set while getting our bearings, but our evening had one clear priority, my wife's favourite band, Suede. And they were, as always fantastic. Brett Anderson remains one of rock music's great frontmen and Richard Oaks one of the world's most underrated guitarists. Straight after their set it was time for the Pixies. We watched from a more relaxed position near the back of the main Estrella stage with oversized festival beers. The Barcelona night slowly cooled around us, and it was the perfect end to a great day.

Plaza Mayor, Madrid

We'd enjoyed our time in Catalonia enormously, but there was something about the prospect of returning to Spain's capital that felt quietly exciting. We'd visited before, knew our way around a little and, perhaps most importantly, we knew that Madrid suited us.

Our hotel balcony overlooked El Retiro Park, I love this view!

Spain's high-speed rail network operates more like an airport than a traditional railway, with luggage screening and security checks before boarding, so arrive early to ensure you don't miss your train. As we headed inland the landscape gradually changed as the train left the Mediterranean behind. The lush coastal scenery gave way to wide open plains and distant mountain ranges. While Barcelona looks outwards to the sea, Madrid sits almost exactly at the geographical heart of the Iberian Peninsula. At around 650 metres above sea level, it is Europe's highest capital city, a position chosen in the sixteenth century apparently, by King Philip II largely because it occupied a central location from which the kingdom could be governed.

Tapas, Madrid

Madrid welcomed us with a blast of heat but with a sense of relief. It was calmer, friendlier, and more on our wavelength than Barcelona. Our hotel balcony overlooked El Retiro Park, once a royal retreat in the 17th century and now one of Europe’s great urban green spaces.

Plaza Mayor, Madrid

We settled in quickly, beers on our hotel balcony, tapas at Taberna El Sur near the beautiful Cine Doré, and a nostalgic bar crawl through La Latina. La Latina still preserves the narrow streets and irregular layout of medieval Madrid. Small squares appear unexpectedly between tightly packed buildings, while traditional taverns occupy almost every corner. Plaza Mayor looked magnificent in the evening sunshine, its elegant arcades a reminder that this was once the grand ceremonial centre of Habsburg Madrid.

Tapas Bar, Madrid

The next day we visited the one of the city's newest attractions, the Museo Banksy Madrid. Banksy's identity remains one of the art world's great mysteries, but his work has become instantly recognisable across the globe. The museum recreates many of his most famous pieces and installations, placing them within the political and social context that inspired them. Far from being simply a collection of reproductions, the museum successfully captured the humour, anger and humanity running through Banksy's work. His ability to combine sharp political criticism with simple visual ideas was excellently delivered.

 Museo Banksy Madrid

The Mad Cool Festival is on the outskirts of the city and the journey there was a hot one, but once inside we found shade from the Madrid sun behind a wheelie bin (festival glamour) and settled in for a wonderful night. Nick Cave delivered a two‑hour sermon of intensity, followed by David Byrne providing some life-affirming moments. BE KIND. Pulp were the last band of the evening and by now we were into the next morning and the temperatures had dropped sufficiently, so there was dancing!

Nick Cave at the Mad Cool Festival, Madrid

Looking back over the trip, each destination had offered something different. Sitges had been a relaxing sanctuary, welcoming and a place perfectly suited to letting the days drift by between beaches, tapas and beers. Barcelona had delivered small reminders of why it remains one of Europe's great cities but it almost suffers for that popularity, now a tick-box on everyone's 'must-see' list. But Madrid was different, it just felt right. Whatever the reason, we left with the same conclusion we'd reached on our previous visit. We'd fallen in love with Madrid all over again.

Pulp, Madrid