Last night 5 of us dawned makeup, glitter, and masks and headed to the nearby beach town of Sitges to experience the spirit of Carnival! Sitges is a town about 25miles south of Barcelona and is home to one of the most popular European celebrations of Carnival. Carnival celebrates the last week before the season of Lent. Lent is a Catholic tradition of abstaining from meat, alcohol, and other things for 40days and living more simply before Easter. The biggest celebrations take place on Sunday, Rua de la Disbauxa (Debauchery Parade) and Tuesday, Rua de l’Extermini, (Extermination Parade)- each with nearly 40floats with more than 2,000 participants and 300,000 visitors! It didn’t take us long to realize Sitges is also a popular destination for gay and lesbians and is one of the most gay-friendly places in the world.

 It was a loud, late night but super fun. The vibe was so friendly but also surprisingly peaceful given how many people were packed in the small town. I’d never experienced anything like it and if given the chance to go again, I will definitely participate more- I was underdressed for sure. Below are just a fraction of some of the crazy party-goers we came across, all of which warmly welcomed photos!