My travelling partner and I were looking for a journey from Barcelona to a seaside Spanish town. My lovely mother in Australia suggested Sitges, as she had visited on her travelling jaunts in 1973. After searching the name online, I saw that Sitges was, and still is, a truly iconic gay tourist destination.

I kicked myself for not knowing this as I pride myself in being a fairly savvy gay woman, and silently thanked my mother (who at one time struggled with my increasingly-ubiquitous lesbian tendencies) for sending me in the right direction. So off we went on the bus down the coast. Excitement filled the air and a sing-along with the 50-something-year-olds that made up the rest of the bus’s clientele was close to breaking out.

After checking into our luxurious pile-of-rocks campsite and wolfing down a baguette, we set off into town to find some serious lesbian bar action. As with everywhere else, the scene was predominantly male-based. Not terribly surprising. Also in our excitement we had arrived frighteningly early for Spain’s late-night climate. Siesta was barely breaking. We decided first to visit a bar known by most as "the beach". Come to think of it, the venue did look remarkably like a beach with real sand, waves and boats. And it was B.Y.O. Perfect.

Our lesbian-bar luck began a few hours later when a man walking his dog down the beach decided to stop and talk to us. Hardly one minute into conversation and he had asked us out. Oh the Spanish. My friend (who is straight) quietly whispered to me that she would never even consider heading out with a man who wore three-quarter orange trousers. Needless to say, I agreed. And with the utmost subtlety, I questioned him as to where the “lezzos” went out. With the typical nod, "Okay, I get it", he circled a place on our map and amicably went on his way.

So off we went to bar Marypili – the only permanent lesbian bar in Sitges. Mickey, the recently-sole owner, has been running the bar for the last six years, which not only attracts u-hauls of women during the high season, but has also become the central point for lesbians from Sitges as well as surrounding towns. Candy Bar, London, has even approached the bar with the offer of rebranding itself with the well-known lesbian name. But Michi prides herself in running the venue as a solo-venture with local influence and the benefits are clearly evident.

"Marypili has an honest and warm feel about it...It is a local lesbian bar that works and I left both visits to Marypili feeling thoroughly satisfied."

Marypili has an honest and warm feel about it. We all know women’s bars can sometimes intimidate, especially when it seems everyone knows each other already. This, on the other hand, felt more like a small and still penetrable community. The drinks list is Spanish-typical and Michi says during the summer months she stands at one side of the bar and literally pumps out "mojitos mojitos mojitos!” all night without stopping. My eclectic music taste was titillated by absolutely every tune that came out as Michi told me about the various themed parties and music evenings that she hosted regularly. It is a local lesbian bar that works and I left both visits to Marypili feeling thoroughly satisfied.

Sitges obviously isn’t a town that pulls its greatest revenue from gay women. This is too often the case and it’s up to us to make change happen. Ladies: head down to this gorgeous Spanish town for a relaxing and exciting journey. Just be careful when you take the coastal walk south, there are men shagging in the trees.

Marypili is open until 12 on weekdays, later on weekends and until 3 throughout the summer months. For more information, check out www.marypili.eu.