Tossa de Mar is a town of 5,600 people (2018) in the Costa Brava region of Catalonia in Northeastern Spain. Its old town is the only example of a fortified medieval town still standing on the Catalan coast.
Understand
[edit]In medieval times and until the arrival of tourism, the local economy was mostly based on agricultural production, principally grapes and cork. There was a thriving export market of the latter (in the form of cork taps shipped to the Americas) during the 18th century and early 19th century.
Fishing has traditionally been a relatively minor contributor to the village's economy, although it has consistently provided an alternative source of income in times of economic crisis. A small fishing industry is still active as of 2005 and occupies a few members of local fishing families. Most of their catches are sold to local restaurants and in the fish markets in neighbouring Blanes and Sant Feliu de Guíxols.
Get in
[edit]Tossa de Mar is about 103 km north of Barcelona, 100 km south of the French border and 40 km (25 mi) southeast of Girona.
If not on a package deal, usually a Ryanair flight to Girona airport. From there a shuttle bus booked on the internet for €12-16 each way to the resort. Best to book a return trip and you have to phone them to confirm the day before leaving.A few shuttle buses will do all the more distant resorts first before ending up in Tossa de Mar. There is a wall phone for taxis at the Tourist Office next door to the bus station. Other telephones take cash or card.
By plane
[edit]The nearest airports are Barcelona El Prat Airport BCN IATA 120 km (75 mi) and Girona Costa Brava GRO IATA 40 km (25 mi)
By car
[edit]- From Barcelona: take AP-7 north direction Girona - France. on exit 9A take C-35 until GI-681 junction. Take direcction Tossa de Mar.
- From Girona: Take C-250 until Quart. there it joins C-65 . Follow until Llagostera. Take GI-681 direcction Tossa de Mar.
- From France: Take AP-7 south direction Barcelona. On exit 9 take C-35 until GI-681 junction. Take direcction Tossa de Mar.
Get around
[edit]
The town is very easy to walk around and has a small village feel unlike its larger neighbours. Most of the town is flat and wheelchair friendly (but many hotels are not). There is a bus station with regular buses to Lloret de Mar (€1.30 and 15 minutes away) and Barcelona. From Lloret bus station you can get a bus to Blanes (which has a market on Monday). Always buy return tickets as queues can be very long. Lots of free car parking if you hire a car (2 places in town). The town has free parking within easy reach of the centre and does has some car ramps but they are moderate in size.
Parking
[edit]- 1 Parking Platja Gran (access via: Av. De la Palma 1), ☏ +34 972 34 12 73. €1.6/hr.
- 2 parking Ramon, Avinguda de la Palma. Daily 09:00-21:00.
- parking Avinguda de Ferran Agulló, Avinguda de Ferran Agulló. paid.
- 3 fire brigade parking (aparcament dels bombers), Avinguda de Catalunya. free.
See
[edit]Parts of the town date from the 12th century. There are extensive walls of an old fort next to the beach and more remains with a small section of old houses nearby (the Vila Vella), some towers (which you cannot go inside of) and a working lighthouse on top of a hill. Do not drive up to the fort as the road is very narrow, has many bad turns and there is no parking at the top. A small history museum at the sea front and on top of the hill a light house museum (€3 each). There is the ruins of some old Roman villas a few minutes walk from the bus station (turn right) and a few old churches in town. There are two information bureaus in town (shut 2pm in off season), one next to the bus station and the other by the main beach where you can pick up free maps of the town with full information in a number of languages on the back. There are also a number of information boards about with important information and hotel locations on them. Thursday (morning) is market day.
Do
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Some nice beaches. Sand is gravelly which is fine to walk and sit on and won't sand blast you if there is some wind. Public toilets at either end of the main beach as well as near a further beach. A blue and white tourist train (a motor vehicle disguised as a train pulling 3 carriages) does tours of the town. Another (green) train will take you up to the top of the fort if you don't feel like walking. A glass bottom boat which enables you to see fish and such and explores local grottoes. SCUBA and PADI diving: A number of shops around town to buy or hire cylinders and gear from as well as "diving schools" where you can dive with others.
Well worth checking out Splash Ocean Adventures on the main beach, it's a great little boat trip that also includes trying snorkeling. Some cyber cafes ranging from €2 to €3 an hour. Trips to nearby towns by bus or by boat as well as Barcelona. Local radio is 107.8 FM. There is a small bowling alley as well as a few slot machines on the Avda Costa Brava. Also a small crazy golf place nearby (Avda de la Palma). There are travel agents in town. This is more a family resort than Lloret, so quieter. The town is about as safe as they come and unusual for Mainland Europe, cars stop at crossings to let people cross. You can walk South out of the old town along the cliffs for lovely views. Also West up into the pine covered hills. Excellent bus services to North and South to gain access to further wonderful walking. The tourist information office is a very helpful source of walking information and maps.
Beach
[edit]- 1 Cala Morisca (accessed by a downhill path from the homonymous urbanization.). It is a cove located on the border of the municipalities of Lloret and Tossa. It is a sheltered and isolated cove, surrounded by cliffs and dense vegetation. Oriented to the southeast, the beach of this cove is composed of gravel, pebbles and blocks, and is 35 m long and 12.5 m wide.
- 2 Platja de Portopí (accessed from the right end of the Llorell beach, through a tunnel that crosses a rocky formation known as the Roca Negra). It is in the bay of Llorell, at the foot of a cliff covered with pine trees. It is divided in two by a rocky formation covered with pine trees that reaches the shore. Oriented to the east, it has a total length of 280 m and an average width of 20 m, formed by coarse-grained sand, with some blocks of granite rock. The slope of the entrance to the sea is not very pronounced and the bottom is sandy. The Roca Negra delimits the beach on the left. On the right side it is delimited by the Cape of Bou. It does not have any services.
- Platja de Santa María de Llorell is a semi-natural beach, located in the bay of Llorell, in front of the Martossa, Santa Maria de Llorell and Cala Llevadó urbanisations. The Roca Plana, a group of rocks that enter the sea, divides the beach into two sections. The section on the right is known as Garbí de Llorell beach and the one on the left, as Llevant de Llorell beach. At the far right, separated by some rocks, there is a small beach 23 m long and 8 m wide, delimited by a rocky formation, called Roca Negra, which separates it from Portopí beach. Oriented to the south-southeast, it has a total length of 382 m and an average width of 37 m, formed by very coarse sand. The entrance to the water is a bit steep and the seabed is sandy, with some isolated rocky spots. It has showers, parking, a restaurant, a kiosk and rental of sun loungers, parasols, kayaks, pedal boats and dinghies. There is also a diving centre and a water skiing school at the beach.
- 5 Cala Figuera (access by Cami de Ronda or from Camping Cala Llevador). It is a small natural beach, located in the bay of Llorell, nestled between rock formations that separate it from the beach of Llorell to the west, and from the cove of Carles to the east. Oriented to the south, it has a length of 40 m and a width of 26 m, formed by coarse sand and pebbles. Nudism is practiced there.
- 6 Cala d'en Carlos (access by Cami de Ronda or from Camping Cala Llevador.). It is a natural beach on the eastern side of the bay of Llorell, between Cala Figuera and Cala Llevadó. Oriented to the south, it has a length of 70 m and an average width of 25 m, formed by coarse sand. It has toilets and showers, as well as a bar with a terrace.
- 7 Cala d'es Llevador (accessed through the Cala Llevadó urbanization and camping.). It is a small natural beach on the eastern side of the bay of Llorell, between Cala d'en Carles and Punta de sa Boquera, about 3 km south of the urban center of Tossa. Rocky and surrounded by vegetation, it faces southwest, has a length of 35 m and a width of 8 m, made up of coarse sand, gravel and pebbles. At the cove ends a road that connects, by the sea, with Cala d'en Carles, passing through Llosa des Llevador, a place frequented by fishermen with rods. In front of sa Boquera is the islet known as Muladera Grossa, an area much visited by diving centers, due to the richness of its seabed and, in particular, an extensive meadow of posidonia.
- 8 es Codolar beach (accessed on foot via stairs that come from the wall itself and also from the coastal path that comes from the cliff; or from inside the wall, at the Pintor Roig Soler Square, where the Tossa de Mar Municipal Museum is located, through a small hole in the wall, which is much photographed). It is a small urban beach, nestled between the hill crowned by the Tossa de Mar castle at the southern end of the urban area of the town of Tossa and an extensive stretch of rocks and cliffs filled with coves. It is located under the Torre d'es Codolar or de l'Homenatge, one of the main towers of the wall of the Vila Vella of Tossa de Mar. Oriented to the south, and sheltered from the north wind, the cove had been the natural port of Tossa, and there are still fishing boats moored on the sand. It has a length of 45 m and an average width of 18 m, formed by coarse sand and gravel. The slope of the entrance to the water is quite pronounced and the seabed is sandy, in the center, and rocky on both sides. In the past it was formed only by pebbles, hence its name (Codol means pebble in Catalan, Codolar=land of pebbles). The beach has showers and sunbed rental, and there are also bars and restaurants nearby.
- 9 Tossa de Mar Main Beach (Platja Gran). It is the beach in the center of the town. It receives the natural mouth of the Tossa stream, which reaches the sea on the southern edge of the beach. Oriented to the east, it has a length of 381 m and an average width of 74 m, formed by coarse-grained pink sand. The slope of entry into the sea is quite steep and the seabed is sandy. It is surrounded by the promenade, with numerous restaurants, bars and cafes. It has all kinds of services: showers, toilets, parking, lifeguard station, glass-bottom boats, a yacht club, a diving center and rental of sun loungers, parasols, pedal boats, kayaks and dinghies. It also has access ramps and amphibious chairs for people with reduced mobility. Tourist cruises that go from Lloret de Mar to Sant Feliu de Guíxols also arrive here. There are fishing boats stranded on the sand, for lack of a port to moor them.
- 10 Platja de la Mar Menuda. It is a semi-urban beach. Oriented to the south, it has a length of 161 m and an average width of 38 m, made up of coarse sand and gravel. It has all kinds of services, including a diving center at the foot of the beach and rental points for umbrellas, pedal boats, dinghies and kayaks. It also has access ramps and amphibious chairs for people with reduced mobility. At the eastern end of the beach there are rocks that surround a small cove that is popularly known as 'sa Banyera de ses Dones', which due to its shallowness and the calmness of the sea is ideal for the little ones.
- 11 Cala Pola. It has a beach made up of coarse sand and gravel, 54 meters wide and 70 meters long. In 2007, the path that connects the Mar Menuda beach in Tossa de Mar with this cove was recovered, and it is part of a longer path that will one day follow the coastline of the entire municipality. In the small valley above the beach, on the corner of the Torrent de Pola, there is a campsite that, inaugurated in the 1950s, was remodeled in 2022, and is part of the Pola-Giverola resort, which also includes the valley of the Cala Giverola and the mountain that separates them.
- 12 Platja de Giverola. It is located in a semi-natural environment, nestled in the middle of a stretch of rocky coastline full of coves. It is bordered to the north and south by cliffs. The valley of the Giverola stream is occupied by the facilities of the Pola-Giverola resort. It is made up of coarse sand and gravel, is 37 meters wide and 172 meters long. The slope of entry into the water is steep. The seabed is sandy in the wide part and rocky in the narrow part. It has showers, a bar, parking and a hotel with a restaurant on the beach, with different sports facilities. It also has a rental point for pedal boats, kayaks and dinghies. There is also a glass-bottom boat service that runs along the coast.
- 13 Cala Fotedera. Oriented to the northeast, the dimensions of its beach are 75 meters long and 14 wide, in the so-called large beach, and 59 m long and 9 m wide, in the so-called small beach, a little further north. It is made up of coarse-grained sand and has a steep entrance to the water, with a sandy seabed. It does not have any type of service. This cove is popularly called the cove of the 300 steps, since to get there by land you have to go down a long staircase. Nudism is practised there.
- 14 Cala Salionç (access by urbanization cala Salions). Oriented to the east, Cala Salionç beach is made of coarse sand, gravel and pebbles, and is 29 m wide and 94 m long. The slope into the water is very steep.
Hiking
[edit]Try the “cami de ronda” which follows the coast.
The GR 92 long-distance walking route crosses the city.
Buy
[edit]All the things you can usually buy in Spain, souvenirs and such. Nothing cheap in the way of quality goods or tourist souvenirs but there are some €1 and up shops to buy small things you forgot or find you need. Out of school holidays, many shops shut from 13:30 till 16:30 then are open till around 20:00. Most shops that sell postcards also sell stamps with them. There is a post office on Ava de Ferran Agullo, just past Caprabo across the road, open till 14:30. English and other newspapers are available.
Good quality indeed is the silver shop of Tim and Kat handmade and not made in China, Made in Tossa de mar. It's a bit hidden but you will find it.
You can acquire money from the main Spanish banks as well as ATMs and exchange bureaus.
Eat
[edit]Authentic local food, burger and chips, pizza, Chinese, curry, cakes is available in the many restaurants. Generally the closer to the sea you get, the more the prices go up. If you do it yourself, the Maxi Dia and Caprabo supermarkets five minutes walk from the centre of town main street roundabout (Ava de la Catalunya and Ava de Ferran Agullo which both lead off of the roundabout) are the cheapest. Many tourists use Magatzems Palau which is by the centre of town roundabout but this shop is expensive.
- 1 Restaurant Bahia, Passeig de Mar 19 (on the seafront promenade, a few doors along from the castle end), ☏ +34 972 34 03 22. Long-running seaside restaurant offering classic fish and seafood dishes, with outdoor tables looking directly onto the main beach.
- 2 Can Simón, Portal 24–26 (in the old town, near the medieval walls of Vila Vella), ☏ +34 972 34 12 69, [email protected]. Tu-Su 13:00-15:00, 20:00-22:00. Renowned fine-dining restaurant with creative cuisine and attentive service, considered one of the best places in town for a special-occasion meal. over €100.
- 3 El Bocatas, Carrer nou 43, [email protected]. F 19:00-22:30, Sa Su 12:30-16:00,19:30-22:30. Casual burger and sandwich bar focusing on creative bocadillos and gourmet hamburgers, with a modern, informal atmosphere.
- 4 Da Giovanni (Restaurante Pizzeria Da Giovanni), Sant Ramon de Penyafort, 13 (on the seafront promenade facing the beach and castle), ☏ +34 972 34 17 06, [email protected]. Popular Italian restaurant and pizzeria with sea views, offering a wide range of pizzas, pasta and gluten-free options. €25.
Drink
[edit]You are spoilt for choice of drinking places with all the normal drinks. Try the La Luna bar in the old town (Vila Vella), just sit down relax and absorb the peace or do some people watching on the terraces on the Paseo del Mar, along the beach, with places like El Celler.
Sleep
[edit]Many hotels and hostels (most are small, often four floors high) dotted around town which can be booked on the internet. As the town is fairly compact, almost all are within easy walking distance of anywhere. The resort has the benefit of no noisy night clubs so you can get a good night's sleep. Check if you book an apartment that it is not in the surrounding hills and so you have a fair walk down and up between there and town. Hotel TVs usually have CNN, Eurosport and some foreign channels. Many will also have air-conditioning which is important in the hottest months. Local agencies do long apartment lets for a month or more.
- Hotel Diana, Plaça Espanya 6, ☏ +34 9721886. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 12:00. Emblematic modernist boutique hotel located on the beachfront in the historical centre. from €60.
- Hotel Delfín, Avda. Costa Brava 2, ☏ +34 972340250. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 12:00. A 4-star hotel in the centre of town. from €60.
- Hotel Windsor, C. Nou 28, ☏ +34 972340186. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 12:00. A low-cost hotel in the centre of town, 2 minutes from the beach. The hotel has private terrace and swimming pool. from €30.
- Hotel Marina Tossa, Avda. Catalunya 27-29, ☏ +34 972340221. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 12:00. The Hotel Marina Tossa is a low-cost hotel in a very quiet area, 15 minutes from the centre of town and 800 m from the beach. It has two swimming pools, one for children, and a garden area with tennis courts, pool and ping pong tables. from €30.
- 1 Hotel Tossa Beach (Tossa Beach Center), Adva. La Palma, 20, ☏ +34 972342882. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 10:00. A 4-star hotel 150 m from the beach and 200 m from the town centre. Only all inclusive basis.
- 2 Hotel Tossa Center (Hotel Tossa Beach Center), Avda. La Palma, 9, ☏ +34 972342920. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 10:00. A 4-star hotel 150 m from the beach and 200 m from the town centre. 76 rooms and runs only all inclusive basis.
- 3 Hotel Mar Bella* ((Marbellatossa)), Avda. Costa Brava, 21, ☏ +34 972341363. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 10:00. 100 m from the Playa Gran de Tossa beach. The hotel has 33 comfortable rooms, 24 hour reception, internet corner, wi-fi connection and safe. Rooms from €50.
Cope
[edit]The one main annoyance is that many young men and women have motorbikes and believe they have to rev them as much as possible for maximum acceleration (fairly slow) and maximum noise (a loud whine) when driving around town. There is one automated speed camera about a mile out of Tossa near the start of the long descent into town. The small streets in the centre of town can get very crowded in high season with people coming in by bus, coach and boat from other towns as well as constant tours of this historic town and even Spanish people going to the coast for a short break or a weekend away.
Connect
[edit]As of Jan 2024, Tossa de Mar has 5G from all Spanish carriers, with 4G on its approach highways.
Go next
[edit]Lloret de Mar and Blanes are easily reachable by coach or ferry. Barcelona is a good day-trip idea if you are staying in Tossa for a while, with coaches departing regularly from the town's coach station.
| Routes through Lloret de Mar |
Girona ← junction  ←
|
N  S
|
→ END |
| Sant Feliu de Guíxols ← | NE  SW
|
→ Blanes |
| Sant Feliu de Guíxols ← Tossa de Mar ← | NE  SW
|
→ Blanes → Tordera |