The Costa Brava is an incredibly beautiful coastline that stretches northeast of Barcelona in Spain. Tossa de Mar is the only fortified town on the Costa Brava dating back to the 14th century. It offers a perfect combination of pristine beaches and historic background for you to discover during your visit. This post summarizes all the Tossa de Mar things to do.
Contents
Vila Vella – Explore the old town of Tossa de Mar
Enjoy the views from Mirador de Codolar
Relax on the beautiful beaches of Tossa de Mar
Eating in Tossa de Mar
Explore the hidden beaches near Tossa de Mar
Rent a boat in Tossa de Mar
Open Water Diving in Tossa de Mar
How to get to Tossa de Mar
Tossa de Mar things to do
Vila Vella – Explore the old town of Tossa de Mar
The fortified old town of Tossa de Mar is surrounded by tick city walls and seven towers. While the main roads may fill up with tourists during the high season in summer, the numerous small and narrow alleys up the hill will make you feel like the time had stopped centuries ago. Take your time to walk around the old town. Soak up the relaxing atmosphere far off the tourist masses.
Enjoy the views from Mirador de Codolar
The short hike up to the viewpoint of Codolar is one of the most amazing things to do in Tossa de Mar. When you leave the walled city through the Codolar Gate, you will see a couple of stairs leading up to the right. The Carrer es Cars is a narrow path that brings you up to the viewpoint in about 15 minutes.
Along the way, you can enjoy some of the best views over Codolar Beach and the old town of Tossa de Mar.
Relax on the beautiful beaches
Platja d’es Codolar – Codolar Beach
Codolar Beach is a small beach behind the walled city. It is located right under the city walls and the Torre de Codolar. The turquoise water and the location right between the steep cliffs and the medieval town make this beach the best beach of Tossa de Mar. At least for me. Since I don’t seem to be the only one thinking so, the beach gets very crowded during the high season. Make sure to go there early in the morning to secure the best spots.
If you are traveling to Tossa de Mar with kids or if you want to have some space, Codolar Beach may not be the best choice during that time. In this case, Platja Gran, the large beach of Tossa de Mar may be more suitable for you.
Platja Gran – Big Beach
Platja Gran is the main beach of Tossa de Mar and stretches for 400 meters right in front of the center of Tossa. The castle of Tossa de Mar that is located on a hill right next to the beach adds a special touch to the beautiful beach. So much, that the National Geographic Magazine ranked Platja Gran among the top 25 beaches in the world.
The beach offers all necessary amenities. Sunbeds and sunshades are readily available as well as plenty of ice cream vendors and restaurants.
Platja Mar Menuda – Mar Menuda Beach
Mar Menuda Beach is located just a short walk from the center or Platja Gran. The small beach is ideal for families traveling with smaller children. The water is very shallow and rock formations on the left side of the beach keep the sea more tranquil.
Eating in Tossa de Mar
Whenever you talk about traveling around Spain, food is an item that has to be on any to do list. There are numerous restaurants in Tossa de Mar that offer delicious Spanish food. During the lunch hours, many restaurants offer fixed price menus starting at €10. The meals usually include water, a glass of wine, a starter, a main course and desert. Restaurant Capri offers the so-called Menu Del Dia for €16 including great views over Tossa.
If your appetite is not that big, try some typical tapas. Try Boquerones en Vinagre (anchovies in vinegar), Patatas Bravas (fried potatoes), Croquetas and other delicious treats. These small tapas portions go great with a glass of vermouth, the aperitif wine of choice in Catalonia.
Explore the hidden beaches near Tossa de Mar
Every now and then, the rocky cliffs on the coastline of the Costa Brava leave room for beautiful hidden beaches. These small coves are called Calas. Some of them provide basic infrastructure and others are completely natural. But they all have one thing in common – they are incredibly beautiful. Enjoy these short drone videos of the best calas near Tossa de Mar:
Cala Bona – located around 3 km northeast of Tossa de Mar
Cala Pola – located around 4 km northeast of Tossa right after Cala Bona
Cala Llevadó – located around 3 km southwest of Tossa de Mar
Rent A boat in Tossa de Mar
A great way to explore the coastline of the Costa Brava is by boat. For smaller boats for up to eight people, you don’t even need a special license.
You can organize the oat rental once you are in Tossa de Mar or pre-book it online beforehand by clicking here.
Open Water Diving in Tossa de Mar
It doesn’t matter if you are already an experienced diver or if you want to make your first experiences in the underwater world: Tossa de Mar is a great place for scuba diving. Several dive centers in town offer great tours for beginners and advanced divers.
Get ready to see some octopus, monkfish, nudibranchs and many more creatures of the ocean up close.
How to get to Tossa de Mar
The closest airport to Tossa de Mar is Girona Costa Brava Airport located around 40 km north of Tossa de Mar. The airport is served by low cost airlines like Ryanair. Most major airlines fly directly into Barcelona El Prat Airport that is located around 120 km southwest from Tossa de Mar.
The best way to get around the Costa Brava is by rental car. Renting a car in Spain is usually affordable and the roads are in good condition. In case you prefer not to rent a car, there are also direct busses from Girona Airport as well as Barcelona Airport to Tossa de Mar. Check the timetables beforehand as the frequencies vary.
Lloret de Mar to Tossa de Mar
Tossa de Mar is located a short 20 minute car ride from Lloret de Mar. The proximity to Lloret the Mar brings many day visitors to Tossa who stay overnight in Lloret de Mar. Barcelona, Lloret de Mar and Tossa de Mar are ideal destinations for a great party on the Spanish coast. Find the best party hostels in Barcelona here.
Also without your own car, traveling between Lloret de Mar and Tossa de Mar is easy. There are regular busses that take around 30 minutes.
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