Tossa de Mar Travel Guide: Beaches, Castle & Coves

Visiting Costa Brava's Tossa de Mar

Tossa de Mar is far more than a simple day trip from Barcelona — it’s a fully fledged holiday destination. With its medieval castle, hidden coves, cliff‑top hiking trails, vibrant old town and endless coastline, you could easily spend a week here and still feel like you’ve only scratched the surface. This is a place to slow down, explore, swim, eat well, and discover something new every day.

Below are the places, beaches and experiences that make Tossa de Mar one of my favourite towns on the Costa Brava.

My Favorite beaches and coves in Tossa de Mar

• Platja Gran de Tossa: The main beach — wide, sandy and perfectly framed by the castle. Ideal for families and first‑time visitors.
• Cala es Codolar: A stunning cove directly beneath the castle walls. Small, sheltered and atmospheric — my personal favourite.
• Cala de l’Ull de Vidre & Cala Figuera: Two remote coves reached via a 4 km walk south along the Camí de Ronda. Both have a tiny beach restaurant, Chiringuito Mar Azul.
• Platja de Llevant de Llorell: A larger sandy beach 200 m from Cala Figuera with a beach bar, Guingueta Platja Llorell. The entire southern coastline is a chain of rocky coves.
• Platja Mar Menuda: On the northern edge of town, home to Kraken Dive School. Features a rock formation that creates a small, sheltered bay.
• Cala Bona: A rocky cove 1.5 km north along the pine‑forest section of the Camí de Ronda.
• Cala Pola: A beautiful medium‑sized cove 750 m beyond Cala Bona, with a beach bar. My top recommendation when exploring north of Tossa.
• Cala Giverola: A dramatic cove backed by cliffs and pines, with a beach bar and crystal‑clear water.

Noteworthy Streets and buildings

Carrer del Socors is the main pedestrian street of Tossa de Mar — once the heart of the fishing village, now lined with whitewashed houses, balconies full of flowers, and small shops selling crafts, beachwear and local products. Halfway along the street you’ll find the tiny Chapel of Our Lady of Socorro, a minimalist 16th‑century fishermen’s chapel with a single nave and a modest statue of Mary.

As Carrer del Socors becomes Carrer del Portal, you reach the section that runs alongside the castle walls. This is where you’ll find some of the best seafood, paella and grilled meat restaurants in Tossa — perfect for an evening meal beneath the illuminated towers.

Vil·la Romana dels Ametllers is an open‑air archaeological site where Roman mosaics and foundations remain visible.

Museu de la Dona (Can Ganga) is a tiny museum housed in a 16th‑century fortified farmhouse in the old fishermen’s quarter of Sa Roqueta, displaying traditional fishing tools and local history.

Exploring Tossa de Mar Castle (Vila Vella)

The medieval walls have three access points:

• Passeig de Vila Vella: The main entrance beside Platja Gran.
• Carrer del Portal: A second gate near Sa Muralla restaurant.
• Smugglers’ Portal: A tiny hidden entrance at the top of Cala es Codolar.

Museu Municipal de Tossa de Mar sits inside the walls in Plaça Pintor Roig Soler and is open daily from 10:00–14:00.

Walk the full length of the ramparts by climbing the stairs in Plaça Pintor Roig and finishing at the 17th‑century cannons overlooking the sea.

Continue up to the Cap de Tossa Lighthouse viewpoint, passing the ruins of the Església Vella de Sant Vicenç.

Follow Passeig de la Vila Vella to the romantic Xalet d’en Bram viewpoint overlooking Cala es Codolar.

Don’t miss the Ava Gardner statue, commemorating her time filming Pandora and the Flying Dutchman in 1950.

Stroll along Carrer Abat Oliba to see the Montserrat Virgin shrine and the flower‑filled balconies.

For a memorable dinner, book a table at Restaurant La Placeta inside the castle walls.

Where to Eat in Tosssa de Mar

The southern exit of the castle leads to a cluster of excellent restaurants with outdoor terraces. Expect traditional Catalan dishes, fresh seafood, paella and grilled meats. Set menus start around €20 per person; a full three‑course meal for two with wine and dessert can reach €100.

For quick meals, head along Carrer del Portal or Passeig del Mar, where you’ll find pizzerias, burger bars and even a Chinese restaurant.

Bicycle Rental in Tossa de Mar

The mountains behind Tossa are full of scenic cycling routes. The tourist brochure in the documents section lists all official trails. A recommended ride is the climb to the neo‑Romanesque Ermita de Sant Grau d’Ardenya, passing the ruins of Ermita de Mare de Déu de Gràcia.

Bicycles can be rented from JimboBikes.

What to take with you for Costa Brava's Tossa de Mar in 2024

Tossa de Mar is a place where you’ll spend long days outdoors — swimming, hiking, exploring coves and wandering the old town — so bringing the right gear makes a big difference. You don’t need much, but a few smart items will make your holiday far more comfortable.

A beach towel, sun umbrella and swimwear are essential, especially if you plan to explore the smaller coves where there’s no natural shade. The water here is famously clear, so an IPX8 waterproof phone case is incredibly useful for taking photos in the sea or protecting your phone on kayak trips. Flip‑flops are fine for the main beaches, but light walking shoes help on the rocky sections of the Camí de Ronda.

Bring sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat — the Costa Brava sun can be intense, and the sea breeze often hides how strong it is. A reusable water bottle is handy for long walks, and a small dry bag is useful if you’re planning boat tours or kayaking. For snorkelling, the water clarity is excellent, so a simple mask and snorkel can turn any cove into an underwater playground.

If you’re travelling by bus, note that SarfaBus can accommodate passengers with reduced mobility or wheelchairs if notified 48 hours in advance at sarfa@sarfa.es.

Watersports & Guided Excursions in Tossa de Mar

Tossa de Mar is one of the best places on the Costa Brava for outdoor adventure. The coastline here is rugged, wild and full of hidden corners — perfect for exploring by kayak, paddleboard or snorkel. The water is incredibly clear, especially around Cala es Codolar, Cala Bona and Cala Pola, making it ideal for spotting fish, underwater rock formations and even small caves.

If you prefer something more structured, there are plenty of guided activities available: boat tours that take you along the cliffs and into sea caves, snorkelling excursions in protected coves, and kayak tours that let you paddle beneath the castle walls. For divers, TossaSub Diving Centre at offers scuba courses and guided dives in some of the clearest water on the Costa Brava.

On land, you can take a tour in an open top Land Rover into the hills behind Tosaa de Mar and see the town and coast from a different perspective.

Getting to Costa Brava's Tossa de Mar

Address: Estacion de Autobuses, Tossa de Mar, 17320

Moventis–Sarfa operates the main public transport route to Tossa de Mar. Buses depart from Barcelona Estació del Nord (Metro L1 / RENFE Arc de Triomf) and typically travel first to Lloret de Mar before continuing on to Tossa. The full journey takes around 1 hour 20 minutes and costs approximately €12.35 each way. Some services also run from Barcelona Airport T1 and T2. Services can fill up quickly in summer, so booking tickets in advance is strongly recommended. Timetables and tickets are available on the Moventis website.

For more details about Estació del Nord — including layout, facilities and how to get there — visit the public transport page on this website.

If you’re arriving by car and your accommodation doesn’t include parking, a reliable option is the public parking area at the corner of Plaça Patinatge and Carrer Miramar, located here.

Documents for Costa Brava's Tossa de Mar

Weather for Tossa de Mar

Where to stay at Costa Brava's Tossa de Mar

Tossa de Mar has a wide range of accommodation options, from modern hotel complexes to charming boutique stays. The northern side of town is lined with larger, contemporary hotels — clean, comfortable and often with sea‑facing balconies. They’re great if you want resort‑style convenience.

Personally, I prefer the southern part of Tossa, near the castle and the old fishermen’s quarter. This area has far more character: whitewashed houses, narrow lanes, small family‑run hotels and that unmistakable old‑world charm that makes Tossa feel special.

My last overnight stay was at Hotel Cap d'Or, a beautiful little hotel at the foot of the castle walls. The building is a 400‑year‑old former fish‑salting warehouse right on the beach, converted into a hotel in 1954. If you want atmosphere, history and unbeatable location, this is the place.

If camping is more your style, head north to Camping Cala Pola, where you can stay in tents, bungalows or cabins. The campsite has restaurants, communal showers, Wi‑Fi and a swimming pool — all set in a pine‑covered valley just above Cala Pola.

To the south, in Cala Canyelles, you can rent mobile homes in a fully equipped campsite with a swimming pool, Wi‑Fi and a restaurant. It’s a great option if you want a quieter base close to Tossa.

Note that wild camping is not permitted along this section of the Costa Brava during high season, and rangers patrol the coastline at night.

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