Tossa de Mar is a great place for a family holiday. What hotels in Tossa de Mar have nice views? Tossa de Mar Spain attractions nearby

The town of Tossa de Mar (Spain), whose sights will enchant any tourist, is one of the main resort places in the province of Girona. At one time this resort was considered quite fashionable, but now it has quite affordable prices.

Charming resort - photo

Tossa de Mar is a tiny (6 thousand inhabitants) town, which is part of the famous Costa Brava- the Mediterranean coast of Catalonia near the Spanish border with.

Where is it located and how to get there?

The city of Tossa de Mar is located in northeastern Spain in province of Girona Autonomous Community of Catalonia. The distance to is 90 km.

Tossa de Mar is one of the most remote resorts on the Costa Brava, so getting here is not so easy.

The starting point when traveling to the resort is Barcelona, ​​but there is no direct train connection between the capital of Catalonia and Tossa de Mar. Therefore, tourists planning a trip to a remote resort have the following travel options:

Historical reference

Like many other cities in the Mediterranean, Tossa de Mar is quite old. The city existed before our era, and at the beginning of the 1st millennium AD, the Romans settled here, giving the city its name Turissa.

In the Middle Ages, the town became the possession of the Counts of Barcelona, ​​and in the 12th century the main attraction of the city, the fortress, was built "Vila Vella". At the same time, the town, along with all of Catalonia, became part of the kingdom of Aragon, and after the “Iberian wedding”, which united Aragon and Castile, it became part of a single one.

For centuries, the city prospered thanks to its main product - balsa bark, however, by the 20th century, the need for traffic jams had dropped significantly and Tossa de Mar lost its importance and even began to decrease in number.

Tossa de Mar was saved by tourism - first the city was discovered by artists (Chagall, Masson, Miro), and after the filming of the film “Pandora and the Flying Dutchman”, which took place in the town, it received wide popularity and began to rapidly develop as a resort.

The outstanding actress Ava Gardner, who moved there after filming and stayed to live in Tossa de Mar, especially contributed to the popularity.

Where to go with children?

The unusual Humor Amarillo complex is located in the open air and is a large area filled with various attractions, obstacle courses, playgrounds and sports equipment.

Humor Amarillo is not like regular amusement parks and is intended primarily for sports enthusiasts of all ages.

Even in the summer, there is a free bus from Tossa de Mar to the water park Marineland, where young tourists can not only have fun on water slides, but also watch dolphin performances.

Watch a review of the fortress in this video Vila Vella:

When planning an exciting trip, there are doubts about choosing a vacation spot. Information from a travel agency or friends who have already visited the city will not be complete if you do not look through photo albums before ordering a tour or purchasing air tickets. The collected attractions of Tossa de Mar (Spain) with photos will help you make your choice and strengthen your desire to go to the resorts of the Mediterranean Sea.

On the map of Spain, the small town of Tossa de Mar is located in the northeast of the province of Girona on the Costa Bravo. It attracts tourists with its cozy bays, azure sea, rocky coastline, clean pebble beaches and medieval monuments. This is a favorite place for romantics and dreamers, lovers of art, diving and boat trips.

The resort is located 90 kilometers from Barcelona (transfer takes 1.5-2 hours), adjacent to the cities of Blanes, Lloret de Mar. You can get to the resort from the airports in Barcelona or Girona by bus, train or taxi.

Interesting places and attractions

The cozy town is the historical heritage of Spain. Archaeologists have found artifacts belonging to the ancient Romans. At the beginning of the last century, the ruins of the ancient Roman villa Els Ametliers were discovered within the boundaries of the old settlement. The mosaic fragments found during the excavations date back to the 4th century AD. Ceramic vases, gold and silver coins, hairpins, hairpins and ivory brooches, and marble sculptures eloquently testify to the luxury and wealth of the Roman palace. It is scientifically confirmed that Tossa had a predecessor, the prosperous Italian town of Tursa, which after the fall of the Roman Empire became part of the Duchy of Barcelona.

Sights of Tossa de Mar on the map

The stone fortress Vila Vella (translated as Old Town) is the main attraction of the Costa Brava, proudly standing on a rocky cliff, and remembers the times of pirate raids. Acting as a bastion, it protected the coast from attacks by corsairs and foreign invaders. This historical monument is decorated with three towers. Initially, there was a fourth one at the top of the mountain, but in the twenties of the last century it was replaced by a lighthouse. Currently it is a museum. It houses an exhibition of lighting and navigation devices. On the territory of the lighthouse there is an observation deck with a small restaurant, the fantastic view from which will captivate even fastidious connoisseurs of seascapes.

The grandeur of the stone walls and round towers have a magnetic effect on tourists. A visit to the Vila Vella fortress is associated with a journey into a fairy tale. Walking along the winding jagged parapets of the ancient walls, contemplating the azure surface of the sea, numerous boats and yachts entering and leaving the bay, the enchanting impression only intensifies. Having visited Vila Vella once, you understand that this is where the portal is located that connects two eras: past and present. You just need to find that one stone that will open the door to the Middle Ages.

The construction of the fortress took place in the 12th-14th centuries. And in the 16th and 17th centuries, residential areas grew around it, in which fishermen settled. Currently, the entire infrastructure of the city provides recreation for tourists.

The Governor's House (Casa de governator) is also one of the attractions of Tossa. It was built back in the Middle Ages, later reconstructed and remodeled. Today it also houses museum exhibits. There are many archaeological finds here - objects from the Romanesque period, marble statues of Mercury and Apollo, a collection of bronze objects and coins.

The City Museum is also an exhibition of paintings by Marc Chagall. The artist was captivated by this unique place, which remains the center of attraction for many famous talented people. He drew inspiration for creativity here. His paintings and sketches, including the famous work “The Heavenly Violinist,” are carefully preserved in one of the museum halls. On the wall nearby, the master wrote in his own hand: “Tossa is a blue paradise.”

The Church of St. Vincent and the chapel of Our Lady of Help, savior of drowning people, are impressive. On the facade of the temple there are carved statues of saints, among the shrines is the Black Madonna. Sacred to the Catalans, the Blessed Virgin, the granter of wishes, is a copy of a relic from Montserrat. The bell tower of the temple is decorated with a clock. With their fighting, they remind tourists that their journey is taking place in a delightful place.

A complete holiday for the whole family is Gran Beach in Tossa de Mar. The beach is not very large; on one side it is bordered by a rugged rocky section of the coast, on the other by the medieval fortified town of Vila Vella. In the Middle Ages, the castle was intended to protect against pirates. Tourists enjoy going on excursions around the fortress. The castle is surrounded by high walls and seven crenellated towers, which have remained almost untouched since their construction.

While walking along the promenade along the beach, you can also see several art monuments: a statue of Minerva, a sculpture of Bonavenur Anson and a memorial stone dedicated to the Catalan writer Jacinta Verdaier.

Statue of Ava Gardner

The statue of Ava Gardner is a monument to the Hollywood actress who played the main role in the film Pandora and the Flying Dutchman.

The bronze sculpture, installed in 1992, is located near the ancient fortress above the Tossa de Mar promenade. About 2 meters tall, she is an elegant Gardner, dressed in a long, light dress, her gaze fixed on the blue distance.

The sculpture was installed here for a reason. It was in this place that the detective melodrama took place. The actress, in love with the quiet beaches, lived in this country for another 8 years after filming the film.

What attractions of Tossa de Mar did you like? Next to the photo there are icons, by clicking on which you can rate a particular place.

Vila Vella Fortress

The Vila Vella fortress, which is almost 1000 years old, is one of the most ancient attractions in the country.

The fortress was built in order to protect the monastery from worldly vanity. The fact is that in 1186 part of the city was in the possession of the monastery, which was a kind of Mecca for pilgrims who came here from all over the world. In the Middle Ages, its walls protected it from attacks by pirates, so the fortress was restored more than once.

The territory of the fortress is surrounded by ramparts, and behind its wall there are seven towers of different sizes. One of them houses the city museum with works of famous artists such as Chagall, Monet and others.

The Church of St. Vincent, built in 1755 in the neoclassical style, is considered one of the most beautiful architectural monuments of the city.

The church was erected on the site of a temple that was built here in the 15th century. The reason for this was the large number of parishioners for whom the former church had become cramped. After the Civil War, some elements of the interior decoration of the church disappeared, but restorers were able to give the temple its former splendor by recreating the wall paintings inside. The entrance to the temple and its altar are decorated with sculptures of saints. Inside there are wooden benches in two rows.

Its main attraction is an exact copy of the Black Madonna from Montserrat. You can also visit the small chapel filled with many candles, or come to the temple on the weekend to attend one of the masses.

Beach Tossa De Mar

The beaches in Tossa de Mar are all municipal, the hotels are located in the depths of the town and do not have their own territory on the beach, it is very convenient, you can walk freely along the entire coastal strip

A gun

In the old fortress on the mountain of the city, a cannon has been preserved to this day, it was used to fire at the Turks and Roman legionnaires besieging the fortress walls, the cannon was completely rusty, an open-air museum, entrance to the fortress is free!!!

The most popular attractions in Tossa de Mar with descriptions and photographs for every taste. Choose the best places to visit famous places in Tossa de Mar on our website.

Tossa de Mar is a small cozy town located on the Spanish Costa Brava, famous both for its attractions.

Sights of Tossa de Mar. What to see, where to go in Tossa de Mar

Fortress of Tossa de Mar

The fortress or castle of Tossa de Mar is a complex of medieval buildings surrounded by a defensive wall with watchtowers.

Tossa de Mar Castle is also known as Vila Vella, which means "Old Town".

The history of the castle dates back to the 12th-14th centuries. It was erected as a defense against enemy attacks.

On the territory of the old town there are some significant attractions of Tossa, such as: defensive walls and towers; Gothic cross carved from stone; Tossa lighthouse; remains of the old church of Sant Vicente; the house of Sant Drap and the house of Batlle de Sac, where the Municipal Museum of the city is now located.

Promenade of Tosa de Mar

The Tossa de Mar promenade is a promenade that is one of the main places for walking and relaxing in the city.

Along the embankment there are cafes and restaurants, souvenir shops and places to relax, observation decks, monuments and sculptures, among which are notable:

Bronze statue dedicated to the Roman goddess of war and wisdom Minerva (Estatua de Minerva), located on one of the observation decks;

Mom Bunker (Búnquer) - a residential building known as the Bunker because it has an appearance unusual for buildings on the Spanish coast;

Plaza de España (Casa Sanz and Casa Ferrer)

House Sans(Casa Sans More), with one facade facing the embankment, and the second - on the Plaza of Spain (Plaça Espanya).

The house was commissioned by Joan Sanz in 1906.

Aesthetic eclecticism makes the building unique. The architecture subtly combines modernist elements with influences from colonial architecture. Over the course of history, the facades of the building have been changed, although some original elements still remain.

The house is decorated with modernist gargoyles depicting the seasons, decorated with multi-colored trencadís broken ceramics and wrought iron elements. The interior of the house has preserved: stained glass windows with floral motifs and a fireplace from the Art Nouveau era, as well as a marble staircase and a fountain with a statue of Diana the Huntress, dating back to the first half of the 1900s.

Now within the walls of the house there is a 4-star Hotel Diana with a terrace overlooking the sea.

House of Sens, view from the embankment

Sans is adjacent to the house house brother ferrer(Ca les Germanes Ferrer), built in 1905 and distinguished by such elements as a gallery on the top floor; ornaments located on the facade of the building (above the windows and under the cornices), as well as a sculptural shield in the central part of the facade, above which you can see the date “1905”.

In the photo, the Sanz house is on the left, the Ferrer house is on the right (view from Plaza de España)

Plaza de España

Church of San Vicens

The parish church of San Vicente or St. Vincent (Iglesia parroquial de San Vicente / Església parroquial de Sant Vicenç) is the main and largest church in Tossa de Mar.

The shrine was built in 1775 in the neoclassical style and opened in 1776, after 20 years of construction.

The church is dedicated to the martyr Vincent of Zaragoza.

The church, which is quite simple in appearance, is notable for its spacious main nave and side chapels.

Chapel of Our Lady of the Savior of Drowning People

Chapel of the Virgin of Socorro (Capilla de la Virgen del Socorro) is a small snow-white chapel located in the very center of Tossa.

The chapel was built in the 16th century and is said to have been founded by the sailor Anthony Caixa, who erected the shrine in gratitude to the Virgen del Socorro for saving him from a shipwreck.

The chapel that can be seen today is the result of an 18th century renovation. It is a rectangular building with a lowered arched portal, a niche and a round window at the top, which is closed by a simple bell tower.

The chapel is located in a place formerly called Camp de la Creu (Meadow of the Landmark Cross), because this is where the Landmark Cross was located. The chapel, nestled at the intersection of roads - the royal road to Girona and the local one to Lloret - subsequently became an important religious center and was visited by passing sailors and merchants.

House of Ganga

The Ganga House or Leandre House (Can Ganga / Can Leandre) is a former 16th-century farmhouse, one of the first to be built outside the walls, where some Gothic lintels, a large portal and a protective part on the upper floor are still preserved.

The Ganges House is a striking example of former fortified houses, since during construction this was necessary, since the houses stood near the sea and could become easy prey for the enemy.

In the decor of the central window you can see small sculptures of angels. In the interior of the house, an old fresco found in living rock has been preserved.

The two names of the house with which it is known come from two owners, the famous family Ganga and Leandro Macaya Xibert.

House of Mas Rabassa

Old Mas Rabassa (Antiguo Mas Rabassa) is a farmhouse built outside the city, possibly in the fourteenth century.

The current appearance of the house corresponds to the reforms carried out in the 16th and 17th centuries.

This house is also a classic example of a fortified house with a square watchtower with loopholes (16th century). Also noteworthy is the 17th century guard canopy balcony-turret located on one of the corners of the house.

Other houses in Tossa de Mar

The 16th to 18th centuries were the heyday of the city of Tossa de Mar. The population constantly increased and the city expanded. In those days, new buildings were built with the architecture characteristic of the era.

Some of the houses still survive in Tossa and are now listed buildings. On such houses you can see: dates, ornaments, shields and small sculptures, as well as distinctive finishing features, such as windows with stone sills, cornices, portals and original 18th-century doors.

To see the “old” houses of Tossa, you just need to walk along the streets of the city.

Roman Villa Ametliers

Roman Villa dels Ametllers (Villa romana dels Ametllers) is an archaeological excavation area, which is an open-air museum of antiquity.

The archaeological excavations of the villa in Tossa are of great historical significance and testify to the rich past of the region, which once housed the province of Ancient Rome - Tarraco.

The villa was founded in the 1st century BC and remained in use until the 5th and 6th centuries AD. This was a rural villa for growing grapes and exporting wine.

From an architectural point of view, the villa consisted of two differentiated areas:

The upper one is the residential "pars urbana", where you can see partially preserved floor mosaics, the remains of rooms, a patio with a fountain and thermae (Roman baths);

Old Hospital of San Miguel

The Old Hospital of San Miguel (antiguo Hospital de San Miguel) is located opposite Villa Ametllers.

The Hospital of San Miguel or the Asylum of St. Michael was founded in 1773 as a hospital for the poor, thanks to the legacy of Tomas Vidal y Rey, who, having traveled to America and became rich there, returned to his homeland and left part of his fortune for the construction of the hospital.

In 1903, the hospital was converted into a convent for nuns and a school.

Now within the walls of the old hospital there is a cultural center (Casa de la Cultura) with a courtyard and a chapel dedicated to San Miguel (Saint Miguel / Capella de Sant Miquel).

Moorish Tower

The Moorish Tower, also known as the Tower of the Moors, the Tower of del Moros or Can Magí (Torre dels Moros / de Can Magí) is a typical example of the watchtowers that, at the behest of Philip II, were built in the 16th century along the entire Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula, for the purpose of defense population and territories from raids and robberies by pirates from North Africa.

Communication between the towers was maintained using smoke signals during the day and lights at night. In case of danger, the watchmen warned the residents so that they had time to take refuge behind the fortress walls.

The tower at Tossa was built according to the generally accepted model of the time - two-story, with plank flooring, embrasures and loopholes. The tower was restored in 1997.

Sculptures and monuments

Also notable in Tossa are the monuments and sculptures located in different parts of the city and near the coast.

For example, the monument to the fisherman's wife (a la Dona del Pescador), located in the open area of ​​the old town near Codolar beach; sculptural composition of the old market, etc.

Hiking routes

Hiking tourist routes (trails) running both along the coast and further away from them are popular among holidaymakers in Tossa.

Walking along these routes can be an excellent way to spend time, and will also provide an opportunity to get to know the surrounding area of ​​the city and the coast of Tossa de Mar.

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Weather in Tossa de Mar by months:

*This table displays weather averages collected over more than three years

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HOLIDAY PRICES:

How much does a holiday in Tossa de Mar cost? October 2018.

tour cost

The tour was purchased through the early booking program at Pegas Touristik. The cost of the tour for four (two adults and two children - 12 years old and 3 years old), Tossa Beach 4* hotel, all inclusive for 8 days/7 nights amounted to 130 thousand rubles. This is flight + accommodation + insurance + group transfer, but excluding the cost of a Schengen visa.

Documents for visas were submitted later, for visas they paid 6 thousand per person, but children under 6 years old receive a Spanish Schengen visa for free, so the cost of visas for our company was 18 thousand. A nice bonus is that the Spaniards have opened up multiple visas for us, which are valid for two years.

There is a lot to see in Spain, the excursion program in this country is very interesting, but with children we mainly prefer a beach holiday. We only took a sightseeing tour of Barcelona, ​​costing 30 euros per person. I liked the excursion; it turned out to be an easy, easy walk through one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

But we received a much greater impression from another excursion - visiting a football match with the participation of FC Barcelona and its living legend Leonel Messi at the famous Camp Nou stadium. This pleasure is not cheap, tickets cost 115 euros per person (we went alone with our eldest son), but the impressions we received, the crazy energy that Barca fans give, are definitely worth the money.

True, on the Camp Nou website you can buy tickets for Barça matches much cheaper, for 55 euros, but then the question will arise of how to get from Tossa to the stadium and back, in our case, from the Tossa bus station, the ticket holders for the match were picked up by a club bus FC Barcelona and brought them to the entrance to the stadium, after the match the same bus took everyone back to Tossa. Very comfortably.

Food and products

Prices for food and wine in stores are quite reasonable. For example, the famous vacuum-packed jamon can even be bought for 1 euro. And we bought a five-liter canister of good Sangria for only 5 euros. Prices for wines vary, but for 5-8 euros you can buy quite decent wines. Although very cheap young wine in boxes, which can be purchased for literally a couple of euros, the quality is also very, very pleasing.

Total money spent on vacation

Helpful information?

Holiday impressions in August

The temperature in early August in the Costa Brava is comfortable, but the sea was no longer very calm: when the flag is yellow, the waves literally knock you off your feet and don’t allow you to rise, so it’s worth keeping in mind that perhaps a couple of days will be lost from your beach holiday - for wind and bad weather.

What to take with you on vacation?

You shouldn’t go to Spain in general and Catalonia in particular without sunscreen! Of course, you can buy it locally, but all the information on the label will be in Catalan, plus the cost is higher than in Russia. I also advise you to take panthenol, because there is a chance of getting sunburned even just walking down the street.

If you are planning to go to Barcelona, ​​bring clothes in which you can visit the temples (covered shoulders and knees), since the cost of scarves at the cathedral is 150 euros per piece.

Where is the best place to stay?

Tossa de Mar is dotted with hotels, even if you choose a hotel not on the first coastline, the walk to the sea is very short, a maximum of 10-15 minutes. If you have a hotel without meals, don’t worry, there are a lot of cafes where you can have an inexpensive snack of croissants or local sandwiches.

What to do at the resort?

Be sure to visit the fortified city of Villa Vella, located on the banks of Tossa, and the municipal museum in it: paintings by Chagall, Picasso, Dali are exhibited there, and the entrance costs only a few euros.

By going to the tourist center you can get a free map of local attractions; you can see them all in one day, even if you come here for the weekend from Barcelona.

On the shore you can buy a ticket for a boat trip to underwater caves lasting about an hour and a half - I highly recommend it, the feeling is indescribable.

In Tossa itself there are three beaches with small, small pebbles (for some reason they write everywhere that there is sand, but in Tossa itself there is none! Well, or it is very large and rocky!), there are no cabins, there are two toilets on the beach and then a little further away. If you use a boat that takes you on an excursion, you can get to the sandy beaches, drive for about 15 minutes, but you can only return until 18:00, then the boats don’t go and you’ll be stuck in the bay until the next morning.

I didn’t like that a lot of boats come to the main beach (there is a pier and a makeshift pier, but they also stop in other places).

For shopping, it is better to go to Barcelona or Girona; in Tossa, prices are above average and the choice is much smaller. Here I advise you to take only souvenirs, since there are many ceramic products (magnets, coasters, pictures, figurines, etc.).

Although food prices in the supermarket are higher than in Barcelona (they are about the same as here), you can even eat a little cheaper in a cafe/restaurant. The ubiquitous bocadillos cost from 4 euros, bravos potatoes - 3.5, meat with a side dish - 12 euros. The further from the beach, the cheaper. I didn’t eat anything super tasty, the portions were quite average, but you won’t leave hungry.

Entertainment

If we talk about the beach, then there is no entertainment there, only the sea excursion “Feel the Costa Bravo” (cost 17 euros per person), but if you have visited it once, you will not go again. The city has several nightclubs, a museum, a church, and the remains of an ancient fortress. If you want a more party place, it is better to choose neighboring Lloret de Mar.

Pros of a holiday in Tossa de Mar

A beautiful and calm place, clean air, everything is close. The castle is sooo beautiful, I was ready to walk in it every day, it captivated me.

An hour's drive from Barcelona, ​​high in the mountains, against the backdrop of stunningly picturesque landscapes, lies the most unusual monastery that has survived to this day - Sant Miquel del Fai. The monastery is located in a natural cave surrounded by mountains, forests, waterfalls, stalactite grottoes and rivers. An amazing and unique place where nature and the desire to know God merged together...

The first mention of this monastery dates back to 997. Until 1557, a community of Benedictine monks lived in the monastery. Then it began to be managed by priests who did not take a vow of seclusion. And already in the 19th century, the monastery was discovered by romantic writers who told the world about its history, legends and the extraordinary beauty of those places.

In the church, special attention should be paid to the tombstone of Count Guillemy Berenguer...