Tossa de Mar Vila Vella on a Private Costa Brava Day

The Tossa de Mar Vila Vella is the walled medieval old town on the headland above Tossa's main beach, and it is the main reason to spend a day there. On the private Costa Brava, Tossa de Mar and Panoramic Boat Ride from Barcelona, your group of up to 6 reaches it by boat from Lloret de Mar, for €865 per group.

Key takeaways

• The Vila Vella is the old walled quarter of Tossa de Mar: stone walls, towers and steep lanes on a rocky headland that drops straight into the sea.
• The private day trip is called Costa Brava, Tossa de Mar and Panoramic Boat Ride. It runs about 10 hours, with hotel pick-up and drop-off in Barcelona.
• The price is €865 for the whole group of up to 6, with your own vehicle and professional guide. It is not a per-person price.
• The route goes Lloret de Mar, a panoramic boat ride along the cliffs to Tossa de Mar, a walk through the old town, free time on the beach, then Sant Feliu de Guixols.
• A shared tour with the same name exists, priced per person. Shared Catalonia day trips with hotel pick-up cost €135 to €200 per person, in groups of up to 8.
• Food and drinks are not included. Gratuities are optional. Swimming depends on the weather.
• Every tour can be cancelled or moved to another date free of charge up to 96 hours before it starts.

What is the Vila Vella in Tossa de Mar?

Vila Vella means "old town" in Catalan. In Tossa de Mar it refers to the fortified quarter that sits on the rocky point at the southern end of the bay, enclosed by medieval walls and towers that still stand around most of it.

From the beach, the Vila Vella looks like a small castle rising out of the rocks. That is why the private tour page describes it as a medieval castle watching over the old town. Up close, it is a cluster of narrow cobbled lanes, stone houses, small squares and stairways that climb toward the top of the headland.

At the highest point there is a lighthouse and a set of viewpoints. From there you look back over the curve of the main beach, the newer town behind it and, on the other side, the open Mediterranean and the cliffs running north along the Costa Brava.

The walls are the part most people photograph. You can walk beside them, pass through the gateways and look out from the gaps between towers. Below the walls, the bay and the beach make a frame that has drawn painters and photographers to Tossa for a long time.

Near the walls you will also find a statue of the actress Ava Gardner, who filmed in Tossa when it was still a quiet fishing town. It is a small detail, but it explains part of how the town became known outside Catalonia.

What makes the Vila Vella different from other Costa Brava towns?

Plenty of towns on the Costa Brava have a pretty old centre. Tossa is unusual because its medieval quarter is still walled and sits right on the water. You do not have to imagine where the defences were: you walk along them.

Pals, for example, is a hilltop medieval village a little inland. Calella de Palafrugell is a fishing village with whitewashed houses on small coves. Sant Feliu de Guixols, which you also see on this day, has a seafront promenade and a more polished, town-like feel. Tossa sits between them: a beach town with a fortified old quarter on top.

Is Tossa de Mar worth a day from Barcelona?

For most visitors who want one day on the coast, yes. Tossa combines three things that rarely come together in one stop: a walled old town, a proper sandy beach right below it, and clear water in the coves either side.

It suits you well if:

• you want history and the sea in the same day, without a long museum visit;
• you like walking, but in short, varied stretches rather than a long hike;
• someone in your group wants beach time while others prefer to explore;
• you would rather see the coast from the water than only from a road.

It suits you less if your main interest is Roman or Greek archaeology. In that case the other private coast day, which walks the ruins at Empuries and takes a boat to the Medes Islands, is the closer match. The post on the other private coast day, Empuries and the Medes Islands covers that route in detail, and Tossa or Empuries: choosing a private Costa Brava day puts the two side by side.

It also suits you less if a medieval city is the priority. Girona's old town and Jewish Quarter are larger and more complex than Tossa's Vila Vella, and they appear on separate private day trips.

How does the private Costa Brava day reach Tossa?

The private tour does not drive straight to Tossa. It reaches the town from the sea, which is the part many guests remember most. Here is the order of the day, as listed for the private Costa Brava, Tossa de Mar and Panoramic Boat Ride.

Hotel pick-up in Barcelona

Your guide collects your group from your hotel or apartment in Barcelona in a vehicle reserved for you. The address is confirmed when you book, and the pick-up time is agreed before the day. There is no meeting point to find and no coach station to reach.

Lloret de Mar

The first stop is Lloret de Mar, a busy resort town on the southern Costa Brava. You have a guided walk through the town before the boat. For many groups this is a useful stretch of the legs after the drive north.

The panoramic boat ride to Tossa de Mar

From Lloret de Mar a panoramic boat follows the coast to Tossa de Mar. The route passes rugged cliffs and small coves that are hard to see from the road. As the boat comes round the last headland, the walls of the Vila Vella appear above the bay. Arriving this way shows you the old town the way sailors and fishermen saw it.

Tossa de Mar and the Vila Vella

In Tossa you walk the old town with your guide: the walls, the towers, the lanes inside the walled quarter and the viewpoints near the top. Because the vehicle and guide are reserved for your group, the pace can flex. If someone wants to linger at the lighthouse, or you would rather spend longer inside the walls than at the viewpoints, that can be adjusted on the day. The core route stays close to the listed one.

Free time on the beach

After the walk there is free time on the beach below the old town. If the weather allows, there is a chance to swim in a secluded cove. This is the time for a coffee by the water, lunch at your own expense or simply sitting on the sand with the walls behind you.

Sant Feliu de Guixols

The last stop is Sant Feliu de Guixols, a quieter and more elegant seaside town with a long promenade. You have a guided walk here before the drive back.

Return to Barcelona

The day ends with drop-off at your accommodation in Barcelona, in the same private vehicle.

If you are weighing this up against getting there on your own, the post on getting to the Costa Brava without a car explains the public transport options and what they involve.

How long do you get in Tossa, and what can you do there?

The whole private day runs about 10 hours from pick-up to drop-off. Tossa de Mar is the centre of it: you arrive by boat, walk the old town with your guide, and then have free time on the beach before moving on to Sant Feliu de Guixols.

The tour does not publish a fixed number of minutes for each stop, and it would not be honest to give one here. What a private tour does give you is control over the balance. A group that wants more beach time and less walking can say so. A group that wants to explore every lane of the Vila Vella can ask the guide to slow down there.

Things to look for inside the walls

• The walls and towers. Walk along the outside first for the full view, then go through a gateway into the old quarter.
• The lanes. Inside, the streets are narrow, cobbled and often stepped. They open onto small squares with views out to sea.
• The lighthouse and viewpoints. Near the top of the headland, the lighthouse area gives the widest view of the bay and coast.
• The view back down to the beach. From the upper walls, the main beach curves away below you. It is the classic photograph of Tossa.

Things to do outside the walls

• The main beach. The sandy beach in front of the old town is the obvious place for free time.
• The coves. Smaller coves sit either side of the town. Swimming depends on the sea and the weather.
• The newer town. Behind the beach are cafes, shops and restaurants, useful for lunch before Sant Feliu.

How much walking is involved?

The Vila Vella sits on a slope, so expect steps, uneven stone and some climbing. Lloret de Mar and Sant Feliu de Guixols are flatter walks along the seafront and through the centre. Overall, the day involves several shorter walks rather than one long one, broken up by the boat and the drives.

If anyone in your group finds steps hard, mention it before booking. The guide can choose an easier line through the old town and spend more time at the lower walls and the beach.

What does the €865 per group cover, and what costs extra?

The private Costa Brava, Tossa de Mar and Panoramic Boat Ride costs €865 for the whole group of up to 6. That is the price whether two of you travel or six. The tour is private: the vehicle and guide are reserved for your group, and no one else joins.

Included

• Private hotel pick-up and drop-off in Barcelona
• A private vehicle and a professional guide for the day
• A guided walk in Lloret de Mar
• The panoramic boat ride from Lloret de Mar to Tossa de Mar
• A guided walk of Tossa de Mar old town, including the walls above the sea
• A guided walk in Sant Feliu de Guixols

Not included

• Food and drinks, including lunch in Tossa
• Gratuities, which are optional

Budget for lunch, coffee and anything you buy along the way. If you plan to swim, bring what you need for the beach, as nothing is provided for that.

How the price works for different group sizes

Because the €865 covers the whole group, the cost per traveller falls as more of you join, up to 6. A couple pays the same €865 as a group of six. Private tours are priced per group and shared tours are priced per person, so the two are not on the same basis, and it helps to compare them carefully rather than line up the headline numbers.

Private or shared: the two tours with the same name

There are two tours called Costa Brava, Tossa de Mar and Panoramic Boat Ride. One is private, the other is shared. They have the same name on purpose, and they cover the same coast, but they are booked and priced differently.

The shared version of the Tossa day also includes a panoramic boat ride to Tossa, a guided walk through the Vila Vella, the coastal road to Sant Feliu de Guixols and a stop at a cove for a swim, weather permitting.

When the private version makes sense

• You are a family or a group of friends and want to travel only with each other.
• Someone needs a slower pace, more rest stops or less climbing.
• You would like to spend longer in the Vila Vella, or longer on the beach, than a set group schedule would allow.
• You prefer a vehicle that waits for you rather than a fixed departure time.

When the shared version makes sense

• You are travelling alone or as a couple and are happy to join others.
• You are comfortable with a set pace and schedule.
• You want the same coastline and the old town walk, priced per person.

Compare the private price with the shared one as a total for your group, not as a per-person figure, since one is per group and the other per person.

What to bring for a Tossa day

A day on the Costa Brava mixes town walking, a boat and the beach, so pack for all three. The guide to what to pack for a Costa Brava day goes route by route; for Tossa, these are the essentials.

• Shoes with grip. The Vila Vella has cobbles, steps and smooth stone that can be slippery. Sandals with no grip are a poor choice for the old town.
• Swimwear and a small towel. Swimming is only possible when the weather and sea allow, but it is worth having them in case.
• Sun protection. Hat, sunscreen and sunglasses. The viewpoints and the beach have little shade.
• A light layer. On the water the breeze can feel cooler than on land, even on a warm day.
• Water. Food and drinks are not included, so carry water for the walks.
• Cash or a card for lunch. You pay for your own meal in Tossa or along the way.
• A bag for wet things. Useful if you swim before the drive to Sant Feliu de Guixols.

Practical notes before you book

• Lead time. A few days of notice is usually enough. For spring and early autumn dates, book at least a week ahead.
• Weather. The beach time and any swim depend on conditions on the day. The boat ride and the walks are the fixed core.
• Your pick-up address. Have your hotel or apartment address ready when you book. The pick-up time is agreed before the day.
• Requests. If you have a preference, such as more time in the old town or extra rest stops, send it before booking. The pace can flex, though the core route stays close to the listed one.
• Mobility. Tell the team about anyone who finds steps or uneven ground hard, so the guide can plan an easier line through Tossa.

Cancelling or changing your date

Every tour, private or shared, can be cancelled free of charge or moved to another date up to 96 hours before it starts. Refunds go back to the original payment method within a few business days. A no-show is not refunded.

This matters on a coast day, because the sea and the weather play a part. If the forecast looks poor several days out, you can move the date while the free change still applies. The full terms are on the cancellation policy page of the site.

Conclusion

Tossa de Mar's Vila Vella is a walled medieval town on the sea, and the private Costa Brava, Tossa de Mar and Panoramic Boat Ride reaches it from the water, by boat from Lloret de Mar, then adds beach time and Sant Feliu de Guixols. It runs about 10 hours, with hotel pick-up in Barcelona, for €865 per group of up to 6.

To check a date or send a request, message Private Tour in Barcelona on WhatsApp at +34 632 93 79 41 or write to [email protected]. You can also book directly from the tour page.