Tossa Info

General information and facts about the weather & climate

Here we have some general information about Tossa de Mar. We hope you find it helpful and interesting!

Of course, if you have any useful information to add please let us know! E-mail us at info@tossacostabrava.com!

This is the information covered in this section:

Related links and downloads:

A little blue paradise

Tossa de Mar, ‘flower of the sea’, ‘paradise blue’, stands out as one of the Costa Brava’s most notable resorts.

Here, the high rise hotels and burger-bar littered promenades that neighbouring resorts are so renowned for have been cast aside to allow Tossa’s illustrious past and fervent cultural heritage to freely ooze from it’s well preserved monuments.

Tossa’s transformation from fishing village to tourist resort was subtle and subdued. Here there is a wonderful lack of commercialisation. But of course, the thousands of tourists that arrive every year from all over the world are well catered for and welcomed with open arms.

Planning regulations mean that developments must be in-keeping with the town’s important and celebrated cultural heritage. No high-rise buildings are permitted, so thankfully views from the countless ‘miradors’ (viewpoints) of Tossa remain unspoilt.

Tossa offers a little bit of everything: peaceful secluded coves and unspoilt beaches along its coastline, quality services for its tourists, parks and forests for walkers, a stunning mountainous backdrop and a plethora of monuments and historical sights….

Take a tour through Tossa and witness some of its most spectacular views – download the Tossa by Day and Tossa by Night photo movies

The Vila Vella

“The turrets of this walled town set the perfect frame for a stunning photograph. Here at one of the most spectacular viewpoints of the Vila Vella, your eyes will meet a sea of whitewashed buildings topped with terracotta tiles, melting into the mountainous backdrop, and your ears will absorb the roar of the tenacious Mediterranean beating onto Playa Gran.”

Ask anyone who has been lucky enough to visit Tossa de Mar to describe the place. What springs to mind? Friendly, welcoming people; subtle modernisation; glorious scenery radiating through a mountainous stage set. Moderate climate; mouth-watering gastronomy. But ask these same people what they recall most about the place and the majority will agree: the most striking and certainly most photographed monument, the Vila Vella, which towers proudly over the resort’s main beach, the Playa Gran.

The Villa Vella, meaning ‘old town’ is a fortified village and one of several still standing on the Catalan coast. The protective surround of the village was used for hundreds of years, and was particularly effective against the frequent pirate onslaughts of the sixteenth century.

It was built during the twelfth century when the village was known as Tursia.  But the unmistakable view that has been preserved to this day and provides Tossa with it’s lordly, exceptional tone is the result of a reconstruction in 1387.

Whether you are lazing on the beach, sipping Sangria on the terrace of a bar along the Paseo del Mar, tucking into a dish of local fresh fish at one of the beach side restaurants, or taking an afternoon stroll, the Vila Vella will always dominate the vista before you.

As the evening draws in, the Vila Vella begins to take on a different expression: as its floodlights slowly start to fade in and reflect their orange hues onto a rippling sea, the magnificent monument becomes even more breathtaking. This captivating aspect becomes the subject of masses of photographs: camera flashes bounce around the bay and amazing shadows of late-night walkers appear on the ancient towers. You will become intoxicated by the atmosphere, and maybe too by the fine wine or Sangria!

For more information on the Vila Vella see the Things to do and History sections.

Download the Vila Vella Photo Movies:
Vila Vella (old town) Part 1
Vila Vella (old town) Part 2
Vila Vella (old town) Part 3 and the Lighthouse centre

Take the Vila Vella Virtual Tour (Broadband) (Dial-up)

The Vila Nova

The Vila Nova, or ‘new town’ blends harmoniously with the old town and offers a multitude of hotels, hostels, bars and restaurants. As you peruse the labyrinthesque streets, you’ll pass shop windows brimming with wares: jewellery glinting in the light of the sun; racks of cool linen clothes; rows of cream-filled, strawberry-dotted cakes; piles of rainbow-coloured ice-cream; intriguing art….and in between many a bar or cafeteria to stop off at for a drink, and, maybe a little tapas….

The new town is divided by a river which runs right through Tossa. Most of the time this river is dry and you can see only the dehydrated, cracked bed. But when there is a storm, or much rain in Tossa, the river can fill up very quickly and has been known to envelop its bridges!

Download the Vila Nova Photo Movie

Take the Vila Nova Virtual Tour (Broadband) (Dial-up)
Take the Vila Nova 2 and San Vicente Church Virtual Tour (Broadband) (Dial-up)

Who Holidays in Tossa?

Visitors to Tossa are traditionally the more discerning type and want more for its mysterious ambience, intoxicating atmosphere, and of course, naturally stunning scenery punctuated by its globally renowned historic monuments.

Tossa de Mar is suited to couples looking for a romantic hideaway, and those looking for some peace and quiet without being cut off from the services offered by a popular coastal resort. Due to the friendly nature of its people, the ease of making friends and the safety of the area, Tossa is also ideal for those who prefer to travel alone.

An Art Lover’s Paradise

Information: Museo Municipal: www.tossademar.com/museu/index.htm
Tourist Office: www.infotossa.com

“Perched on a rickety stall, on a cobbled incline of the Vila Vella, sits one of Tossa’s painters, skin sun-blackened, humming, whistling away as his paintbrush sweeps over the canvas. So used to tourists admiring his work, he will even pause whilst your camera clicks away!”

Tossa is an art lover’s paradise! During the early 20th century Marc Chagall and Picasso were magnetised to the area’s charm and attractiveness. The Costa Brava was the home of the famous surrealist artist Salvador Dalí, and you’ll see many reproductions of his work on sale in the local gift shops.

At the birth of the tourist trade, Tossa became a highly esteemed resort thanks to its flow of select visitors such as artists, novelists and poets. Tossa de Mar, as well as other local beauty spots such as Olot and Sitges, offered a deeply attractive focal point for these creative masters, and still does to this day. Now many of the area’s roads are named after highly famous painters, including Marc Chagall and Picasso.

Much of their work is displayed in the Museo Municipal, which is considered Spain’s first Modern Art Museum. Its renowned collection includes 19th and 20th Century Catalan pieces as well as the works of the artists who patronised Tossa over the years.

The Museo Municipal is located within the Vila Vella and is open throughout the year, although times do vary. Check with the Tourist Office or visit the museum website.

There are many art galleries in Tossa, so if you like art, you’ll not be disappointed. Art is also on sale in many of the general gift shops. Visit our Shops Directory for details of all the galleries and gift shops.

Climate & weather

Take a look at the Playa Gran and get the temperature: Webcam & Temperature
Weather link: Gerona weather from Yahoo
Weather link: Gerona weather from Intellicast

The Costa Brava is divided into three main sections. The southernmost is the La Selva district (meaning ‘the forest’) that stretches from Blanes to Begur. Here in this district, a mass of granite rock called the Serra de les Gavarres plunges into the sea from a height of 500 metres. This mass has a significant effect on the region’s climate. It protects it from the harsh north winds, meaning that even in the winter, Tossa can enjoy a temperate climate.

Temperatures soar during the summer months, and in spring and autumn remain nicely warm.

Sometimes you’ll get odd flukes with the weather. Storms are common in late summer and early spring, and if you are in Tossa towards the end of September you may experience the Tramontana.

Tramontana means ‘from the mountains’. It is a cold wind from the north or northeast tinged with cold air from the Alps and northern Apennines. It is associated with the advance of an anticyclone from the west following a depression over the Mediterranean, known as 'Genoa Low'. The Tramontana blows most frequent in winter, but may occur from mid-September through to April. It may reach force 8 on the Beaufort scale (35 to 40 knots) or even stronger during night to mid-morning, when it is enhanced by the land-sea breeze. It reaches its maximum just before sunrise and usually decreases to Beaufort force 5 (17 to 21 knots) during the afternoon.

There may be times when the sea becomes more vivacious than normal, where the waves reach right up the beach - an amazing sight to watch from the safety of the Vila Vella!

And you may even experience a whirlwind! There was one in September 2002. After a morning of hot sunshine, sunbathers were interrupted by a darkness coming in from the sea…then enthralled by the sight of a whirlwind sucking up the water and the cloud above getting bigger and darker! It was soon all over though, and normal sunbathing duties quickly resumed!

Seasons in the sun

Tossa’s tourist season is May to October, although there are still many things going on throughout the year, and you’ll find the major holidays, like Christmas and Easter, attract a number of visitors and there area number of hotels, bars and restaurants open during this time. Some hotels and restaurants open all year round. Check our directories for details of opening times.

It’s interesting to keep an eye on the webcam throughout the year, to see what Playa Gran looks like when all the tourists have gone home and all the boats have been locked safely away in their garages for the winter. You may even see snow on the beach, you never know!

AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURES

MONTH

MAX °C

MIN °C

HOURS OF SUN PER DAY

SEA °C

JAN

14

5

5

13

FEB

16

6

6

14

MARCH

18

8

6

13

APRIL

19

10

7

15

MAY

21

12

8

18

JUNE

26

16

9

21

JULY

28

20

10

22

AUG

28

20

9

24

SEPT

25

17

7

22

OCT

22

14

5

19

NOV

19

9

5

17

DEC

16

6

5

15