A day trip to Tossa de Mar

When I'm planning to visit a place I really like to look up any day trip ideas to nearby towns and villages. When I was surfing the net to see what is around Lloret de Mar I immediately got excited when I stumbled upon Tossa de Mar. Tossa de Mar is home to a unique attraction- the Old Town, or Vila Vella, which is the only walled city that survived along the Catalan coast. It is thought that the bastions of this Old Town go back to the 12^th Century.

Upon arrival to Tossa de Mar, together with my boyfriend, I made my way through the winding streets past a small white washed chapel to be greeted by the quaint Vila Vella. 

Within the walled city, we spent quite some time roaming the cobbled passageways, admiring the picturesque views while happily snapping away a couple of photos.

In this Old Town, there is also a lighthouse, 'El Far de Tossa', from where you will have a breathtaking view of the entire bay of Tossa and the coastline with the blue waters sparkling in the hot August sun. 

After some time walking around the alleyways in Old Town we went to unwind at the beach. It is a slightly crowded beach, although not as much as the one in Lloret de Mar. However, this pebbly beach still has its unique beauty as you will get a view of the Old Town majestically looking over the beach. 

After a day wandering around, our stomachs started to grumble so we went for a dinner in one of the many restaurants found in this small town. There are many too choose from who provide a three-course set menu at cheap prices with reasonably good food. The speciality is fish and seafood so make sure you try one of the many fish dishes on these menus which is sure to get your mouth watering. After that, satisfied with a good meal and with the sun beginning to set, we headed off to the bus station to return to Lloret de Mar. 

If you have more time to spend in Tossa de Mar there is also a Moorish Tower which provides some more marvelous views of the coastline and the Old Town. Other interesting places include the Roman Villa ruins and the Parish Church. For the shopping lovers, Tossa de Mar also houses several shops from high market fashion brands to the traditional ceramic sellers. 

A ceramic turtle

It is very easy to reach Tossa de Mar from Lloret de Mar by bus, operated by Sagales busses, which offers quite frequent service. You can also arrive there through a hiking trail from Lloret de Mar to Tossa de Mar which offers several breathtaking views along the coast. We decided to combine both so we hiked till Canyelles, a small town along the coast, from where we caught the bus to Tossa de Mar.   

Definitely worth a visit! 

All photos courtesy of Chris Balzia