The southern end of La Costa Brava is home to three of its most famous towns: Blanes, Lloret de Mar, and Tossa de Mar. Blanes is the only Costa Brava town with a direct rail service to and from Barcelona; Lloret was one of the first resorts to gain international fame for its package holidays and party scene; and Tossa is renowned for its beautiful old town and fort overlooking its beach.
Southern La Costa Brava
Costa Brava South has the advantage (or disadvantage, depending on your point of view) of being the most easily accessible part of La Costa Brava from the Catalan capital, Barcelona – not only because of its southern location but also because there is a railway line running along the coast from Barcelona to Blanes, the first in Catalunya and, in fact, all of Spain.
Once in Blanes, visitors can hop on a local bus that connects the three towns. If you’re in for a good walk, why not follow the stunning La Costa Brava coastal trail, known as the Camino de Ronda? In total, it takes about six hours to walk from Tossa de Mar along the coast to Blanes via Lloret, but of course, you don’t have to do it all in one go. All three towns are in the comarca (county) of La Selva, the southernmost not only on La Costa Brava but also in the provĂncia de Girona.
Blanes
Known in Roman times as Blanda or Blandae, Blanes is nowadays more commonly referred to as the Gateway to La Costa Brava. As in the entire La Costa Brava region, indigenous Iberians were already living here before the Romans arrived. After the Romans departed, it was occupied by the Goths and subsequently by the Moors. After the Reconquista, it became part of the Crown of Aragón and, eventually, Spain. Blanes was reduced to little more than ashes during the Reapers’ War in the 1600s and suffered further damage in the War of Spanish Succession. When peace returned, the town had to be virtually rebuilt.
Today, Blanes is a town of approximately 41,900 inhabitants (2024), renowned for its numerous events and activities throughout the year, most notably its Festa Major de Santa Anna and the International Fireworks Competition, which takes place as part of the festivities.
It is also known for its Marimurta Botanic Gardens, located just north of the port. The 11-hectare Marimurtra Botanic Gardens were founded in 1924 by German entrepreneur and naturalist Carl Faust and are regarded as among the most beautiful in the Mediterranean. Of the total area, four hectares feature three carefully planned thematic zones: subtropical, temperate, and regional coastal. The remaining seven hectares form a pine forest with walking routes through cork oaks, holm oaks, and myrtle bushes. The name Marimurtra comes from mar (sea) and murtra (myrtle).
There is also a 16th-century convent and, as in several towns on La Costa Brava, you will find colonial-style Indiano houses built by returning emigrants who made their fortune in the Americas, especially the Caribbean. Oh, and of course, there are some beautiful beaches and coves. Apart from the main town beach, there is a longer and larger beach just to the south called Platja de S’Abanell, plus several smaller coves. From here, the coastline curves north towards another of La Costa Brava’s most famous destinations.
Wave goodbye to Blanes and follow the coast north, where you’ll arrive in Lloret de Mar, one of La Costa Brava’s most famous beach towns.
Lloret de Mar
Six kilometres to the north, Lloret de Mar has a similar population to Blanes, with around 42,100 residents in 2024, but is an altogether different type of town. Lloret is the best-known internationally of the three towns, as it began to open up to package tourism in the 1950s and was the first to experience the post-Franco tourist boom in the 1970s. It still retains some of that vibe to this day. It is said that Lloret has the highest concentration of hotels in the entire Mediterranean, and it has even been claimed that there are more hotels there than in Greece! We’re not sure if that’s true (who keeps track of these things anyway?), but there are a lot of hotels!
Lauretum was what the Romans called the place way back when, supposedly because there were so many laurel trees, and that later evolved to Laureto by medieval times. At the northern end of the main beach, there is a small castle, Castell d’en Plaja, with fantastic views. As the walk up to it is pretty steep, most people admire it from the beach below. Despite its medieval appearance, the castle was built in the 1930s and is privately owned.
Although it has several sights of cultural and historical interest, it is known mainly for its nightlife scene. It attracts a younger crowd due to its many discos and nightclubs, most of which stay open until 6 am. Once the hangovers have eased, there are also numerous options for water sports and other activities.
Lloret has a second beach to the south of town called Platja de Fenals, which is somewhat quieter than the main beach. At the southern end of this beach are the famous Jardins de Santa Clotilde, which gained even more fame as one of the filming locations for the Game of Thrones spin-off, House of the Dragon.
Suppose you decide to walk from town to Platja de Fenals along the Camino de Ronda. You’ll pass a statue of La Dona Marinera (Fisherman’s Wife) looking out to sea, hoping to catch sight of her husband returning to port after weeks or months away. This is a nod to the days before tourism became the primary source of income in Lloret de Mar, when the town relied on fishing for its livelihood. It also once had a significant cork industry, but that disappeared when tourism took off.
Lloret has a few other beaches a little further from the town but still within the municipality, most notably Platja de Canyelles north of the town, and Platja Santa Cristina and Platja de sa Boadella (popular with naturists) to the south.
Leaving Lloret behind, follow the coast north to one of the most iconic spots on La Costa Brava: Tossa de Mar.
Tossa de Mar
And so to Tossa de Mar, arguably the pick of the three towns. Tossa is one of the most iconic towns on La Costa Brava, and it is not hard to understand why. Its beautifully preserved old town, complete with cobblestone streets and fortifications, overlooks the fine main beach, once named one of the best in the world by National Geographic in 2013. It was known as Turissa in Roman times and Tursa in medieval times, before eventually becoming Tossa de Mar, as it is known today.
It is smaller than Blanes and Lloret, with a year-round population of about 6,200 people, although that figure grows considerably during the summer. At one end of the beach, there’s a statue of the Roman goddess of wisdom, Minerva, looking out to sea with superb views towards the medieval walled town, La Vila Vella, at the other end.
The old town was built as a fort with a castle on its highest point during the 12th century. The castle was later replaced, first by a windmill and then by a still-operational lighthouse. Situated at the southern end of the main beach with views over the bay, Tossa de Mar is the only example of a fortified medieval village that still exists today on the coast of Catalunya. It played a crucial role in defending against pirates who plagued the Mediterranean for centuries during the Middle Ages.
When King Felipe II, known as Felipe el Prudente, ascended to the throne of Spain in 1556, he set about building defensive watchtowers within sight of each other along the Mediterranean coast to warn of Barbary pirate attacks. If raiders were spotted, a fire would be lit to raise the alarm, and the signal relayed from tower to tower, much like in the “Lighting of the Beacons” scene in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. A fine example of one such tower can still be seen today overlooking the Vila Vella of Tossa de Mar, and although its name is Torre de Can MagĂ, it is also known as the Torre des Moros, or “Tower of the Moors”.
Perfectly preserved since the 14th century, the walled medieval town and fortifications have made it an ideal filming location over the years. The movie most famously filmed there was Pandora and the Flying Dutchman, probably most famous for its biggest star, Ava Gardner, and her lover, Frank Sinatra, who travelled to the town when he began to suspect she was cheating on him with one of her co-stars. It turned out Sinatra was right, and the ensuing drama and media scandal, along with all the related gossip, put Tossa de Mar on the international map. There is a statue of Ava Gardner in the old town of Tossa today, perhaps as a thank you for all the publicity.
Apart from Ava Gardner and the beautifully preserved walled medieval town, Tossa de Mar has some stunning beaches. The main beach was named in National Geographic’s Top 25 back in 2013, but there are plenty of others. Immediately below the Vila Vella, to the other side, is Cala Es Codola, and just to the north of town is the larger Platja Mar Menuda.
Cim i Tomba
Like much of La Costa Brava, local gastronomy in Tossa de Mar celebrates the bounty of the sea. Alongside classic Catalan dishes, the town has its own speciality: cim i tomba – find the recipe here.
From 1 – 30 September 2025, the annual La Cuina del Cim i Tomba campaign sees participating restaurants across Tossa serving special menus featuring this heritage dish.
The origins go back to Tossa’s fishermen, who spent long hours at sea. On board, they carried a small stove, charcoal, a mortar and an iron pot, plus potatoes, onions, garlic, tomatoes, peppers, oil and spices like saffron. One of their go-to meals was cim i tomba, a hearty yet traditional fish and vegetable stew. Today, it is often made with anglerfish, turbot, cod or ray, and remains a delicious reminder of the town’s seafaring roots.
Boat Trips
If you’re not really into walking, a more leisurely alternative is to take a boat excursion. linking Blanes, Lloret and Tossa de Mar, a scenic way to experience the coast.
Fondo Cristal
During this trip, Fondo Cristal offers scenic cruises and transfers by glass-bottom catamaran, ideal for discovering the coastline between Lloret and Tossa. Along the way, take in views of cliffs, coves and caves, and see the underwater world through the glass bottom. Season: from May to October, with several daily departures. No sailings in the winter period. Check the current timetable on the Fondo Cristal website for updated times and prices.
Dofi Jet Boats
Dofi Jet Boats operates a hop-on, hop-off service along the southern Costa Brava, stopping at Calella, Pineda, Santa Susanna, Malgrat, Blanes, Lloret, and Tossa de Mar. Choose a one-way trip, a return, or a day pass to explore at different stops. Season: generally from April to late October, with multiple sailings per day in high season. Check the Dofi Jet Boats website for the latest timetable, prices and details.
So, there you have it! Three different towns on the southern Costa Brava, each with its own character and charm. Whichever one you choose as your particular favourite, they all have lovely beaches and coves, beautiful sights to behold, lots of local history, delicious cuisine, and plenty of great restaurants. And if you can’t choose just one, a boat trip between them is the perfect way to experience all three in a day. NjOY!
