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 província de Girona.
Blanes
Known in Roman times as Blanda or Blandae, Blanes is nowadays better known as the Gateway to La Costa Brava. As in the rest of the 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 during 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, 4 hectares are divided into 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. Its old town is immediately recognisable, with cobblestone streets and medieval fortifications overlooking Platja Gran, which National Geographic included among its 25 best beaches in the world 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 around 6,300 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 towards the medieval walled town, La Vila Vella, at the other end.
The walled enclosure of Vila Vella was built in the early 13th century to protect the town from pirate attacks. At its highest point stood a rectangular castle with a watchtower, later replaced by the still-operational lighthouse. Situated at the southern end of the main beach, Tossa de Mar is the only fortified medieval village still standing on the Catalan coast. Most of its original walls and battlements remain intact.
When King Felipe II, known as Felipe el Prudente, ascended the Spanish throne in 1556, defensive watchtowers were built along the Mediterranean coast to warn of attacks by Barbary pirates. If raiders were spotted, signals were 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: The Return of the King. One of these towers can still be seen overlooking Vila Vella. Known as Torre de Can Magí or Torre des Moros, it was part of the local warning system, along with other coastal watchtowers.
The walled medieval town and fortifications have also made Tossa an obvious filming location over the years. The movie most famously filmed here was Pandora and the Flying Dutchman, starring Ava Gardner and James Mason.
The 1950 filming also brought Frank Sinatra to Tossa amid rumours about Gardner and her co-star, Catalan actor and bullfighter Mario Cabré. The resulting attention helped introduce Tossa de Mar to a much wider international audience. Today, a statue of Ava Gardner stands in Vila Vella, a reminder of the town’s brief but memorable encounter with Hollywood.
Apart from Ava Gardner and the medieval old town, Tossa de Mar has plenty of beaches and small coves. Platja Gran was included in National Geographic’s Top 25 in 2013, and Platja d’Es Codolar sits just behind Vila Vella. Just north of the centre is the larger Platja Mar Menuda.
Cim i Tomba
Tossa de Mar has its own local speciality: cim i tomba – find the recipe here.
From 1 September to 4 October 2026, the annual La Cuina del Cim i Tomba campaign sees participating restaurants across Tossa serving special menus featuring this traditional fishermen’s dish.
It began with 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 such as saffron. One of the meals they prepared was cim i tomba, made with fish from the day’s catch and the ingredients they had on board. Today, it is often prepared with fish such as anglerfish, turbot, cod or ray and remains part of Tossa’s traditional cuisine.
Boat Trips
If you’re not really into walking, you can also see Tossa from the water. Boat excursions run along this stretch of coast during the warmer months, with routes to nearby coves and connections to other towns.
Fondo Cristal
Fondo Cristal operates glass-bottom boat trips from Tossa de Mar, heading north along the coast towards coves including Cala Pola and Cala Giverola. You can stay on board for the full excursion or get off at Cala Giverola and return on a later boat. Services are seasonal and schedules can change, so check the current timetable and prices before you go.
Dofi Jet Boats
Dofi Jet Boats operates boat services along the southern coast, connecting Tossa de Mar with Lloret, Blanes, Malgrat, Santa Susanna, Pineda and Calella. You can use the service for a coastal excursion or to travel between different stops. Schedules vary through the season, so check the latest departure times and ticket options before travelling.
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.