Continental is in Tossa de Mar

Imagine a place where travelling through time, back to the past. Tossa de Mar is something like an outdoor museum. Its prehistoric remains from roman Turissa go through the medieval Tursa into modern Tossa. Once a meeting point for intellectuals (Marc Chagall, Picasso), now a very beloved touristic destination, Tossa de Mar is one of the most beautiful village in the Costa Brava.

Tossa de Mar is one of those typical coastal towns of the Empordà, where we find the pines growing and reaching sea, almost touching the water.

Tossa's economy, some centuries ago, was based on the cork and wine industry. However, the filming of 'Pandora' in 1950 (starring Ava Gardner), parallel to the beginning of the village as a tourist destination on the Costa Brava, turned this beautiful coastal location into one of the best known around the world. For this reason tourism has become the main economic engine of the town during last decades.

Tossa's origins are pre-Roman. Known as Turissa, it enjoys an exceptional geographic location, situated between Lloret de Mar (south) and Sant Feliu de Guixols (north). To get there you must take the road GI-682, which passes through the two mentioned locations. Both coming from Lloret and from Sant Feliu, the views from the road are fantastic. It is almost obligatory stop at one of the many panoramic viewpoints marked through the edge of the road to watch and take pictures of the views of the creeks that are visible from there. Through this way you can access beautiful and spectacular beaches such as Cala Giverola, Cala del Senyor Raimon, Cala Vallpresona, Cala Canyet, etc.

From Roman times Tossa still keeps the villa of Els Ametllers, located in av. of Pelegri, 3-5, near the Torre de Sant Magí (St. Magí Tower). Discovered by Dr. Ignasi Melee in 1914, it has its origin in the first century BC and was inhabited until the sixth century AD. It's really a great honor to Tossa to have one of the best towns in the former province of Tarraco, which has survived until today. In els Ametllers the owners cultivated grapes and exported wine to the rest of the Roman Empire. It is therefore a classic example of farming in the Mediterranean area dominated by the Romans.

Already in the center of town, you have to visit the walled enclosure, which is exactly the Vila Vella de Tossa. Listed as National Historic-Artistic Monument by the Spanish government, its walls now represent the only example of a fortified medieval town on the Catalan coast. It is composed of seven watchtowers (including, for example, d'en Joan, Codolar and Heures).

It is highly recommended to walk through the streets of this small walled area and get to the Faro de Tossa (Tossa Lighthouse), which overlooks a magnificent view of the rocky coastline south of village.

Tossa Lighthouse (1917), located on the highest part of the Vila Vella de Tossa has become the Lighthouse Interpretation Centre (Centro de Interpretación de Faros) of our coastline. This innovative equipment in the museum domain is a point of reference for all those interested in the world of maritime signals. It is an audiovisual center, adapted to visitors in several languages that teaches us the history and the different technologies used in the world of lighthouses and the lifestyle of their guardians, the lighthouse keepers. The space devoted to museum gives us the chance to see different parts of this maritime heritage.

Outside the Walls, bounded by the streets Portal and Estolt, you find the district of Sa Roqueta, a traditional place of fishermen formed in the first stage of Tossa urban expansion, back in the XVI century. Further, following the street Portal, is the commercial center of town.

The walk along the seafront of Tossa, from the walls to the beach of Mar Menuda is also a nice experience. This tour will allow you to enjoy the sea and the spectacular views of the Cape of Tossa and the fortified ancient villa previously described.

The Municipal Museum, housed in the Batlle Palace, bears testimony to the passage through Tossa of Marc Chagall, André Masson, Joaquim Sunyer and other painters captivated by this landscape.

Tossa boasts fine beaches such as Llorell and Morisca, and one of the most beautiful stretches on this coastline: the road to Sant Feliu de Guíxols (twenty-five kilometres of bend after bend) through the coves of Salions, Futadera, Giverola and Pola.