Costa Brava Day Trip from Barcelona: Lloret de Mar & Boat to Tossa

Two Villages, One Boat Ride: The Real Costa Brava in a Day

You travel by coach to Lloret de Mar, spend an hour exploring its beach and streets, then board a speedboat for a 45-minute sail to Tossa de Mar, where a guide walks you through the fortified old town and lighthouse. Lunch is on your own in the fishing district, then you return to Barcelona by 5:30pm. Transport, guide, and boat ticket are all included.

Is this one for you?Right for travelers based in Barcelona without a car who want to see the Costa Brava in one day without arranging transport or a boat separately. The fixed schedule and included guide mean you move through two villages at a steady pace, which is what fits both the boat ride and the walking tour into a single afternoon return.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Costa Brava villages and boat trip

• Drive to Lloret de Mar
• Explore Lloret de Mar village
• Walk along beach promenade
• Visit Saint Roma church
• Board DOFIJETS boat at 11:30am
• Sail to Tossa de Mar
• Walk from beach to lighthouse
• Enjoy views from lighthouse
• Descend through Vila Vella streets
• Visit fishing district
• Free time for lunch
• Return to Barcelona by bus

The Experience

The coach driver, Antoni, asked where we were from before we'd even sat down — the kind of question that tells you he's done this route a hundred times and still cares. Ninety minutes north on the motorway and you're in Lloret de Mar, the main village of the Costa Brava, where the beach promenade opens up and the narrow streets behind it still smell like fish and salt. You get about an hour to walk through the shops, duck into the Sant Romà church if the doors are open, and grab a coffee while the coast settles in your head. The motorway feels far already.

At 11:30am you board the DOFIJETS, a speedboat that cuts across the water toward Tossa de Mar. This is the part that stays with you — the cliffs rise up in shapes that look carved by hand, all rust-colored rock and pine trees clinging to the edges, and the boat moves fast enough that you feel the spray but slow enough to actually see it. The ride takes about 45 minutes. By 12:15pm you're in Tossa, which the locals call the pearl of Costa Brava, and they're not wrong. The old fortified town, Vila Vella, sits on a headland above the beach, and the walking tour takes you up the stone walls to the lighthouse if you want the full view, then down through the narrow streets where fishermen still mend nets in doorways. The guide points out the Roman stones, the 1931 monument listing, the way the houses lean into each other.

After the walking part, you have free time for lunch — and this is where Tossa wins. The fishing district has restaurants that actually know what they're doing with seafood, and the prices don't feel like a tourist trap. You could eat at a table overlooking the water or grab something quick and sit on the rocks. At 4pm the coach picks you up and the drive back to Barcelona takes about 90 minutes, arriving around 5:30pm. The whole day on the Costa Brava costs you one morning and one afternoon, but you see two villages that feel nothing alike and everything the same.

Top questions

How long is the drive from Barcelona to Lloret de Mar?

About 1 hour 15 minutes by motorway.

What is included in the tour?

Coach transport, local guide, guided walking tour in Tossa de Mar, one-way boat ticket from Lloret to Tossa, and live commentary on the boat. Lunch is not included.

How long do you spend in each village?

About one hour in Lloret de Mar, then a 45-minute boat ride, then roughly three hours in Tossa de Mar including the walking tour and free time.

Is the boat ride rough?

The DOFIJETS is a speedboat, so you will feel spray and movement, but it's a regular service and suitable for most fitness levels. Infants must sit on an adult's lap.

Can you skip the lighthouse walk in Tossa?

The walking tour goes up the fortified walls to the lighthouse for those interested, but you can stay at a slower pace or stop earlier if needed.

What time do you return to Barcelona?

The tour finishes at 4pm in Tossa, and the coach arrives back in Barcelona around 5:30pm.

Is lunch included?

No, lunch is free time. Tossa de Mar has many restaurants in the fishing district, especially seafood options.

Do you need to be fit for this tour?

It's suitable for all fitness levels. The walking in Tossa includes some uphill sections to the lighthouse, but you can go at your own pace and skip the climb if you prefer.

What’s included

Your day includes air-conditioned coach transport with free Wi-Fi from Barcelona to Lloret de Mar and back, a local guide, a guided walking tour through Tossa de Mar's fortified old town, a one-way boat ticket on the DOFIJETS speedboat from Lloret to Tossa with live commentary, and the lighthouse walk if you want it. Lunch is your own time and cost in Tossa.