Hike Costa Brava, Spain – from Lloret de Mar to Tossa de Mar

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When I decided to go and explore the surroundings of Barcelona for a week, I knew that I wanted to see as much of the Costa Brava as I could. So two of my day-trips from Barcelona were hikes along the Rugged Coast. Other day-trips from Barcelona were to hike the Montserrat mountains, explore Game of Thrones locations in Girona and see Roman ruins in Tarragona.

I like to explore new places by hiking. To hike Costa Brava is to see and feel it up close, touch the pines and the rocks, feel the wind and the sun. The views of the sea and cliffs there are breathtaking and a lot of charming villages can be found along the way. As I visited Spain in October, the weather was pleasantly warm, but not too hot for a several kilometers long walk along the coast.

Hike Costa Brava – Cami de Ronda

Cami de Ronda is the Costa Brava Coastal Path route which leads all the way from Blanes to Portbou covering 230 kilometers. It was used by Guardia Civil control the coast and stop smuggling. Nowadays it has been developed as a hiking path. Some parts of it have been renewed and are great for tourists to catch the magnificent views, and some parts are a bit more rugged.

While looking on the internet for the best tips about hiking Costa Brava, I stumbled across the Otts World blog. There is a lot of useful and detailed information explained about the hikes, e.g. Top 5 Cami de Ronda day hikes in Costa Brava. It is possible to even download a book to get a very detailed description of the whole hike of Cami de Ronda.

Seeing as my hotel was a bit North of Barcelona, I chose to go on a hike near the hotel. The pictures from the Costa Brava part closer to France looked amazing as well, but the hike from Lloret de Mar to Tossa de Mar was located in a bit more convenient place.

Logistics

I needed to do a little planning for my hike, as I was staying in a different city and had a rental car. My plan was to go by car to Tossa de Mar and leave the car near the bus stop. Then for something around 3 Eur I took a bus to Lloret de Mar and started to go on foot back to Tossa de Mar.

This way when I reached Tossa de Mar in the evening, my car was waiting for me. So I didn’t have to worry whether the public transportation would be available at the hour when I reached the hiking destination.

If you are planning to go on a hike there, you should remember to take sunscreen and some water with you, as no shops will be available along the hiking path. I did the hike in skirt and running shoes, so there is no need for anything more serious regarding the hiking gear.

Lloret de Mar

Lloret de mar seemed a very tourist-oriented town with a lot of big hotels and shops. The sea was quite close to the bus stop, so I quickly got to the starting point of the hike.

To find the hiking path you just have to go along the coast in the northern direction and soon you’ll be on a path marked with red and white stripes. These markings can be seen on rocks along the hiking path very often. They mark all the way of Cami de Ronda.

At the beginning of the hiking path, there is a castle overlooking the Lloret de Mar. The path along the coast is wide and even, well-made for the tourists. The views of the coast are amazing here, as the orange-colored big rocks are scattered along the sea.

After a few kilometers path goes closer to the highway and away from the coast. It leads along with the small villages but doesn’t go through them. This was a long and tedious part of the hike. There wasn’t much to see, and it took a lot of time. We could see the glimpses of the homes of locals, but overall this was utterly boring.

Tossa de Mar

When the hiking path reached Tossa de Mar, we decided to go and explore the castle there. It is located higher than the rest of the town, so it offers beautiful views of Tossa de Mar from the above. The castle walls are impressive and quite long.

Conclusion

Overall the hike was memorable. It took me 4,5 h and was around 17 kilometers long. However, if I had to do it again, I probably just wouldn’t. I would divide it into two parts.

Firstly I would park my car in Lloret de Mar and go the few amazing kilometers of the hike along the Costa Brava. When the hike turns away from the coast, I would just turn back and enjoy it for the second time, as I walk back to the car.

Then I would go to Tossa de Mar and explore the old town and the castle.

This way I would see as much of the Costa Brava as with the long hike, but it wouldn’t take as much time. And my feet wouldn’t hurt. And I wouldn’t feel like I had wasted my time walking through the bushes near some villages.

But overall, if you are a hardcore hiker and you want to go along the Cami de Ronda, I found that hiking path to be well marked and interesting. I highly suggest it. Exploring the Costa Brava on foot is really great.

Top tours

If you prefer that someone else organizes your hike, check out these ones:

Your turn

Have you ever gone on a long hike? Would you like to hike several days in a row? Or would you rather explore separate villages and towns going to them by car?