What's on in Tossa de Mar (Costa Brava), Spain through the year

Busy — Christmas holidays in Spain, school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it

• Festival

  El Pelegrí de Tossa

  19–21 JanMajor festival

  On Sant Sebastia, 20 January, one villager walks forty kilometres through the night to Santa Coloma de Farners and back, a vow kept since a plague, and the town waits up for the return. The only reason to be here in January. Source ↗

Still on: Out of season (20 Oct – 31 Mar)

Quiet — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Out of season (20 Oct – 31 Mar)

Busy — Semana Santa (Easter) holidays in Spain, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Out of season (20 Oct – 31 Mar)

Peak crowds — Resort season opens, Semana Santa (Easter) holidays in Spain

• Season

  Resort season opens

  1 Apr – 15 Oct · usuallySummer season opensCrowded

  Hotels, the coastal boats to Lloret and Sant Feliu, and the restaurants under the Vila Vella walls all open around Easter and shut again in October. The town runs entirely on that calendar.

Busy — Resort season opens, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in May.

Still on: Resort season opens (1 Apr – 15 Oct (usually))

Peak crowds — Resort season opens, Summer holidays in Spain

• Season

  Jellyfish arrivals

  15 Jun – 15 Sep · usuallyInsect season

  Onshore winds push swarms of mauve stingers into the Costa Brava coves for a few days at a time in summer, and the beach flags go purple when they are in. It passes as soon as the wind turns.

• Season

  Sea warm enough

  20 Jun – 5 Oct · usually

  The coves either side of the headland are clear and sheltered and hold their warmth into early October. June water is still cool; September is the best of it with half the people.

Still on: Resort season opens (1 Apr – 15 Oct (usually))

Peak crowds — Resort season opens, Summer holidays in Spain

Nothing new starts in July.

Still on: Resort season opens (1 Apr – 15 Oct (usually)), Jellyfish arrivals (15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)), Sea warm enough (20 Jun – 5 Oct (usually))

Peak crowds — Resort season opens, Summer holidays in Spain

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Resort season opens (1 Apr – 15 Oct (usually)), Jellyfish arrivals (15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)), Sea warm enough (20 Jun – 5 Oct (usually))

Peak crowds — Resort season opens, Summer holidays in Spain

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: Resort season opens (1 Apr – 15 Oct (usually)), Jellyfish arrivals (15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)), Sea warm enough (20 Jun – 5 Oct (usually))

Busy — Resort season opens, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Season

  Out of season

  20 Oct – 31 MarOff-season shutdownClosures

  Almost everything closes and the town drops back to a few thousand residents, with the walled old quarter and the coast path to yourself. Mild enough to walk, no use at all for a beach.

Still on: Resort season opens (1 Apr – 15 Oct (usually)), Sea warm enough (20 Jun – 5 Oct (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in November.

Still on: Out of season (20 Oct – 31 Mar)

Busy — Christmas holidays in Spain, school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in December.

Still on: Out of season (20 Oct – 31 Mar)