Meteo Tossa de Mar (Costa Brava) in marzo

Barcelona forum regulars are clear that March means city weather, not beach weather: daytime readings run “7 to 15°C,” “sunny, mild and very pleasant during the day, slightly cooler at night,” with some weeks reaching highs of 16-17°C and plenty of sun. The sea itself rules out swimming for anyone but the very determined — one poster recorded a surface reading of 13.6°C, calling it swimmable “for the VERY brave” only. Layering is the standard advice, since many shops and restaurants run warm indoors even on a cool day outside. The upside: sights aren't packed with tourists yet. Our record: 15.8°C days, 8.4°C nights, 7.2 rain days and a 14°C sea — mild and mostly dry, with a sea that backs the “brave swimmers only” framing.

Tossa de Mar's forum pushes back on the idea that Costa Brava winters are dreary: several posters describe January as chilly but typically sunny with clear blue skies, closer to a crisp day than the grey damp of a UK winter, which matches the destination's own mild low-teens-C average high. Most tourist-facing bars and restaurants close for the season in October, so the town reverts to serving its Catalan residents rather than visitors - it's quiet, but not shut down, and weekend day-trippers still fill the seafront spots when the weather cooperates.

Forum posters describe July as when the Costa Brava season really comes together - sea temperatures around 23C and genuinely comfortable for swimming, with the town noticeably livelier and warmer than earlier in summer. Posters note Tossa stays relatively calm midweek in early July, but by mid-month crowds build and stay heavy through the end of August, so early-to-mid-July offers a window with somewhat thinner crowds while conditions are already excellent. Heat and humidity are genuinely present by mid-July, and nights stay warm enough that even an after-8pm walk still feels balmy rather than cool - a real contrast to the shoulder-season evenings earlier in the year.