The castle of Tossa de Mar is, in fact, the great walled enclosure of the Vila Vella, one of the most recognisable silhouettes on the Costa Brava. Located at the highest point of the old town, this defensive complex was built between the 12th and 14th centuries to protect the population from attacks coming from the sea, especially at a time when piracy was a real threat to coastal settlements.

The wall, with its irregular layout, adapts to the shape of the hill and preserves several defensive towers that help explain the strategic function of the complex. Although it is popularly referred to as the castle, there is no preserved castle as a separate building. Instead, it is a fortified town with streets, houses and spaces that formed part of the community’s everyday life. At the highest point, the lighthouse built in 1917 occupies the former site of the castle and adds a new layer of history to the ensemble.

Walking through Tossa’s Vila Vella reveals how defence, housing and the maritime landscape were part of the same reality. It is not just a postcard image of walls facing the sea, but a place that explains how a population lived while needing to protect itself without losing its direct relationship with the coastline. As part of Enselva’t, the castle of Tossa is an essential visit for understanding one of the best-preserved examples of a medieval walled town on the Costa Brava.