- 4 min read

There is not only the sea in the Oriental Pyrenees!

For a change from the Occitan coast, we suggest you visit the village of Laroque des Albères

Located 30 minutes from St Cyprien, Laroque des Albères has a privileged situation that will seduce you. The village itself is worth a visit. In the surrounding area, you can enjoy famous places such as Argelès-sur-Mer, Collioure, Banyuls, Céret, Perpignan and many others.

The tourist office of Laroque des Albères proposes you many hikes

Let's go for a little hike (Easy : about 2 hours)

Start of the hike: Tourist Office (Map: IGN TOP25 2549 OT)

This walk has been specially designed for families with children aged 6 to 11. Along the way, you will find pleasant places to picnic.

Easy walk of about 1.5 hours without stops. Leaflet and game available at the tourist office.

Go up towards the centre of the old village by taking the small staircase next to the tourist office and passing through the square of the town hall, the rue du Puig opposite, then the rue du 14 juillet and on the right by the rue Maréchal Joffre.

After the côte de la place, you arrive on the place de la république and its superb plane tree planted in 1830. Head towards the church of St Félix.

Opposite the church porch, take the dead-end rue de l'église, which is followed by the path, limited on the left by a stream. The path leaves the village.

Ruin on the right of the Moulin de la Pave (former flour mill). Its origins date back to the 14th century and its activity continued until the middle of the 19th century. A few metres further up, a pretty shaded fountain. Fountain of the birds. The path follows a half-buried

half-buried pipe.

Go up to a fork in the road and turn right. You will arrive near a pond. A few metres further on, at the path junction, go left following the Cabanes.

Continue to follow the path that goes left and then right

You arrive at the Mas d'en Borde (house on the right)

Walk along the house and follow the path. Leave the fork in the road on the left and continue on the path straight ahead

You will arrive at a path intersection. Signs indicate this. Ignore the path on the left (Puig Neulos) and take the path on the right that goes down to the river. Be careful, in places this path is very steep.

When you reach the crossroads above the river, turn left along the watering canal (on your left) to reach the Caranques.

The Caranques, a natural pool in the river bed. For several generations, they have been the favourite meeting place and bathing place of the Rocatine youth.

Nowadays, a municipal decree prohibits swimming for safety reasons.

Go back to the strategic crossroads of paths. Take the path on the left that goes down to the river "Roc del Grévol".

There is a small bridge (ford) over the river, then the path goes up to reach a small tarmac road. Go down to the right to reach the ruins of the Roca Vella Chapel a few metres further on. This building was 9 m high.

Retrace your steps to the path junction. Head left along the watering canal (on your right) to join the path that leads down to the mineral spring (post on the left with the number 7).

Take this small path down to the mineral spring. You arrive near the river: Picnic table. Do not cross the dam towards the mineral spring.

Go down along the river following the yellow marked path and cross at the ford. Go through a small wood until you reach a path on the left. Follow it and you will find a small tarmac road. Go down this road (to the right).

The village reappears. The first houses along the street of Roca Vella. Admire the view of the village.

Sant Sebastia Chapel, a single nave building with a trapezoidal apse covered by a semicircular vault. Go along the wall of the chapel and take the Florentine path that leads you through the gardens to the old village.

There is a small footbridge over the river, then the path joins the rue du château. Follow this street to the right and before the church go up to the Belvedere of the castle. This is mentioned for the first time in 1100. From the belvedere there is a superb panorama with the Pic Neulos to the south (1256 m.)

to the west the Canigou (2784 m.), to the north the plain of Roussillon and to the east the coastline and the Mediterranean.

Then go back down, past the côte de la place, into the avenue du Maréchal Joffre. At the intersection you can see the sundial.

Turn left into rue Arago to return to the tourist office.

See also :

The huts of Mataporc

In the footsteps of the Albères shepherd (game)

Discovering the fauna and flora