Pyrenees – Mountains to Sea

Pyrenees, France, Spain

Holiday overview

Destination

France, Spain


Type

Self Guided


Difficulty

Moderate


Month

Apr - Oct


Price

£ 880 pp


Duration

6 nights


A self-guided walking holiday through the Spanish and French Pyrenees.

A walk across the Vallespir valley and down to the Mediterranean Sea, taking you from the Costabonne mountains (2464 m) to the clear shore in Banyuls sur Mer, taking in the Pyrenees on both sides of the Franco-Spanish frontier.

 

Price:

£880 per person based on two people sharing a room

£50.00 supplement from 15th June to 15th September

Single room supplement £190

solo hiker additional £70.00

 

Included:

  • Accommodation: 6 nights in family run hotels – all rooms with private bathrooms: See ‘Additional information’ for hotel list.
  • 3 dinners and 6 breakfasts  (4 dinners in high season)
  • transport of luggage every day from accommodation to accommodation
  • transfers where specified during the walk
  • route instructions and maps.

 

Not Included: Flights, transfer to Setcases, transfers not mentioned in itinerary, drinks with meals.

Departures: Daily April 1 to October 31

Day 1: Arrival in Setcases (Spain), small mountain village at the bottom of the «Ter» valley. Overnight in hotel**

 

Day 2: Walk from Setcases to Mollo. Medium length walk following the La Senda path (the path that crosses the Pyrenees on the Spanish side). You arrive in the Spanish town Mollo with its Romanesque church, across meadows and pastures. Night in hotel***4 to 5 hour walk, 14 kms/8.75 miles, level + : 550 m, level – : 650 m

 

Day 3: Walk from Mollo to Prats de Mollo. You leave South Catalonia by the old smugglers path. Fine views over the Vallespir valley before arriving in the medieval city of Prats de Mollo in France. Overnight in hotel**5 to 6 hour walk, 15 kms/9.4 miles, level + : 440 m, level – : 885m

 

Day 4: Transfer to St Laurent de Cerdans. Walk down to Amelie les Bains. A short climb to the Pilon de Belmatx from where you’ll have a view over the Costa Brava, the Canigou mountain and the «Côte Vermeille». Arrival in Amélie les Bains. Hotel***5 to 6 hour walk, 12 kms/7.5 miles, level + : 362 m, level – : 1018 m

 

Day 5: Easy walk to Céret, the ‘cherry town’. Pass through the small village of Reynes at the bottom of a valley and after the Col de Boussells, you will reach the environs of Céret, surrounded by cherry trees. Follow the town’s narrow streets that inspired artists like Picasso, Chagal, and Matisse. Overnight in hotel**4.5 to 5 hours walk, 11 kms/7 miles, level + : 380 m, level – : 320m

 

Day 6: Transfer to Pic Néoulous for the descent to Banyuls sur Mer. The «Transpyrénéenne» comes to an end. Walk along the Albères, from the Pic Sailfort to the Cap Béar, and pass through vineyards to reach Elmes. Overnight in Hotel***7.5 to 8 hours ofwalking, 20 kms/12.5 miles, level + : 642 m, level – : 1589 m. During this day it is possible to do a shorter walk (4 to 5 hours walking) with a transfer to the Col de la Serre.

 

Day 7: Depart after breakfast

 

 

Hotels:

Setcases Hotel Tiranda ** HB

Mollo Hotel Calitxo  **** B&B

Prats de Mollo  Hotel Ausseil **HB

Amelie les Bains Hotel Castel Emeraude ***  B&B

Céret Hotel Les Arcades ** HB

Banyuls sur mer Hotel le Catalan *** B&B (HB in High season)

Hotel le Catalan – Banyuls sur mer – 3 star

 

Getting to Setcases:

From Barcelona or Girona take train to Ripoll and from Ripoll a taxi to Setcases.

It is possible to take a bus from Ripoll to Camprodon but there are very few buses from Camprodon to Setcases and a taxi is not always easy to find in Comprodon.

Taxi from Ripoll to Setcases costs approx. €80.00 for the journey (up to 3 people) paid directly to the driver.

Setcases is difficult to reach using public transport from France – it is recommended that you book a transfer.

 

Private transfers Banyuls – Setcases (1 to 4 pax) EUR 268/ 305€ if sunday
– transfers Girona – Setcases (minimum 2 pax) EUR 275/ 310€ if sunday
– Ripoll – Setcases (1-4 pax) around EUR 85 paid directly to the driver

 

From Banyuls

There is a train station in Banyuls with a service to both Perpignan and Barcelona.  If going to Barcelona there is not a great difference in the train fare  if you take a taxi to Portbou and from there you can take a direct train to Barcelona.  Otherwise you need to change trains at the border and you may have to wait for a connection.  There is a direct train from Banyuls to Perpignan.

 

Terrain and difficulty of walk: 

The first two days are on high mountain land at different levels but on average at 1500-1600m across mountain pastures. Woods at the bottom of valleys

Day 3 is on middle level mountain lands, maquis, garrigue, some rocky paths on the Pilon de Belmatx, then woods to Amélie les Bains.

Day 4: transition walk, easy. Middle level mountain then low level. Tracks and a few small roads.

Day 5: Back to the mountains at 1300-1100 m high. Grass and maquis. Down to Banyuls, rocky paths on the Pic Sailfort part.