Around Termes Castle

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This route in the heart of the Hautes Corbières offers superb panoramic views, an escape to a place that is as attractive for its beauty as it is for its rich history, as well as a great place to swim and cool off before visiting the ruins of the impregnable castle.

Details

n°21716859
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.38 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 461 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 463 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 505 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 242 m
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Photos

Adoux Waterfall
Adoux Waterfall
The castle of Termes
View of Durfort Castle

Description of the walk

Parking is compulsory in the car park at the entrance to the village of Termes.

GR®36marked in white and red

(S/E) Head towards the village and go to the foot of the church, following the GR® markings.

(1) Climb up near the church to pass above the village until you reach the edge of the woods. You will come to a fork with two GR® directions.

(2) Take the left fork to reach the cairn n°4 crossroads.

(3) Turn left for a few metres to reach the highest point of the Terminet Gorges and the viewpoint over the gorges.
Return to the cairn and continue left on a slight descent. You will soon reach the Col de la Gardie crossroads.

Yellow marked trail

(4) Leave theGR® and take the yellow-marked trail on the right to reach the viewpoint at cairn no. 5.

(5) Return slightly uphill to the Col de la Gardie.

GR®36marked in white and red

(4) Turn right onto theGR®36, almost 180°, and reach a four-way trail junction.

Yellow marked trail

(6) Take the yellow marked trail on the left. Continue downhill, passing in front of the Bergerie Jean Savour, where you will find cairn no. 6 with a view of the Moulin de la Buade at the bottom of the valley. You will then reach the Ruisseau du Sou.

(7) Cross it via a footbridge and follow it to the right until you reach a path on the left with a sign pointing towards the canyon. Head up to the right and follow a few hairpin bends to reach the D40. Take it to the left for a few hundred metres. Leave it at the next crossroads and take the track on the right. Go around the Château de Termes to find a crossroads with several directions.

(8) Take the left-hand path to climb up to Termes Castle.
Return in the opposite direction to the previous crossroads.

(8) Turn left and continue along the track to enter Termes and arrive at the initial crossroads you passed on the way there.

GR®36marked in white and red

(1) Follow the same route back to the car park at the entrance to Termes (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 345 m - Parking at the entrance to Termes.
  2. 1 : km 0.19 - alt. 342 m - Crossroads of the circular loop
  3. 2 : km 0.67 - alt. 419 m - GR36 and GR36A crossroads
  4. 3 : km 1.9 - alt. 505 m - Cairn no. 4
  5. 4 : km 2.34 - alt. 450 m - Col de la Gardie (452m)
  6. 5 : km 2.9 - alt. 360 m - Cairn no. 5
  7. 6 : km 3.95 - alt. 326 m - GR-PR crossroads
  8. 7 : km 4.81 - alt. 243 m - Sou de Laroque (rivière) - Affluent de l(Orbieux
  9. 8 : km 5.92 - alt. 387 m - Carrefour château
  10. S/E : km 7.38 - alt. 344 m - Parking is available at the entrance to Termes.

Notes

The numbered cairns along this route refer to the Petites Vadrouilles booklets devoted to natural and material heritage, as well as history and legends.
The connection between (5) and (6) is in principle direct if you refer to the map, but depending on the quality of the route, it is preferable to make a simple return trip from (4) to (5).
The forest provides a fairly shaded route, but given the Mediterranean climate, it is advisable to bring sufficient water.
The journey time is approximately 3 hours, not including breaks to enjoy the views, swim and visit the site.

Worth a visit

Discover the story of the siege of Termes Castle, which took place in 1210 and lasted four months, at
https://cheminscathares.home.blog
Article: "Siege of Termes Castle".

(5) Cairn No. 5, enjoy a beautiful view of Durfort Castle from here.
(7) Once you reach the bottom of the valley, walk up the La Sou river (on the left after crossing the footbridge) for about a hundred metres to reach a pool where you can swim and some waterfalls.
A word of advice: buy tickets to visit the château in the village before you set off and download the Pays Cathares app. The site consists mainly of ruins but is of great interest from both an environmental and historical point of view.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 9 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.1 / 5
BARRABES
BARRABES

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 08, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike, you never tire of seeing Termes Castle throughout this route. The crossing at point 7 was impossible due to high water levels at this time of year. Before point 7, we took a path leading to the more accessible crossing at Moulin de la Buade. Termes Castle is well worth a more detailed visit; the route and the various buildings are very detailed. A must-see.

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GRILLERESJeanLuc
GRILLERESJeanLuc

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Well-marked and maintained path.

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Hibou florensac
Hibou florensac

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The climb is a bit steep, but at the top there is a beautiful lawn covered with flowers. The descent is quite difficult due to the stony ground.

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RandonneurSaisonnier
RandonneurSaisonnier

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

The route is pleasant at the start, but becomes a bit tedious and uninteresting after point 6. After point 7, you have to climb back up to the castle before descending again, which is baffling unless the intention is to show visitors the ruins. At the very least, there should be a sign indicating that it is possible to reach the village by road. It is also unclear why at point 7 there is no signposting for the beautiful waterfall and pools, which are the only real points of interest on the hike. They are only a few metres away, and there is a signpost indicating them.

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Gilportier1961
Gilportier1961

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, not as short as it seems. You need to wear sturdy footwear for the descent!
Lovely visit to the castle.
We stopped at the magnificent Adoux waterfall, which unfortunately isn't mentioned in the Visorando description, making for a very short 10-minute round trip.
We recommend it.

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hauterive
hauterive
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike for the whole family, no particular difficulties, with views of the Château de Termes throughout the route. Be careful at one viewpoint if you are with children, as there is no safety barrier! Feel free to leave the route to cool off in the pools of the gorges before returning to the route and ending at Terminet with a visit to the castle. Buy your tickets before setting off on the hike; a 10-minute film provides explanations about the site.

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alain de f
alain de f

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Hike completed without a smartphone. The descent from 6 to 7 is hard on the knees and offers little of interest. The shade of the holm oaks is welcome in hot weather. When you arrive at the river, you may feel a little disoriented by the number of signs intended for those visiting the site by car from the car park. You can skip the castle tour by going up 7 on the road to arrive directly at the village (and the café).

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camporels
camporels

Sorry if the route isn't clear at point 7...you actually need to find a small bridge or footbridge to cross easily.
I'm very happy that you enjoyed this walk 😊

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Globus11
Globus11

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

At stage 7, before crossing the river, I would advise against following the recommended route, which requires crossing the river without a footbridge and pushing through brambles. It is better to take the carriage road on the right at the end of the descent, which allows you to cross the river safely via a wide bridge and then rejoin the trail.

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Spirit 11
Spirit 11

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike, well sheltered in the forest.
Technical descent between points 5 and 6
Very beautiful views

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The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.