Circular route from Tautavel to the Tour del Far and the El Comador quarry

de fr

A very pleasant circular walk, with a 360° view from the top of the Tour del Far, and a lovely stroll along the ridge of the Serra that separates Tautavel from Cases de Pène. On the way back, you pass a solar farm and through the gorges of a former marble quarry, now disused.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.56 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,447 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,421 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,631 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 335 ft
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Photos

La Torre del Far seen from the Comador quarry
view of the tower from the quarry
tower
castle ruins

Description of the walk

Park in the car park of the Maison de la Préhistoire, right next to the Tautavel Tourist Office.
Sankeo Bus Route No. 9

(S/E) Take the steps leading up to the Museum of Prehistory. Follow the yellow markings, continue straight ahead along the road, past an open-air theatre, and carry on for a few dozen metres until you reach a car park.

(1) Turn left and, a little further up, the tarmac ends. Continue along a path lined with cypress trees, then climb up following the yellow-marked path. You will arrive at Tautavel Castle.

(2) Turn left, leaving the return path on your right, and climb towards the Tour del Far heading east-northeast. You’ll reach a wide bend to the right.

(3) Walk alongside a wire fence at the edge of the cliff to protect against falls (below lies the El Comador quarry). Shortly afterwards, a cable is fixed to the rock face to help you negotiate the difficult sections.

(4) Continue along the ridge until you reach a fork below the tower.

(5) Climb up to the left to the Tour del Far.Enjoy the 360° view.
 Turn back to the fork and take the path on the left towards Cases de Pène. Continue along the ridge to the Cases de Pène fork.

(6) Continue straight on along the ridge, leaving the path to Cases de Pène on your left. Carry on to the fork (El Puig d'en Pallars).

(7) Please note: take the path on the right, leaving the main GRP® path which continues straight on. Continue until you reach the quarry, with a view of the solar farm.

(8) Continue to the junction with the main road to the quarry (tarmac).

(9) Take the quarry road on the right. Walk to the left-hand corner of the solar farm.

(10) Then walk along the fence, keeping it on your right. You’ll reach a fork in the road about 300 m further on.

(11) Continue along the track, veering slightly to the left. Follow the track, lined with olive trees, until you reach the road that crosses the quarry.

(12) Turn left onto this road, which climbs gradually north-eastwards to a wide left-hand bend, followed by a sharp right-hand bend.

(13) At the bend, leave the quarry road by taking the path on the left. Continue to the castle you passed on the way out.

(2) Take the path back, following the opposite route to the outward journey, to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 335 ft - Car park in front of the tourist office
  2. 1 : mi 0.23 - alt. 440 ft - Open-air theatre
  3. 2 : mi 0.5 - alt. 705 ft - Castle
  4. 3 : mi 0.92 - alt. 1,096 ft - Wire mesh fencing above the quarry
  5. 4 : mi 0.97 - alt. 1,155 ft - Rope, climbing aid
  6. 5 : mi 1.67 - alt. 1,631 ft - Torre del Far or Tautavel Tower
  7. 6 : mi 1.93 - alt. 1,358 ft - Cases de Pène junction
  8. 7 : mi 2.44 - alt. 1,220 ft - Junction towards the quarry
  9. 8 : mi 2.91 - alt. 961 ft - Vertical drop: quarry, solar farm
  10. 9 : mi 3.34 - alt. 787 ft - Access road to the quarry
  11. 10 : mi 3.66 - alt. 787 ft - Solar farm fence area
  12. 11 : mi 3.85 - alt. 771 ft - Junction towards the olive tree-lined path
  13. 12 : mi 4.29 - alt. 679 ft - Quarry road
  14. 13 : mi 4.88 - alt. 866 ft - Crossroads – Path on the left
  15. S/E : mi 5.56 - alt. 335 ft - Car park on Route de Vingrau

Notes

You can take shelter in the tower if necessary.

Worth a visit

On site: wine cellar, museum, sports complex, shops, accommodation, etc.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 5 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
bernard coulomb
bernard coulomb

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 21, 2026
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

One of the most comprehensive routes for exploring the region’s varied landscapes, which are rugged inland but slope gently down towards the sea on the coast. Not to mention the charming village of Tautavel.
No trouble following the route with the GPX file integrated into MAPS.ME.

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Frédéric66
Frédéric66

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 17, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

This was my first time climbing up to the Torre del Far via Tautavel (previous times via Cases de Pène): I highly recommend it. Stunning views over the plain, the sea on one side, and the Pyrenees (still snow-capped) and the Corbières on the other. No trouble following the route, though the path is very stony and sometimes slippery. A very good alternative to the simple village-to-tower round trip. The only bit of a let-down: the solar farm, which spoils the landscape a bit. The shooting club, which has set up shop at the back of the quarry, was very active and noisy this Sunday.

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Kate31130
Kate31130

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 09, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice hike. Exceptional view from the top of the tower. Magnificent. A bit of a physical climb, though.

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evynat
evynat

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike, with magnificent views throughout the route. We did it in the direction suggested by Visorando, with a few technical sections on the way up and especially on the way down (steep slope on a path strewn with stones). That said, it's doable with the right footwear, especially as the weather was fairly mild and we took our time to enjoy everything....

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Gilles et Rose
Gilles et Rose

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A truly beautiful hike that we highly recommend – suitable for experienced hikers, but can be done at your own pace provided you have suitable footwear and are reasonably fit. Stunning panoramic views and often stony paths. A wealth of beautiful flora (trees, flowers, plants, etc.). Near the marble quarry: take a detour through the quarry to see the raw rock with its beautiful marbled patterns, as well as the nature that is reclaiming the site.
The only downsides: the solar farm (not of interest to us) + at point 6: the El Puig d’en Pallars fork is not signposted – point 7: do take care and head to the right (follow the yellow and white markings).
__Do not attempt in strong winds or immediately after heavy rain; and avoid in the height of summer (or else make sure you have plenty of water and sun cream!)

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