Tour Madeloc loop with nine passes

From exit 42 of the A9 motorway, head towards Argelès-sur-Mer via the D900, then the D914 to Banyuls-sur-Mer. In Banyuls, drive along the beaches and, in the town centre, turn right onto the avenue that leads to the Carrefour Market supermarket. All other parking spaces are paid, but you can park for free in the supermarket car park as the hike starts from there (avoid using the spaces near the shop entrance; you can park near the petrol station).

(S/E) Return to the entrance of the supermarket car park.

(1) At the roundabout, turn right onto Rue Amiral Vilarem. After 50 metres, turn right onto the track and continue for 50 metres. Turn right onto the path that heads west along a stone wall. You will arrive at a car park with a view of Banyuls Bay, the Notre Dame de la Salette Chapel and the Madeloc Tower.

Yellow markings

(2) Continue straight ahead on Carrer de l'Ouranol (yellow markings). Quickly take Cami de la Salette to the next crossroads. Take Rue du Docteur Boulignat for a few metres and turn right onto a stony track that climbs north-west, then follow the path that leads to the white Chapel of Notre Dame de la Salette (viewpoint). Continue along the stony track.

(3) Take the path on the left that climbs towards the clay pigeon shooting range and turn right towards the Col d'Ullastre, following the track, then the path towards the Col de la Coma del Mas. Ignore the paths and tracks on the left and right and continue on the marked path heading north-west to the Col des Gascons (car park, elevation 387).

White and red markings

(4) Climb the path opposite marked in white and red (GR®10).

(5) Turn left onto the almost horizontal GR®10, which runs alongside a large ruined building (La Tina del Reig) and then climbs towards Col de Formigó (elevation 488) before descending towards Col de Vallauria. On the stony track, keep to the right for a few metres until you reach the intersection with a path that descends to the right (sign).

Yellow markings

(6) Follow this almost horizontal path to the right, which runs along the side of the Tour de Madeloc, passing through Collada d'en Jaumet.

(7) At the trail junction (elevation 392), continue straight ahead northwards until you reach Mas de la Serra (a small building in good condition, closed) and Coll de la Serra.

(8) Take the path on the right, which turns sharply, to tackle a demanding climb over rocky passages. Ignore the wide path that branches off to the left (signposted Port-Vendres) and continue towards the Batterie de Taillafer.This defensive structure was built at the beginning of the^Third Republic. The battery has been restored and now houses a wood turner and a cutlery workshop.
Walk to the entrance gate (elevation 508) and back. Return to find the path that passes through the Col de Tallafero. Continue south, following the yellow markings, which lead, after a few hairpin bends, to a small building bristling with antennas, and then to the Tour de Madeloc, the highest point of the hike (elevation 656).

(9) The trail passes at the foot of the tower.A 13th-century watchtower, it was built under James II, King of Majorca and Count of Roussillon, who wanted to protect himself from Moorish raids on the coast, from the King of France to the north and his brother King Peter III of Aragon to the south. During the Mallorcan and Aragonese sovereignty, it was part of a network of signal watchtowers, including the towers of La Massane, Mir, Cos and Batère.
When you reach the road, walk down the tarmac road to the fortification on the right.

(10) Leave the road and take the path opposite that runs alongside Battery 500. An advanced guard post on the French-Spanish border housed under the Madeloc tower, it was rarely used. It now houses instruments for monitoring space and the atmosphere. Descend to the intersection passed on the way there and rejoin the GR®10 (signpost).

White and red markings

(5) Turn left and descend towards the Col des Gascons, which you crossed in the morning.

(4) Join the tarmac road. Descend this road for about a hundred metres and take the steps to find the path that joins the road a little further down. Cross the road and take another staircase as the terrain is steep. Return to the road and another staircase. The entire route is well marked, fairly steep and can be slippery if the ground is wet. The path passes in front of the Source des Chasseurs and rejoins the road.

(11) Turn left and descend this tarmac road to the first bend on the right.

(12) From this point, it is essential to follow the GR®10 markings carefully, as you will need to ignore numerous tracks leading off to both sides of the path. Return to a tarmac road at Col de les Vinyes.

(13) Cross the road and continue straight ahead to take a dead-end road extended by a path that leads to Rue de l'Artisanat.

(14) Turn left onto the road that passes through a tunnel under the railway line (caution: take care) and rejoin a path that descends south-southeast to the end of Impasse Val Pompo and Avenue du Puig del Mas. (Here, you can turn right to shorten the hike and return to the car park).
Turn left and follow the signs leading to the beach. On the way, a Banyuls wine tasting shop offers local aperitif products: at the end of the hike, the tasting is much appreciated.

(15) On Place Paul Reig, on the right, is the iconic plaque marking the starting point of the GR®10, a beautiful fresco on the wall of a building where hikers crossing the Pyrenees from east to west (or vice versa) have their photo taken. Turn right to follow Avenue du Général de Gaulle, pass under a railway bridge and continue along Avenue Guy Malé to reach the roundabout and the Carrefour Market car park (S/E).

Source des Chasseurs, after Coll des Gascons (4), which was flowing well at the end of August. No indication of its potability, but it is good for cooling off.