Country:
District:
In Banyuls-sur-Mer, follow the D 914 towards Cerbère. About 2 km further on, be careful not to miss the narrow tarmac road on the left that leads to the unmarked water treatment plant. However, an old wooden sign with the words "sentier littoral" (coastal path) indicates that you are on the right track. Park in the car park for five to six vehicles next to the barrier blocking access to the treatment plant.
Yellow PR® markings
(S/E) Head towards the signpost indicating the coastal path. The slope becomes steep and a few steps help you negotiate it before reaching the hollow of a small valley with a tiny cove on your left. Continue straight ahead, ignoring the horizontal trail that branches off to the left, and climb up to a wooden post bearing the sign.
Bear slightly to the right to cross another hollow in the ground and, once you reach a very large cairn, turn sharply right uphill and continue to the junction with a cross-country track.
(1) Turn left, then keep to the right at the next two junctions to get closer to the cliffs. The track, which has now become a path, heads south and leads to the small beach of Taillelauque. Then veer right onto a track suitable for vehicles and follow it for a good hundred metres.
(2) Turn left onto the coastal path, the start of which is marked by a signpost. Further on, join the D 914 and follow it for a few metres until you reach a car park.
(3) Turn left to cross it and, once at the end, follow the path on the right. This path runs alongside a tarmac road and then turns left again, close to the cliffs. Turn right at the next junction, avoiding Cap Rederis, and continue to the beautiful Peyrefite beach. Walk along the upper part of the beach, heading for the clearly visible signpost at its southern end.
(4) Take the coastal path again, ignore a path on the right further on and, after a few steps, you will reach the fence of the heliomarine centre. Turn left to follow it and go around the centre until you reach a crossroads.
No markings
(5) Leave the marked trail temporarily by turning left. When you reach a fork in the road shortly after a tiny cove, turn left to stay as close as possible to the coast and you will soon come to a wide track where you will find the marked trail again.
Yellow PR® markings
Follow this track to the left to quickly reach a campsite. Do not enter the campsite, but turn left and then immediately right to walk along the fence. Once you reach the Aloès holiday village, walk along it for about 30 metres.
(6) Turn left onto the path, which winds up and down before coming out onto the D 914 just after passing over the railway line.
No markings
(7) Cross carefully at the pedestrian crossing and climb the stairs opposite, which lead to Impasse Canadeils. Turn right, then take the first left and the first right, Rue du Mas Nadal.
(8) Be careful not to miss the stairs on the left that lead up to a small square. Go straight ahead, turn left and then left again into Rue Paul Cézanne.
Yellow PR® markings
(9) Turn right uphill onto Rue Raoul Dufy. At the end of the street, the tarmac gives way to a cement track which quickly becomes stony. Continue to the junction with a track suitable for vehicles (cistern no. 323).
(10) Cross this track and take the narrow path opposite, following the signs for Puig Joan, indicated as 45 minutes away. This is the most challenging part of the hike, a steep climb where you will need to stop occasionally to catch your breath and rest your legs.
Once you reach the ridge at the paragliding launch site, turn left and continue along the path until you reach a crossroads with a track near a moving monument to a firefighter who died in a fire.
(11) Turn left uphill and follow the track to the large electricity pylon, at the foot of which you will find a signpost.
(12) Ignore the path on the right, which you will take on the way down, and continue along the track, leaving it on the left to take a path that serves as a shortcut and leads to the summit of Puig Joan.
(13) Enjoy the exceptional 360° panorama. Turn back to the pylon.
(12) Turn left onto the narrow path that descends the northern shoulder of Puig Joan. You will reach Coll de la Creu.
No markings - a few cairns
(14) Leave the yellow markings on the left and climb up opposite on a well-marked path that follows the ridge. After a very steep descent, where you will need to be careful due to fatigue at the end of the hike, the path reaches a tarmac road at Coll de Gran Bau.
(15) Turn immediately left onto a wide path and ignore the first turn-off on the right further on. Take the next one, pass a house and you will come to a crossroads. Turn left and after two hairpin bends, turn right onto the narrow tarmac road that leads to the first houses of Banyuls-sur-Mer. Continue straight on along Rue du Séris until you reach a four-way crossroads.
(16) Turn right onto Rue Édouard Chatton and, in the right-hand bend, keep left on a stony track, then continue straight ahead on the tarmac road that descends to the D 914.
(17) Cross carefully at the pedestrian crossing, then turn right along the road, which is protected by a low concrete wall. Further down, the path joins a wider track, where you turn right, leaving the access to Plage du Troc beach on your left.
Continue along this path, which quickly leads to the water treatment plant (S/E).
Visorando member
Very difficult 
Moderate 
