From Ria to Conat via Bell Lloc Chapel

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Starting from Ria, this route, in the foothills of the Coronat massif, leads to the discovery of a major site, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
All that remains of the old abandoned village of Bell Lloc or Beau Site are a few house foundations and the12th-century Romanesque chapel of Sant-Andreu-de-Bell-Lloc, which is very well preserved and offers wonderful views of the Canigou massif and the surrounding valleys.
The Conat Nature Reserve is a regulated area; picking, gathering and damaging the site are prohibited, and visitors must respect the site.
A easy route.

Details

n°29731224
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.75 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 609 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 601 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 894 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 398 m
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Description of the walk

Park in the Ria car park.

(S/E) Take the small staircase. At the street, turn right, then take a sharp left and another right. Then follow the path on the left which climbs to the highest point of the village (castle ruins).

(1) Walk to the ruins and back, and, when you reach the flag, follow the path on the right, which runs alongside a dry stone wall, then heads into the woodland until you reach a track suitable for vehicles.

(2) Turn left and pass two junctions to reach a third.

(3) Continue climbing to the right along the track until you reach the entrance to Bell Lloc Chapel (fourth hairpin bend).

(4) Walk to the chapel and back. On your return from the chapel, continue right along the track to the junction.

(5) Take the path on the right towards the fountain (yellow markings) and follow it to Conat, passing through Pas de l'Escala.

(6) Continue down to the village of Conat. Join the D26 road (towards Ria)

(7) Turn right and follow the road with care until you reach the first track leading to Les Termaneres.

(8) Turn right until you reach the junction from the outward journey.

(2) Follow the path from the outward journey in the opposite direction, back to the starting point. (S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 398 m - Ria car park
  2. 1 : km 0.34 - alt. 443 m - Crossroads
  3. 2 : km 2.61 - alt. 599 m - Track
  4. 3 : km 3.43 - alt. 672 m - Crossroads, head up the track
  5. 4 : km 5.33 - alt. 881 m - Return trip to the chapel – Saint-André-de-Belloc Church (Villefranche-de-Conflent)
  6. 5 : km 5.79 - alt. 867 m - Junction
  7. 6 : km 6.4 - alt. 865 m - Passage at Pas de l'Escala
  8. 7 : km 8.18 - alt. 513 m - Conat - Saint John the Baptist Church (Conat)
  9. 8 : km 9.55 - alt. 516 m - Vehicle-accessible track
  10. S/E : km 12.75 - alt. 398 m - Car park

Notes

No markings from (1) to (6) and from (8) to (E)
Yellow markings from (6) to (8), Conat nature reserve, restricted area.
(4) Shelter at Bell Lloc Chapel
(5) Water point at the fountain
(7) shelter and water point in the village of Conat.

This route passes through a protected area, which may be subject to special regulations:

Worth a visit

-(1) Viewpoint over the village of Ria and the Têt valley
-(4) Bell Lloc Chapel, viewpoint over the Canigou massif
-(6) Visit to the village of Conat, the Romanesque Chapel of Sainte-Madeleine and the Romanesque Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste (12th century), listed as a historic monument, with its two 12th-century altarpieces
-(S/E) Visit to the village of Ria, the Romanesque Church of Saint-Vincent (11th century) and the Church of Saint-Clément (13th century), listed as a historic monument.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 5 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
ldominique 66420
ldominique 66420

We saw a few fallen trees along the way, but nothing that was in the way.

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Davpin
Davpin

Have the trees lying across the steps at Conat been removed? Thank you.

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ldominique 66420
ldominique 66420

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike
Before reaching the chapel, we pass by a goat farm. The goat dog may look intimidating, but he is very friendly.
After the chapel, the start of the trail is not very visible.
The Pas de Secala offers impressive views for about fifty metres.
Hike completed in 5 hours (stops not included).

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Davpin
Davpin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 31, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with varied scenery. Please be careful between Pas de l’Escale and Conat: there are lots of fallen trees blocking the path, making it difficult to get through. I have reported this to the town hall and on the Suricate website.

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luctitine
luctitine

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello, this walk is very well signposted along the route. There’s no reason to get lost, but you really do need very good walking boots as the path is very stony
To see the dolmen, you have to make a round trip, and I think it would be worth checking if there isn’t another way down instead of retracing your steps back to the junction
We completed the route in 3½ hours. Of course, I didn’t count the breaks for snacks.

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Frédéric66
Frédéric66
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An easy-to-follow, well-marked route. A very gentle climb. Thefirst section is a bit disappointing, as it involves a lot of walking along tracks. Thesecond section is much more interesting, with beautiful panoramic views. On leaving Conat, you can take a forest path running parallel to the road, which means you don’t have to walk along the road.

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chanchou
chanchou

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The steep descent to Conat is very well signposted, whilst the tarmac section is less pleasant.

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