From Villefranche-de-Conflent to the village of Les Horts (ruins)

This is a short hike in the mountains above Serdinya, starting from Villefranche-de-Conflent and ending at the fountains of Les Horts, an abandoned village in ruins. The hike follows the old village access path, known as the "Chemin des Horts à Villefranche" in the Napoleonic land registry, although it is in very poor condition. The landscape is typical of the Catalan Pyrenees: mountains, yet with Mediterranean buildings and vegetation.

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.83 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 468 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 460 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 858 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 461 m

Photos

Description of the walk

The hike starts at the small dirt car park on the right bank of the Têt, opposite the access road to the Mas Lastourg campsite.

(S/E) Take the service road that runs parallel to the N116, climbing up into the valley.
Walk for about 800 m until you reach a small house, a former shepherd's hut, and a shed on the right-hand side of the path. Normally, the old historic path passed south of the rock at an altitude of 573 m, the Kerlong, a large rock standing like a boundary marker. However, the start of the path is no longer accessible. You will therefore have to go around this rock to the north and the Collet de Rocanso, which is not mentioned on the IGN map but is shown on the Napoleonic cadastral map (photo No. 24994).

(1) As the land behind the small house is now (since 2025) impassable, you will need to reach the terraces by another route. A few dozen metres before this house, turn right onto a track that winds its way up in two hairpin bends. Reach a terraced field and walk along it horizontally, through sparse vegetation, until you reach the top of the property. Continue climbing for a short distance and, as soon as possible, take a path on the left. Climb from terraced field to terraced field for about 100 metres, sloping diagonally to the left. Head towards the north of Kerlong until you reach the trace of an old irrigation canal. You can see the outline of this canal on the IGN map, but it is difficult to spot on the ground as it has been filled in (see detail of the route on photo No. 25013). It is only after a few dozen metres horizontally that you will be able to clearly see the traces of this old canal on the ground. So persevere!

For this hundred metres or so through the vegetation-covered terraces, there are several traces of paths. It doesn't matter which one you follow, as long as you find one that reaches the canal. One of these traces has been "marked" with thick orange adhesive tape on the trees, which may help.

Follow this irrigation (or watering) canal, known as Rocanso, heading south-west (photo No. 24998). This will take you to the Rocanso small pass, between the rock at 573 m and the side of the massif (photo No. 25000). The path continues along this old canal clinging to the escarpment for a few hundred metres (photos 25001 and 25002).

The canal ends where it joins the Ruisseau des Horts, a ravine that is usually dry: photo
No. 25010). But on the other side of the ravine, there is a path that continues the route. Walk a few dozen metres south, descending towards the base of the rock, then turn sharply to the left, staying on the path to join the trace of the old path from Villefranche-de-Conflent to Les Horts.

(2) At this junction is the (probable) end of the old Jando canal (coming from the Rocs Llisos stream), sometimes called "Rec Nou". Here you can easily spot the old path from Villefranche-de-Conflent to Les Horts, which runs along a low wall (photo No. 25006). Climb over this low wall and follow the route of the old Jando canal, of which nothing remains except its trace on the map.

(3) Immediately after this low wall, leave the path and turn right onto the path that climbs towards the village, passing along the south-eastern flank of Pouméjane. You will soon find yourself overlooking a climbing site. The path crosses Rocanso and Les Coves, between the Horts and Rocs Llisos ravines. You will quickly reach the ridge (730 m) near the northern summit of Pouméjane (735 m).

Continue along the ridge towards the north, keeping the southern end of a rocky outcrop, La Cova, and a spur on your left in your sights. You will need to pass between the two.

(4) At the fork on the Pouméjane ridge, the path is fully marked with cairns until it splits into three: take the middle path towards the old ruined village (do not go right towards the bottom of the Horts ravine or left towards the bottom of the Rocs Llisos ravine). The path is still marked with cairns in many places. There are also some recent markings (2020).

Continue for about 200 m along the hillside, still climbing, to reach the foot of the Coves rocks. Follow the cliff (which is now on your right) as closely as possible, then follow the contour line overlooking the Rocs Llisos, trying to find paths on the collapsed terraced walls.
NB: remember that most of the walls were built to support paths or crops. Do not descend to the bottom of the ravine, but stay as high as possible at the foot of the cliffs or not too far away. A GPS device may help you find your way.

Reach the ruins of the first houses in the village. Go behind the largest ruin, between the ruin and a fairly clean rock shelter. Reach the dry stream and cross it to get to the right bank.

You will easily reach the Horts fountain (marked "Fne" on the IGN map), its large trough and several open cisterns, all of which are still fairly well preserved.

(5) This is the end of the hike. You can continue (not described in this route) to the other ruins that can be seen, hidden in the vegetation. Going down into the ravine, you will find a basin, a well and another large trough, all still well preserved.

Finally, descend by the same path to return to the car park (S/E).

Possible alternative: between WP (2) and WP (3), turn right at a crossroads onto a path that descends the side of Pouméjane, leaving the peak at 573 m on your left, and arrives at terraced fields planted with small trees. You will then rejoin the path about 60 metres before the bridge over the Ravin des Horts river. See route description in another hike: https://www.visorando.com/randonnee-camp...

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 462 m - Mas de Lastourg crossroads - Têt (fleuve)
  2. 1 : km 0.71 - alt. 489 m - House and shed - Turn right
  3. 2 : km 1.29 - alt. 548 m - Old path & canal de Jando - Turn left
  4. 3 : km 1.32 - alt. 551 m - Turn right and climb uphill.
  5. 4 : km 1.97 - alt. 742 m - Carrefour des Coves Take the middle fork at the fork
  6. 5 : km 2.9 - alt. 851 m - Village des Horts
  7. S/E : km 5.83 - alt. 462 m - Mas de Lastourg crossroads

Practical information

__Caution: there are no markings, no wide path and not even a regular trail along the entire route. Bring a map, a compass and a GPS or smartphone if you have one!
The first hundred metres after the hut (1) can be difficult to find. Take note of the photos available on the website!
When hiking off the beaten track, there is always a risk of not finding wide paths, let alone signposts, and therefore even fewer hikers who have found them. However, I persevere because I believe that what I enjoy, others, albeit few, may also enjoy!
This is why this hike is rated Difficult.

The shepherd's hut in the village of Les Horts can be used as shelter in case of bad weather.
You will need good hiking boots.
There is no water on the route. If necessary, continuing above Les Horts, the Ayrolles ravine river, which becomes the Ravin des Rocs Llisos river, offers generous amounts of water in several pools hidden among the vegetation.

Possible alternative between WP (2) and WP (3): at a crossroads, take a path on the right that descends the side of Pouméjane, leaving the peak at 573 m on your left, and arrives at terraced fields planted with small trees. You will then rejoin the path about 60 metres before the bridge over the Ravin des Horts river. See route description in another hike: https://www.visorando.com/randonnee-camp...

In the nearby area

The massif is home to many chamois, and the ground is sometimes marked with their droppings.
In the village of Les Horts, you can look back nostalgically at these abandoned buildings from centuries past. Only the shepherd's hut near the fountain and watering hole is well preserved. You can go inside, as the metal door has been knocked down.
A brief history of the village can be found at: http://pyreneescatalanes.free.fr/Villages/Histoire/LesHorts.php
This village lies at the foot of Roc dels Canals and Pic des Coves (approx. 1,200 m).
The ascent to Garrigas (1,412 m) is described in another hike on this website. The cliffs are vertiginous, and the colours of the rock are beautiful, orange and grey.
An alternative route to reach the village from Serdinya is described in another hike on this site.
You can continue this hike towards the Vauban trail on the ridge, via the Carlong ravine.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 11 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.2 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
MCTOUL
MCTOUL
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 14, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Let's take a look back at this incredibly scenic route in the heart of nature!
We set off early in the morning (7 a.m.) to enjoy the coolness and shade.
Much of the trail has been cleared and pruned, making it much easier to follow! Thank you to the woodcutters!
However, don't be afraid of the bushes and thorny plants, which only regular use of this trail can overcome... Otherwise, wear clothing that covers your entire body.

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bernard35470
bernard35470
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 04, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

We had a hard time following this route.
There are no signposts, and the path isn't really visible anymore,
so we had to keep a constant eye on the GPS to make sure we were on the right track.

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ABR
ABR
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 04, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike, which we combined with the Pic des Coves hike starting from Serdinya and the Jando Canal hike via Poumejane to create a loop of over 10 km, of moderate difficulty.
The lack of landmarks meant we got a bit lost at the start, climbing the terraced fields, then again at the end from the Mas de la Guardia, where even the farm workers couldn't direct us to the canal. We used the GPS altitude markers to guide us, and as we could always see the Têt valley, we didn't have any real problems finding our way.

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MCTOUL
MCTOUL
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 11, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

I did this hike again, walking on the way there and running back early this morning in the cool air. Everything is still as beautiful as ever! Strangely, there were no cicadas today...
On the way back, I came across some hikers who had got lost near the WP (4).
Since then, I've marked the entire Pouméjane ridge and even a little beyond!

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MCTOUL
MCTOUL
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 13, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

I did this hike again, walking on the way there and running back early this morning in the cool air. Everything is still just as beautiful!
A little tip for parking: try to park in the space in front of the glass and rubbish bins just at the crossroads at the entrance to the Mas de Lastourg/SHEM campsite.

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Azimut71
Azimut71
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 15, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Access to the planned car park appears to be prohibited (everything is prohibited). However, there is another car park a little further away, on a bend in the N116, in both directions (the picnic table on the map). From there, you can reach the small house by walking towards Villefranche along the side road.
Towards point (2), the description is unclear. It should read: "cross the stream, continue along the canal until you reach the junction with the Horts path".
I would consider the route to be of medium difficulty, as the paths are often steep and slippery (take care on the descent).

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MCTOUL
MCTOUL
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 05, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello, fellow hikers!
I did this route again on 6 August!
Nothing to complain about regarding the route or the scenery...the weather was still beautiful (blue skies).
However, the more daring among you will appreciate that a hiker has daubed the rocks with fluorescent yellow "markings", including large lines and arrows... It certainly makes it easier to find your way!
Others may not appreciate seeing these wild places somewhat spoiled...
See you soon
Marc

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monlaug
monlaug
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 02, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very beautiful hike
I did the hike in reverse, finishing at the forts, and it was really great.

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aironer1
aironer1
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 10, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Like marmotte75, we couldn't find the trail even with the map in our hands
After 30 minutes of searching from terrace to terrace, we turned back and started from Serdinya. We'll try again because we really liked this missed start.

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marmotte75
marmotte75
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Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 19, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Clarity of route map : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

I couldn't find the irrigation channel, probably because I climbed too steeply. After a very difficult climb (but with a magnificent view), I had no choice but to climb back down, sitting on my bottom because the slope was so steep. I think I'll go to the village ruined by Serdinya. I don't have the courage to do the same route again without more precise directions: it's "climbing from terraces to terraces... irrigation channel..." which I didn't follow.
But thank you for the suggestion, it must be a beautiful hike when you don't get lost.

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MCTOUL
MCTOUL
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 19, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hike repeated early on Saturday morning, 20 June 2015.
Still very pleasant and super peaceful!

Highly recommended.

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