Sant Feliu Church – Serrat Blanc – La Devesa from Rodès

A pleasant route above Rodès, with stunning views of the Canigou massif and the Vinça Dam.
Places to see: the ruins of Sant Feliu de les Cases, the old Devesa de Rodès quarry, where a jazz festival is held in summer. Tracks, paths and dirt tracks. Some sections are a bit rough, but the route is not difficult.
Moderator’s note: on some sections, the paths have disappeared; see the reviews for this hike for alternative routes

Details

n°17492200

Creation:
27 Nov 2021

Last update:
14 Feb 2022

Last review:
24 Feb 2025

Activity: Walking
Distance: 7.37 mi
Average duration: 4h 30
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 1,234 ft
Descent: - 1,234 ft
Highest point: 1,732 ft
Lowest point: 617 ft

Country: France
Area: Pyrenees
City: Rodès (66320)
Start/End: N 42.655541° / E 2.559953°
IGN map(s): Ref. 2348ET, 2448OT
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Description of the walk

Park in the car park at Place de l’Oliveda, Ruta Nova de la Conquilla.

(S/E) From the car park, follow the main road (D16) towards the village centre. Then turn left onto Carrer de la Casa Trancada, cross the bridge over the Têt and follow the track on the left for about 500 m.

(1) Take the path up to the right (signposted and marked in yellow). Continue straight on to the ruins of Sant Feliu de les Cases.

(2) Leave the^GRP® trail behind the ruins to return to the path and continue straight ahead (west) to reach a junction with a track at an elevation of 420 metres.

(3) Turn right onto this track and follow it for about 800 m until you reach a right-hand bend in a valley hollow.

(4) Then take the path on the left towards Serrat Blanc. Ignore a track coming from the right, then veer right along the path to go round Serrat Blanc (White Mountain) on the right and reach another fork.

(5) Turn right twice and you’ll come to a wider path. Leave it quickly by keeping to the right and you’ll reach a track at the 495m mark.

(6) Follow this track to the right for about 700 m until you reach a three-way junction in the tracks, with a grassy patch in the centre.

(7) Head right for a few dozen metres, then follow the path to the left. This quickly becomes grassy and crosses meadows. Continue to the buildings at Cortal Grau and a junction with a track.

(8) Cross this track and, after 400 m, you will find the^GRP® opposite.

(9) Continue straight ahead and slightly to the left on a path that then turns east; make sure you keep heading in this direction until you reach the junction with a marked cross-country path.

(10) Turn right and follow the path for 400 m until you reach a three-way junction (elevation 350 m).

(11) Turn right towards the old Devesa quarry. Follow this path downwards until you reach the track running alongside the River Têt. Then turn left, cross the bridge and walk through Rodès to reach the Place de l’Oliveda (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : mi 0 - alt. 682 ft - Car park at Place de l’Oliveda
1 : mi 0.69 - alt. 669 ft - Path on the right - Têt (fleuve)
2 : mi 1.78 - alt. 1,385 ft - Ruins of the - Église Sant Feliu (Las Cases)
3 : mi 2.22 - alt. 1,378 ft - Track, on the right
4 : mi 2.74 - alt. 1,529 ft - Path on the left
5 : mi 3.46 - alt. 1,657 ft - Junction, path on the right
6 : mi 3.71 - alt. 1,617 ft - Track on the right
7 : mi 4.2 - alt. 1,562 ft - Junction: turn right, then left
8 : mi 4.57 - alt. 1,516 ft - Cortal de Crau
9 : mi 4.83 - alt. 1,496 ft - GRP junction
10 : mi 5.78 - alt. 1,227 ft - Path on the right
11 : mi 5.99 - alt. 1,165 ft - Three-way junction, on the right
S/E : mi 7.37 - alt. 682 ft - Car park at Place de l’Oliveda

Notes

Sturdy walking shoes and walking poles.
On hot days, bring a hat and plenty of water – there isn’t much shade.

Worth a visit

Ruins of Sant Feliu Church (Las Cases), several views of the Canigou massif and the Vinça dam.
The cirque of the former Devesa quarry.

Reviews and comments

3.7 / 5

Based on 6 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.4 / 5

Ease of following the route
3 / 5

Route interest
4.7 / 5

mjr

24 Feb 2025 at 08:42 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The walk is lovely, but unfortunately the path has disappeared in one section and is blocked in another. Luckily, I had
the Visorando app to follow the route more or less.
Not to be done again, or the route needs changing

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luctitine

27 Jan 2025 at 18:27 3600

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The route is perfect up to marker 4, but after that it’s impossible to follow the path any further; the track has been fenced off, so you have to walk alongside a fence, which adds a detour of about 1 km. It was probably closed off by hunters, or by people who didn’t want to be disturbed by walkers. Those who recommend this walk should try to find another, more clearly marked route.
But it was still a lovely walk; we covered 15 km.

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natur66

14 Feb 2022 at 19:15 3600

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 14, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely spot for a hike through the granite boulder fields, with plenty of dry-stone huts.
However, from point 4 onwards, the path disappears beneath the vegetation and becomes virtually non-existent until point 5. There are fences and private property blocking our way. I had to turn back to get from point 4 to point 7. Same problem at Cortal Grau. This description is several years old and nature has reclaimed its rights; some land has been fenced off since then.All of this needs reviewing! I would have been better off following the GR route I did a few years ago

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Doumic

24 Dec 2021 at 14:12 3600 • Edited: 24 Dec 2021 at 14:16 3600

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Route completed on 20 December 2021: a clear, easy-to-follow track up to point 4. Although it is very marshy and muddy at this time of year, the path running alongside the stream is easy to follow until it crosses it. Beyond that point, there is no path and you find yourself wading through brambles... We turned back to the track, which we followed to the next junction, where we turned left past the ruins of a farmhouse (point 479), still determined to reach Serrat Blanc. The path was easy at first, then it disappeared. So we crossed La Prada to rejoin the track above La Ropidera, at point 484. The rest of the walk was uneventful. On my return, whilst looking up this route online, I discovered that there is a dolmen right at the start of the walk, the Guardiola dolmen (42° 39′ 44″ N, 2° 32′ 57″ E), which isn’t marked on the IGN map. Has anyone found it? It would be good to add its location to the map so we can make a short detour there before heading up to Sant Feliu de les Cases. A pleasant walk, sheltered from the Tramontane but with no shade. Best avoided in summer.

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ChrisDesno

20 Dec 2021 at 11:47 3600

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Problem at point 4: the path was no longer clearly marked, the area was very marshy and it was impossible to get through. We had to turn back, rejoining the track we’d left at point 4; at a ruined sheepfold (altitude 479), we turned left to reach the fork at point 7. So we skipped the “Serrat Blanc” without too many regrets – we’ll save that for next time!
Another difficulty between points 8 and 9: go round Cortal Grau on the right, continuing along the track (the route is supposed to cross the cortal, but the path disappears into the vegetation after 100 metres and getting to point 9 is a bit of a gamble...)
So, continue along the track and turn left (at the junction) at the 464m mark. You’ll reach point 9 shortly afterwards.

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martine cls

14 Dec 2021 at 16:47 3600

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 14, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

There were no difficulties up to the village of Les Cases and the church of Sant Feliu, but from there on… we took two paths (the one on the left as we reached the village, then the one opposite), both leading to the same track. We did turn right, but we couldn’t find the path that branched off to the left 800 m from that point. (Point 3, I think.)
That said, magnificent scenery, superb views... A lovely time all the same

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