Long loop of Cap Béar

A long loop around Cap Béar, a challenging but not difficult hike. Things to see: the coastal landscapes, the port of Port-Vendres, the fort, a walk through the vineyards and scrubland, Anse de Paulilles, Bernardi beach, the semaphore and the Béar lighthouse.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.75 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 484 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 486 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 196 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1 m

Description of the walk

Park in the car park known as La Redoute.

(S/E) Leave the car park via the vehicle access point: take care. Take the road (Chemin du Cap Béar) to the left. Continue up this road. At a fork, keep right and stay on the road.

(1) Leave the road and start climbing up the mountainside on the path on the right (south). The route is marked with a yellow sign saying "Cap Béar".

(2) At the crossroads, turn left.

(3) At the crossroads, turn right to climb up to Fort Béar.

(4) After seeing Fort Béar, descend and return to the crossroads.

(3) This time, take the path on the right that leads away from Port-Vendres.

(5) A little further down, the road splits again: take the right fork and descend to a track, which you follow to the right.

(6) Turn left onto a path that descends along the vineyards. Continue straight down until you reach the sea, almost at the level of Bernardi Beach.

(7) Turn left onto the path that runs along the coast, marked by yellow signs, until you reach the Béar lighthouse.

(8) Continue right towards Cap Béar.

(9) Once you reach Cap Béar, retrace your steps.

(8) At the Béar lighthouse, turn right to avoid the road and continue to the Béar semaphore.

(10) Take the path opposite, crossing the tarmac road known as Chemin du Cap Béar. Continue downhill until you return to the crossroads you passed on the way there.

(3) Turn right.

(2) Take the path on the left and continue downhill. Once you reach the paved road, cross it and take the path opposite. Take the short detour to the Mailly Battery and finally reach the Redoute Béar car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 21 m - Redoute Béar
  2. 1 : km 1.06 - alt. 68 m - Intersection
  3. 2 : km 1.2 - alt. 107 m - Crossroads of the small loop
  4. 3 : km 1.82 - alt. 109 m - Crossroads of the large loop
  5. 4 : km 2.18 - alt. 192 m - Fort Béar
  6. 5 : km 2.93 - alt. 64 m - Crossroads
  7. 6 : km 3.62 - alt. 85 m - Crossroads, turn left
  8. 7 : km 4.29 - alt. 7 m - Bernardi Beach
  9. 8 : km 6.62 - alt. 57 m - Phare de Béar
  10. 9 : km 6.98 - alt. 11 m - Cap Béar
  11. 10 : km 7.72 - alt. 74 m - Béar semaphore
  12. S/E : km 9.75 - alt. 20 m - Redoute Béar

Notes

(5) Hiker's note: be careful to turn right when you see a large cairn. There is another intersection before this one; turning right will lead you to a dead end.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 22 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
pincemaille
pincemaille

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very pretty loop. The first part is through heath and vineyards with few people around. The return trip is along a fairly steep coastal path with lots of people
Magnificent views. A very beautiful route.

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Hoffmann
Hoffmann

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

very pleasant hike

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Myriam031972
Myriam031972

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We shared the route with the Madeloc Skytrail trail runners that day, so we progressed slowly to let them pass!
Superb views.
The paths were a bit rough in places, with some nice climbs and a few technical descents, but it's very doable even if you're afraid of heights! Avoid in summer, though, as there's no shade.
Thank you

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Frédériko59
Frédériko59

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
Nice hike. My GPS went crazy trying to find the car park at the start, I think it was because of the tunnel. I made a little detour to have a fake Shweppes for £5 at the beach hut in Bernardi, the most expensive Shweppes I've ever had lol. This hike is definitely worth doing and of course I lingered a bit because of the photos. A swimsuit might be a good idea as there are some pretty coves. If the car park is full, you can find somewhere to park not too far away if you look hard enough. All in all, a great day out. Thank you.

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nathy1
nathy1

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant walk along the Mediterranean coast.

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Fario66
Fario66

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Car park "redoute" poorly signposted at the start...

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toune46
toune46
• Edited:

Superb hike, but not for those who don't like walking on stones
Be careful when climbing up to the lighthouse, as the path is closed
Thanks for the route map

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ricoviso
ricoviso

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a beautiful hike with varied landscapes, ideal for warming up

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Marianne et Heidi
Marianne et Heidi

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Nice hike, the GPS track was useful in sections (5) and (6) to make sure we were on the right path.

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mdajl
mdajl

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

There must be many more people here during the season.
We followed the route starting with the coastal path because the wind was forecast to be stronger towards the end of the morning. We hesitated a little at the fork in the path leading to the fort (which we didn't visit). The landscape is magnificent, although at one point you cross an area that has been burnt and still smells of smoke.

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lougris
lougris

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello everyone,
For me, the hardest part is usually finding the starting point. So I parked at the end of Chemin de la Mole at the entrance to the pier.
Thank you for this very enjoyable and well-planned walk. On the way back, at the end, when you come out onto the road, you can see the path through the undergrowth, but it is quite overgrown. So I walked back up the road for a few dozen metres and took the path around the bend, which led me back to my car.
I'll have to do it again when the sky is clear and sunny.

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marie font
marie font

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike. Superb weather. Very pretty views towards the sea. Old military ruins. Hiking sticks necessary to protect your knees.

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arthur2007
arthur2007

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 03, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

very beautiful hike
a few challenging sections
very interesting with good weather
lovely views

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Preitoche
Preitoche

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 22, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk along the coast and then through the vineyards on the way back (I did the route in the opposite direction )
It was very windy today at Cap Bear, it was difficult to stay upright and the first half of the walk was therefore quite tough. I imagine it's better on less windy days, really.

However, save yourself the climb up to the fort (No. 4), which is a military zone and closed to the public, with no signs at the bottom to indicate this. All you'll see is a large 5G antenna and a sign saying not to go up there. Disappointing!

Walking sticks are highly recommended to relieve your knees during the many descents

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Mick88
Mick88

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 08, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike offering stunning views of the coast. Good description.
My GPS indicated an elevation gain of 640 metres.
From Bernardi beach, the trail is much busier.

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