Torre de Querroig from Portbou, return along the Chemin Walter Benjamin

Start: from Perpignan, take the 2x2 lane road to Argelès-sur-Mer, then follow the dual carriageway.
Continue to Cerbère, then cross the border to Portbou. Park as soon as possible in Avinguda de França, or possibly on the right after the beach.

Red and White CR92 signposting

(S/E) From the car park, head for Platja de Portbou. Above the beach restaurant-bar, climb a wide incline. Continue through a tunnel under the road. Continue up a flight of stairs, then return to the Carrer de Sant Jordi with its steep incline.
At the fork in the road, continue to the right up Carrer de Sant Jordi. The road is now paved. Leave the adjacent streets and climb steeply due East.

(1) Turn left uphill. Pass to the right of the last house and take a less steep path which passes to the left of another house and leads to a pass. Directional signs. Boundary marker 600.

Very scattered Yellow signposting

(2) Go full left South-West on a track until you reach a fork.

(3) Go right up the same track. Yellow markings on a large rock.
At a cistern on the right, continue left on the same track. Do the same 50 m further on.

End of Yellow signposting

(4) Continue right uphill on a narrow stony track. Further on, at the intersection (alt. 335 m), continue to the right, still climbing slightly, due West to the border. Then descend to reach a large area at Coll de la Farella (alt. 300 m). Boundary marker 598.

Yellow signposting

(5) Pass the steel barrier, the cattle grid and find a signpost. Head uphill on the path through the heath, still heading West. The path climbs steeply along the border ridge.
After Puig de l'Àliga (alt. 528 m), the path veers North-West. Continue climbing.
Pass an explanatory sign when the path becomes flatter and reach a fork. Signpost

(6) At the small pass, turn right and begin the final ascent to Torre de Querroig. Vast 360° panorama.

(7) From the ruins of this building, turn back to the fork already crossed at the small pass.

(6) Head South-West along the well-marked, partially signposted path. This takes you to the vast Coll de Rumpissa 5Rumpissó).

Yellow signposting and Yellow fluorescent spots

(8) Turn left, South-East, onto the well-marked Chemin de Walter Benjamin. After 40 m, follow a slightly wider path to the left for a few metres. Spot an old, broken signpost (I've written Portbou: 12 nov 2023) and turn right, due South. After less than 100 m, go completely right and descend more quickly. At the new fence post, find a cairn on the left and continue downhill.

At alt. 440 m, find a signpost.
Around alt. 420 m, find an old information board. The path then veers due East, passing another signpost, then heading for a talweg to be crossed, as well as two others. The path then heads South/South-East. Pass another signpost at alt. 260 m, then another old information board at alt. 250 m and finally an overgrown track.

Very scattered Yellow signposting

(10) Continue left on this track. Around alt. 220 m, at el Solà, there's another information board. Vast landscape and el Pantà reservoir below on the right. The track becomes more passable.
The first junction on the map does not exist. Continue and reach a fork in the trail at alt. 235 m. (large area).

Turn right down several switchbacks. At the very bottom, cross a fence at the first house. Then cross the Ribera de Portbou ford.

(12) Turn left onto the concrete track. After less than 2 km, you'll come to the first houses. There are signposts along this stretch. Pass the wastewater treatment plant on your left and turn left under the impressive retaining wall of this marshalling yard.

(13) Pass through the road tunnel beneath this yard. Keep to the left, protected only by a simple yellow line painted on the lightly-travelled road. When you come out of the tunnel, continue straight ahead at the crossroads. At the end, turn left to reach the beach (S/E).

Constat November 12, 2023. The Chemin de Walter Benjamin is maintained between (8) and (10).
Broken signposting from the outset, and the absence of any real signposting, mean that this part of the circuit requires a gps or the Visorando application. Old signposts and outdated information boards line the path, confirming the correct route.

If you're worried about the (8) to (10) route, you can follow the (6) back to the (5) (Coll de la Farella) and then follow the signs to the right towards Portbou.
- Either take the track as far as (1).
- Or take the South-facing path down to the concrete return road.

This is a low-mountain area:

Gear: protective rainwear and windbreaker, eau, snack, gpx trail, description, map,
GPS or Visorando app, camera, hiking boots, walking sticks. It's often cold in the tower.

Warning: no shelter or water on this route.
Old buildings along the trail, after the (12).
There's a drinking trough due West 800 m after the (8).
Drinking water by the beach at Portbou.

Portbou
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