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

From Platja de Portbou, an ascent to Coll dels Belitres, a border ridge crossing. Then, after Coll de la Farella, the climb to Torre de Querroig. On the return journey, we pass Coll de Rumpissar and descend to Portbou along the Chemin de Walter Benjamin. See practical information. Constantly beautiful panoramas.

A gpx track is essential from (8) to (10). Steep gradients on some sections.
Hike consists of trails (forbidden to all motorised traffic), paths (stony and steep), and a concrete track (at the finish).
Warning: this hike is not recommended in very hot or scorching weather.

Technical sheet

4557472
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.51 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 715 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 715 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 671 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 3 m

Photos

Description of the walk

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).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 6 m - Portbou Beach
  2. 1 : km 0.57 - alt. 79 m - On the left, a concrete track
  3. 2 : km 1.13 - alt. 169 m - Coll dels Belitres
  4. 3 : km 1.53 - alt. 187 m - To the right. Uphill runway
  5. 4 : km 2.01 - alt. 257 m - Opposite. Off the beaten track
  6. 5 : km 3.4 - alt. 306 m - Across the road - Col de la Fareille ou Coll de la Farella (305 m)
  7. 6 : km 4.85 - alt. 627 m - Junction. Return ascent to the tower
  8. 7 : km 4.99 - alt. 665 m - Castell i Torre de Querroig
  9. 8 : km 5.59 - alt. 539 m - To the left - Col ou Coll de Rumpissar (540m)
  10. 9 : km 6 - alt. 448 m - Signpost. Further on, an educational table
  11. 10 : km 7.03 - alt. 239 m - To the left. Runway
  12. 11 : km 7.53 - alt. 235 m - To the right. Downhill runway
  13. 12 : km 8.86 - alt. 80 m - To the left. Carriageway
  14. 13 : km 11.03 - alt. 28 m - Road tunnel under the railway station
  15. S/E : km 11.51 - alt. 6 m - Portbou Beach

Practical information

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.

In the nearby area

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 5 reviews

Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Clarity of route map
4 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
lemarcheur65
lemarcheur65 ★

Hello BADADEI
Thank you for these clarifications and information.

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BADADEI
BADADEI

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

done 2 times, 1 hour of fairly steep slope before the puig de QUERROIG, magnificent panoramic view at the summit rewarding the effort made (so do it on a clear day to enjoy it).
Low brush on the descent, not to be done in shorts in fine weather.
At the start, before starting the trail, we added a detour to the Walter Benjamin memorial near the cemetery above the harbour. If you're going to hike on a trail named after him, you might as well visit this memorial site, which is well worth the diversions.
At point 10, when you reach the track, fork right for about 200 m. At the end of the track, on the platform, look for the path on the left that leads down to the reservoir. Once there, follow it to the dam and then take the road to PORT BOU, rejoining the original track at point 12.

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Dufossé
Dufossé
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Lovely walk in fine weather, but avoid it when it's windy, risky section, magnificent views.

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lemarcheur65
lemarcheur65 ★
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

High temperatures (at least 20°C) on 12 November 2023.
Marked paths and tracks.
The path from Coll de Rumpissar is well maintained. Yellow fluorescent markers confirm that you are on the right path.
The area, burnt during a fire in the summer of 2023, is now greening up. But many trees have perished.

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rv07
rv07

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

At the start I didn't see any steps but a winding incline that follows the CR92.
Ascent: old markings quite distant but correct.
On the way down, from the Col de Querroig to the Col de Rumpissar, the markings are recent: fluorescent yellow.
From the Col de Rumpissar (signpost), the markings change to large yellow spots: the marker must have lost his stencil... The path has been cleaned and cleared of undergrowth, so it is well marked.
When you get to the "Walter Benjamin route" track, the markings disappear, but you just have to follow the track.
At point 11, the shortcut has not been cleared: beware of the "barbarian" fig trees ....

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robert Jacquinot
robert Jacquinot

thank you for your follow-up, I traced this hike and I could not find the way on my tel
how to follow this route physically on site, so I am of course disappointed.

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lecabos
lecabos

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of walk : Dec 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Hello, I had to go twice to find the Walter Benjamin path. On Monday 13/12/2021, I did the route in the direction suggested by VISORANDO (Portbou, Querroig tower, return by Chemin W.B.) but I missed the junction with Chemin W.B. along the new fence because it was badly signposted, so I went down a track, which made the route longer. I came back on Thursday 16/12/2021 but in the opposite direction. I went back up the W.B. path, which is not maintained at all and is even dangerous in places. I arrived at the new fence, a place I had missed on 13/12/2021.
On the normal route planned by VISORANDO, I'd just like to point out that from (8) when you go down along the new fence, you have to take the path on the left just before the fence makes a right angle to the right. There is indeed a cairn on the left, but you can hardly see it (vegetation). I've therefore added one in the middle of the path to attract the attention of hikers. Be very careful going down the W.B. path.
Best regards

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