Roquefixade Castle, Coulzonne Cave and Roquefort Waterfalls

A beautiful hike, without any real difficulty, in the hills above Roquefixade, near Foix, and at the Roquefort Waterfalls.
The first part of the hike is uphill through the woods until you reach the cliffs above Roquefixade (castle, ridge and cave) before re-entering the forest to the waterfalls and picnic tables.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.46 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 696 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 692 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 979 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 453 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the Roquefort waterfall car park.

(S/E) Return to the village via the small bridge.

(1) At the entrance to the village, take the path immediately on the right. The climb begins straight away.

(2) At the crossroads of four paths, turn right onto the GRP® and follow it for about 150 m until you reach a fork. Turn right onto the GR® de Pays (not listed by IGN). The path makes a wide circular loop. Follow the red and yellow markings in the forest. Join the old GR® de Pays.

(3) Turn right onto this trail until you reach the edge of the forest and a fork.

(4) Take the path on the left to reach a fork and the path leading to the castle.

(5) Descend the trail for a short detour to the castle ruins.

(6) Turn around to return to the fork.

(5) Continue to the right and climb up to the top of the cliff.

(7) Turn left at the intersection and continue through the forest until you reach a flat area and a sign indicating the direction of the cave. Turn left and walk about 20 metres to reach the Coulzonne Cave.

(8) Then retrace your steps and continue along the path.

(9) Shortly afterwards, turn left (path not listed on IGN but present on OSM) and continue south-east, crossing woods and arriving at a new intersection.

(10) Turn left to rejoin the GRP® and follow it to the left until you reach a four-way crossroads, which you already passed on the way there.

(2) Opposite, take the outward route in the opposite direction back to the car park.

(S/E) Continue towards the Roquefort Waterfalls. After taking the path to the right at the start of the waterfalls, climb up to reach a first platform, then a second.

(11) Here you can admire the first pools and waterfalls. Then take the path that climbs up alongside the waterfall and discover some beautiful scenery. Cross the stream on the right and climb up the path, taking care as it is narrow and winding.
At the top, turn left, follow the path and begin the descent to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 464 m - Car park at the bottom of the village of Roquefort.
  2. 1 : km 0.16 - alt. 454 m - Fork in the road, to the right
  3. 2 : km 1.63 - alt. 635 m - Fork in the road, to the right
  4. 3 : km 3.58 - alt. 853 m - Junction with the old GR
  5. 4 : km 4.13 - alt. 881 m - Fork in the road towards the castle
  6. 5 : km 4.64 - alt. 941 m - View of the castle ruins. - Château de Roquefixade
  7. 6 : km 4.93 - alt. 873 m - Ruins of the - Château de Roquefixade
  8. 7 : km 6.62 - alt. 905 m - Fork to the left
  9. 8 : km 6.93 - alt. 878 m - Coulzonne Cave - Grotte de l'Église Catholique en Pays Cathare
  10. 9 : km 7.16 - alt. 857 m - Fork in the road, to the left
  11. 10 : km 7.75 - alt. 810 m - Fork to the left
  12. 11 : km 10.83 - alt. 495 m - Platform - Cascade de la Turasse (Roquefort-les-Cascades)
  13. S/E : km 11.46 - alt. 464 m - Car park at the bottom of the village.

Notes

July 2024 - On the return journey, before point (2), a tree had fallen across the path. You have to go around it on the left.

Worth a visit

Visit to the Cathar castle of Roquefixade.
View of the Coulzonne Cave (Catholic Church Cave).
Visits to the Roquefort Waterfalls.

 Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 15 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
hc31
hc31

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike with a unique view of Roquefixade Castle and the valley.
Good signposting, but you need to pay attention at every junction as there are lots of paths!
Much of the route is through woodland, but the ridge must be very hot in summer!
Dry waterfall...

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User 3787686
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike, especially for getting back into it after knee problems.
It's quite steep at the start, which might discourage children, but it's fine in the end. And given how hot it was, it was nice to be under the trees.
The view from the top is superb!
We didn't make the detour to the castle or the waterfalls.
As for the castle, the children weren't keen, and between the heat and my vertigo, I didn't insist, but it's beautiful!
As for the waterfalls, they're dry at this time of year, so there's not much to see.
The cave passage is very nice, a refreshing little break!

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wallou63
wallou63

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

very nice walk, pleasant climb through undergrowth

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Marie-therese arsuffi
Marie-therese arsuffi
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

very beautiful hike
the waterfall route to do before climbing up to the castle
the ascent and descent are gradual without too much difficulty, except for the very muddy paths! Make sure you wear suitable footwear
at the beginning of May, there are flowers everywhere

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noemsch
noemsch

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Most of the hike takes place in the forest. We hiked after heavy rain, so there was a lot of mud on the trail, but it was still manageable. We had a picnic facing Roquefixade, a superb view to enjoy the landscape and rest after the climb. We finished the hike in 4.5 hours, including breaks.

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jeanmarie.chopin
jeanmarie.chopin

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Great hike, with beautiful and varied landscapes. We started at the Roquefort waterfalls (stunning with beautiful falls) and had lunch on the ridge just above Roquefixade Castle, with the snow-capped peaks opposite! Very, very beautiful. Just a few details about the route description:
-- at point 4, climb up following the ridge (the path is not always clearly marked...)
-- at point 7, be sure to turn left, then after a few dozen metres on flat ground, be sure to take the path on the right, the entrance to which is not obvious

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Delail
Delail

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello, beautiful route, interesting, but leaves some ambiguities regarding the itinerary (when leaving the woods, specify that you have to reach the ridge...). A villager informed us that the route will soon be marked... To be seen, for now the itinerary is complicated!

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chespeel
chespeel

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A great hike with varied landscapes. When we reached point 5, the view of the castle was magnificent. The weather was dry, but the path was a bit muddy in places. We didn't meet anyone on the way.

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Benben_31
Benben_31
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 31, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Hello
Hike completed on 31 October 2024 with three teenagers. The route is perfect and easy to follow. This hike is not difficult for those who enjoy walking. Walking time: 4 hours.
However, there are relatively few viewpoints, except around Roquefixade Castle. The ascent and descent are through woods, which are certainly colourful at this time of year, but without being able to enjoy the landscape, which makes the route rather monotonous. The detour to the waterfalls, which are generous at this time of year, allows you to finish the hike on a positive note.

PLEASE NOTE: in autumn, the paths can sometimes be very wet. Fallen leaves and mud make some sections very slippery... We managed a few impressive moves.

THANK YOU for suggesting this route.

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Michel Doret
Michel Doret

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk, but as for the car park, the waterfall is pretty, though not worth going around it on the right to climb above it: it's not interesting.

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JS-31
JS-31

I completely disagree with Rorobourou: the route and Visorando GPS tracking work very well. We did the hike on 16 August, which is peak season, and didn't find it particularly crowded. Yes, it's true that in the height of summer the waterfalls are dry, which is understandable. Perhaps we didn't do the same route...

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Amneloris
Amneloris

"Map provided by Visorando completely unsuitable and impossible to use"
> What does that mean? How is the map unusable?

"Waterfalls without a drop of water"
> There is a season called "summer", which obviously brings problems such as drought and other issues... Perhaps you were not aware of our climate? 🤷🏻‍♂️

"Considerable crowds on the trail"
> I have been to Roquefixade many times... It has rarely been too crowded, but I manage to go there during the week... If you go on an "accessible" hike at the weekend, of course it's going to be crowded... Lake Oo or Gavarnie at the weekend... Would you be surprised by the crowds? This place isn't as well known as the previous hikes, but in recent years, there have been more and more people...

And thank you very much for your very constructive comment.

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Roroboubou
Roroboubou

Overall rating : 2 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : Yes

Very disappointing overall: the map provided by Visorando is completely inadequate and impossible to use, waterfalls without a drop of water, car park completely full, huge crowds along the route. It's a shame, as the route deserves a more accurate description and information. This might allow visitors to see real waterfalls and perhaps find fewer people and more peace and quiet.

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JS-31
JS-31

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike accessible to all. Be careful at point 7 to turn left, otherwise you will head in the opposite direction of the return route. Please note that during the summer, the waterfalls are dry.

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popo1953
popo1953

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

This route is very pleasant to travel due to the variety of its landscape and nature. However, I would say that it requires a good level of physical fitness.

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