The drystone shelters trail in Couiza

Departure from Couiza and its 16th-century Château des Ducs de Joyeuse. You will wind your way along paths lined with dry stone walls and several drystone shelters, passing through the villages of Cassaignes and Coustoussa with its ruined castle.
This trail takes you to the heights of Montaut and Les Planèses, where you can admire the peaks of Pic de Bugarach, Brau and the Pyrenees.
There are alternative routes and you can start from Cassaignes or Coustoussa.

Details

3300612
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.21 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 236 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 230 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 434 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 225 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Parking on Avenue du Stade.
Information board. Yellow and VTT31 markings.

(S/E) Turn left onto Rue d'Occitanie, cross the D118 carefully and go straight up Chemin du Pech. Continue past the Estamounets retirement home until you reach a track. At the end of the track, when you reach a tarmac road, turn left onto a dirt track between the vineyards for 100 m, then right onto a narrow path lined with stone walls. Pass two drystone shelters and continue for another 100 m.

(1) Turn left and join a track.

(2) At the track, turn right twice and descend for about 300 metres.

(3) At the crossroads, turn left onto the uphill track. Pass in front of a magnificent circular drystone shelter and arrive at the Montaut ridge. Continue for 1.4 km.

(4) Turn right at the intersection and descend to the village of Cassaignes. In the village, pass the cemetery and turn immediately right. Descend 100 m and turn right at the picnic table. After the house on the left, take the grassy path straight ahead.

(5) When you reach a tarmac road, turn left for 50 metres, then turn right into the woods for 200 metres.

(6) Turn left and go down a stony path to the tarmac road.

(7) Turn right to follow the road. Continue to the crossroads below the village of Coustoussa.

(8) Pass the cemetery and after 200 m, turn right onto the dirt track, then immediately left and walk alongside a house on your left.

(9) At the cypress tree, turn left onto the path to go back up to the junction of the circular route.

(1) Turn left to retrace your steps and return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 226 m - Parking on Avenue du Stade. Close to the - Sals (rivière) - Affluent de l'Aude
  2. 1 : km 2.02 - alt. 341 m - Crossroads of the circular loop
  3. 2 : km 2.28 - alt. 366 m - Track on the right
  4. 3 : km 2.57 - alt. 352 m - On the left, uphill track.
  5. 4 : km 4.01 - alt. 434 m - Turn right at the three-way junction.
  6. 5 : km 5.25 - alt. 391 m - Road junction
  7. 6 : km 5.51 - alt. 395 m - Fork in the road to the left.
  8. 7 : km 5.96 - alt. 354 m - Turn right onto the road.
  9. 8 : km 6.56 - alt. 320 m - Straight ahead. Cemetery
  10. 9 : km 6.98 - alt. 320 m - At the cypress tree on the left.
  11. S/E : km 9.21 - alt. 226 m - Parking on Avenue du Stade.

Notes

Wear sturdy shoes: the path is very rocky. Bring water and a hat in hot weather.
Water source at the Cassaignes and Coustoussa cemetery, shelter in the drystone shelters.

Worth a visit

Possible variations from Cassaignes or Coustoussa 5 km: take the path between (5 and 8).
Couiza village with all amenities and Tourist Office, the Château des Ducs de Joyeuse and the ruins of Coustoussa.
Picnic table in Cassaignes.
Magnificent panorama over the Montaut ridge.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 7 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
Birgitt
Birgitt

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant route, beautiful view of Rennes-le-Château. You could start at the retirement home; the road is not particularly interesting.

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Mokmik
Mokmik

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk along the Capitelles route, which we started in Couiza. A varied route with beautiful views.
At the start: note that the path is tarmac beyond the retirement home, so it is a proper road (with very little traffic) and not a path as indicated. Further on, there is a remarkable group of stone huts, the drystone shelters, on the left of the path.
The two small villages along the route (first Cassaignes, where the dogs are placid and don't bark, then Couttaussas) are very pleasant. Many sections of the path are sheltered from the wind, which can be strong in this region.
The path is marked in yellow and well signposted, with a different option between the markings and the Visorando description after Cassaignes. We followed the Visorando option.

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Adele_dv
Adele_dv

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A simple and pleasant route, the layout is just right and there are signposts all along the way.
I recommend it!

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PAPITOU
PAPITOU

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

A beautiful discovery in the mid-mountains, with Cathar landscapes and beautiful views of the high mountains, Bugarach, castles and drystone shelters. A fairly easy route, best avoided in very hot weather.

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Isabelle Rougé
Isabelle Rougé

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

Numerous drystone shelters along the route.
Pretty villages along the way.
Beautiful views of the Pyrenees.
The track after the retirement home has been tarmacked.
A slight hesitation on the way back to take the path in the opposite direction, which led us round in circles.

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Huerga
Huerga

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 21, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Walk around the village of Couiza with stunning views.
We did the walk in October and got quite tanned, so it's clear that in summer you need to take precautions to protect yourself from the sun and stay hydrated.

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Pamb
Pamb

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 05, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very good route, but crossing the D118 road is too dangerous: it could be moved to the traffic lights at the junction with the D 613.

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