The capitelles path from Fitou

Numerous restored capitelles (drystone shelters) and panoramic views over the Etang de Leucate and the coast.

Details

40613997
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.75 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 850 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 863 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 643 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 95 ft
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Fitou (11510)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 42.891415° / E 2.973395°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2547OT
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the Saint-Julien-et-Sainte-Basilisse church car park.

(S/E)  Take the path opposite the car park to reach a water tank at a crossroads.

(1) Turn right, then quickly pass the orientation table, where you'll find a panoramic view.

(2) Continue along the Domaine Vidal, once frequented by Jean Marais. Continue along the path, noting all the capitelles. Approach the wind farm, and arrive at the Cortal de Marty signpost.

(3) Head left towards Feuilla, reaching the former Aéropostale aeronautical beacon, then Les Courteils.

(4) Take the footpath on the left, continuing on to reach the crossroads of the path to the dolmen.

(5) Turn right onto the yellow-marked path, after the hunting lookout post turn left, attention the path, which can be seen through the vegetation, is marked only by cairns. Reach the Oliveda d'en David dolmen.

(6) Return to the previous crossroads.

(5) Continue to the right for a few hundred meters until you reach a crossroads.

(7) Keep to the left, ignoring the paths to the left and right. Reach the capitelle Gabrielle.

(8) Continue on to reach a crossroads next to a vineyard.

(9) Turn left onto an unmarked path. After the power lines, reach a hairpin bend.

(10) Take the small path opposite and quickly return to the starting intersection.

(1) Continue straight ahead along the opposite route, back to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 220 ft - Church car park
  2. 1 : mi 0.27 - alt. 344 ft - DFCI tank. Loop crossroads
  3. 2 : mi 0.81 - alt. 397 ft - Domaine Vidal
  4. 3 : mi 1.18 - alt. 420 ft - Cortal de Marty
  5. 4 : mi 1.48 - alt. 509 ft - Wind farm and aeronautical lighthouse
  6. 5 : mi 2.77 - alt. 440 ft - Dolmen trail
  7. 6 : mi 3.83 - alt. 643 ft - Dolmen de l'Oliveda d'en David
  8. 7 : mi 5.24 - alt. 417 ft - Runway, turn left
  9. 8 : mi 6.86 - alt. 177 ft - Gabrielle drystone shelter
  10. 9 : mi 7.02 - alt. 95 ft - Vineyard
  11. 10 : mi 8.11 - alt. 338 ft - Hairpin, path opposite
  12. S/E : mi 8.75 - alt. 217 ft - Church car park

Notes

If you're going on your own, tell someone close to you about your itinerary and how long it will take.
Walking shoes, poles, GPS, hiking map with itinerary.
Bring plenty of water, snacks (dried fruit, cereal bars).
Depending on the season: hat, gloves, warm clothing, cap, sunglasses, sunscreen.

No water, not to be used in very hot and windy conditions. Good footwear, as there are many stones and vegetation in places. At certain times of year, beware of mosquitoes.

Worth a visit

Fitou cellars and château.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 12 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
DROP34
DROP34

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 15, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely little walk with no particular difficulties. We didn’t spot the turn-off to the dolmen. It was very windy, but then again, we are in the land of the wind

Machine-translated

LEFRANC Sylvie
LEFRANC Sylvie

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful walk. We did this walk just as flowering began (16 March), with irises, giant orchises, ophrys fusca link and cluster mascaras, all enhanced by superb views of the Canigou and the ponds. Beautiful renovation of the drystone shelters, also known as orri.

Machine-translated

Vejapi
Vejapi

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pretty walk dotted with wild flowers such as irises, daffodils and orchids, numerous drystone shelters and a magnificent panorama.

Machine-translated

BOB6634
BOB6634

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

It's a nice walk, but the diversions to see the dolmen is almost pointless, apart from covering a little more distance.
The signposting is sometimes non-existent, but fortunately there is VISORANDO.
You'll also need good shoes for the many stony sections along the way.

Machine-translated

zenitude66
zenitude66

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for this beautiful hike?
The only point that lacks interest for me is between points 5 and 6 (return loop); following the cairns trail is not easy with the heath vegetation reclaiming its rights and the dolmen lacks a little interest in my opinion.

Machine-translated

BALI
BALI

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

PARISH SPECIFIC TO BRITTANY.

PARISH SPECIFIC TO BRITTANY

Machine-translated

colom gerard
colom gerard

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

lovely walk through the heath. signposting to be improved. great views of the drystone shelters. Circuit to be made with a splendid sight on the ponds and the sea

Machine-translated

PatBallade
PatBallade

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful walk through the heath, with its fragrances and distinctive vegetation. Beautiful, well-restored drystone shelters. The only downside is that the signposting is still very succinct, making the Visorando geolocation system virtually indispensable.

Machine-translated

bernard coulomb
bernard coulomb

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This tour takes in around twenty well-restored drystone shelters and the classic heath landscape of the southern Corbières. But it's best done earlier in the season when the rosemary forests are in flower.
No problem tracking with the GPS.
You can skip the dolmen extension without hesitation, as it has 3 leaning and very small orthostats without the classic tabular covering of the dolmen.
There are some very beautiful pinecone centaury along the way, as well as wide views of the sea.

Machine-translated

Riquet640
Riquet640

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk to discover the drystone shelters.
Not to be done as we did in hot and windy weather. Not much shade.
Despite this, we enjoyed the tour.

Machine-translated

dibona65
dibona65

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

There are plenty of wide tracks for this lovely walk, which offers excellent views of the coastline and access to a number of well-restored drystone shelters. The only time you are invited to leave the wide tracks for good is on the alternative route to the dolmen. The path then becomes very narrow and even if the cairns make it fairly easy to follow, the hour-long diversions there and back to find 3 unfortunate stones in the middle of nowhere begs the question!

Machine-translated

lecabos
lecabos

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk in fine weather. Pleasant, well-marked route with no difficulties. Lovely views over the ponds, oyster beds and the Mediterranean. I was pleasantly surprised by these drystone shelters, which I'd never seen before, and congratulations to those who restored them. I would recommend

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.