The Sentier du Guetteur in Leucate

This trail is part of the Narbonnaise en Méditerranée Regional Park Heritage Trail.
Starting from the village of Leucate, discover its unique cliffs and plateau, unspoilt natural sites between the Massif de la Clape and the Corbières. Breathtaking and unique views of the Mediterranean await you.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.91 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 91 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 97 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 54 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 0 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park of the former Leucate wine cooperative at 1 Avenue Francis Vals. The tourist information point on the square provides maps and brochures on walks in the area.

(S/E) With your back to the information point, cross the car park and take the stairs on the left. Cross the Allée de l'Anse du Paradis. Go down the other stairs and turn right onto Chemin de l'Hôpital. Follow this road until you reach Place du Château.
Turn right and then immediately left. Continue straight ahead until you reach Place de la République. On your left, you can admire this beautiful pedestrianised square, which has been renovated and features a magnificent bronze statue of Francèse de Cezelly.
Continue straight ahead, then turn right and immediately left to pass in front of the church square. Turn left, walking alongside the town hall, then follow Rue du Docteur Sidras until you reach Avenue Jean-Jaurès.

(1) Turn right and go down the avenue to the roundabout. Cross the roundabout and continue straight ahead to the second roundabout. Cross the roundabout and take the cycle path along Avenue du Général de Gaulle for about 600 metres.

(2) At the sign for "Maurice Desmonte, Maire de Leucate", turn left, take the pedestrian crossing to cross Avenue du Général de Gaulle and go up Chemin du Phare towards Grand Cap. Please be careful as this section is dangerous due to heavy traffic. Take the pavement on the right and remain vigilant.

After 300 metres, leave Rue du Cers on your right and continue uphill. On your right, 250 metres further on, you will see a renovated building formerly known as La Ruine. It has been renovated by the Association pour la conservation du Plateau (Association for the Conservation of the Plateau) and serves as a storage facility for the future museum on the treasures of the flora and fauna of the Leucate Plateau.

Continue along the road until you reach the Altia Club Aladin holiday centre. The road turns left and then right towards Grand Cap. You will see your first view of the Mediterranean. Turn left towards Grand Cap until you see the sign for "Leucate Le Plateau Site Natura 2000". On your left is the Cap Leucate lighthouse and, on your right, a unique view of the sea.

(3) 50 metres after the lighthouse, take the small path on your right. From this point, the Sentier du Guetteur is marked in yellow. Continue straight ahead along the edge of the cliff until you reach a small natural staircase in the rock with the communications tower and its Michelin-starred restaurant "Le Cap Leucate" on your right. Opposite is the Leucate semaphore and a beautiful view of Port La Nouvelle. Continue to the La Plagette junction on your right.

(4) La Plagette - Difficult option, reserved for experienced hikers. Suitable footwear, walking sticks and good physical condition required!

La Plagette is a small sandy beach nestled in the heart of the Leucate cliff. It is accessed via a goat path that ends in a real scree slope. The drop of over 50 metres is impressive and can even be dangerous. Sheltered from the wind and crowds, this spot is peaceful and serene. You can even swim or picnic here, but the climb back up is always difficult.

Return to the junction with La Plagette, turn right and continue along the edge of the cliff towards the Leucate semaphore, which you will go around. After about 500 metres, leave the Sentier du Berger on your left to arrive at Cap des Trois Frères.

(5) You will be treated to a beautiful view of Port La Nouvelle. Continue along the cliff for 800 metres to reach the fully restored Fort de la Haute Franqui.

(6) 400 metres after the fort, you will arrive at a small square and the steps leading down to La Franqui.

(7) Take the opportunity to rest on the benches in the square and admire the view of Coussoules Beach, the salt marshes of La Palme and, in the distance, Port La Nouvelle.

Turn left at the small square, then immediately right onto the paved road, which is lined with pretty dry stone walls. Continue straight ahead for about 1.8 km to discover the Leucate Plateau with its vineyards, almond trees, pine forests and heathland, not to mention beautiful views of the Leucate Pond and its oyster beds, with the Canigou mountain in the background. Sometimes, seagulls will accompany you in the sky...

(8) At the fork (elevation 36), easily recognisable by a white plaster slab set into a stone wall and engraved with a cartwheel, marking the Sentier des Vignerons, turn left and continue downhill, following the old Leucate saying: "If you don't see the three crosses, you're going in the wrong direction..." This saying refers to the Calvary of Leucate, which can be seen above the village, built on the ruins of the castle.

After 200 metres, enter the village and follow Rue du Chemin Neuf straight ahead until you reach Avenue Francis Vals. Ignore the streets and paths on the right and left, as well as the signs for other hiking trails in the commune. Turn right onto Avenue Francis Vals.

(1) Continue straight ahead to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 29 m - Parking at the former Leucate cooperative winery
  2. 1 : km 0.6 - alt. 21 m - Avenue Francis Vals, on the right
  3. 2 : km 1.99 - alt. 1 m - Sign on the left towards Chemin du Phare
  4. 3 : km 3.51 - alt. 48 m - Take the path on the right
  5. 4 : km 4.48 - alt. 34 m - La Plagette junction
  6. 5 : km 5.75 - alt. 43 m - Cap des Trois Frères
  7. 6 : km 6.54 - alt. 53 m - Redoute de La Franqui
  8. 7 : km 7.02 - alt. 44 m - Placette de l'Escalier de La Franqui
  9. 8 : km 9.12 - alt. 36 m - Cote 36, junction
  10. S/E : km 9.91 - alt. 29 m - Parking at the former Leucate cooperative winery

Notes

Sports or hiking shoes. Drinks. Total sun protection in summer.
Caution: in strong north winds, do not approach the edge of the cliff!

Worth a visit

There are some beautiful walks around Leucate: the Fisherman's Trail, the Winegrower's Trail and the Shepherd's Trail (information available at the Tourist Office at your starting point). The Oyster Farmer's Trail...

The Caveau de la Cave Coopérative de Leucate. A great place for wine tasting...
"Ideally located at the northern entrance to the village of Leucate, the new shop welcomes you to the heart of the "l'Anse du Paradis" residence.
It offers a warm welcome in its new 200 m² space.
Mobile tasting stations will be available for you to discover the wines and local products at your leisure.
Muriel, Dorian and Sylvie will be on hand to offer you their best advice."

The Oyster Farmers of Leucate. Gastronomy, friendliness and a magnificent location.
"The oyster farmers raise their shellfish, including oysters, mussels, clams and even imperial prawns, on the banks of the Grau River at the oyster centre.
Twelve months a year, the oyster farmers welcome you to their farmhouse for a tasting of the famous "Cap Leucate", a hollow oyster with a delicate, nutty flavour, accompanied by a glass of local wine!"

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 51 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
User 4102975

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

An easy and very pretty coastal walk with magnificent views.
The return journey through the vineyards is also very pretty in autumn.

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Christophetflo
Christophetflo

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

An easy hike but not particularly interesting except for the section between Leucate lighthouse and La Franqui. This part offers a splendid view of the sea, with views of Port la Nouvelle and Leucate La Franqui beach. Most of the hike is on paved paths. In hot weather, bring a hat and plenty of water as there is no shade along the entire route.

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User 24918494

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Circuit along the cliffs by the sea.
Very beautiful and easy

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bernard coulomb
bernard coulomb

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A wonderful discovery of this cliff-lined area, nestled in a forest setting but offering sweeping sea views. The village of Leucate is very pleasant in the sunshine with its colourful houses.
No problems following the route with GPX.

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Sylvie FP
Sylvie FP

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk offering wonderful views of the cliffs and Franqui beach, but in my opinion, there's far too much tarmac to reach the top of the cliffs! Almost half of the walk is on tarmac, starting from the village (crossing the village of Leucate, then following the road along the edge of the lake before taking a path: still tarmac! which climbs up the paths at the top of the cliffs). On the way back, it's the same, a small tarmac road through the vineyards to return to the village of Leucate! All this tarmac is a shame, tedious and not really interesting.

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le Gaulois d'Oc
le Gaulois d'Oc

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Departure from the old cooperative.
It's a shame that 85% of the walk is on tarmac.
Fortunately, this changes when you reach the lighthouse, and continues until you reach the Franqui overlook.
That is, the Leucate plateau.
And there, magnificent landscapes open up before us.
The sea, the cliffs, breathtaking!
On the way back, we climbed up to the old castle ruins.
Beautiful 360° views.
Views of the oyster beds, the heights of Leucate, the village of Leucate below, the remains of the Montmorency bastion and the three crosses.
I highly recommend this walk.

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Elo79
Elo79

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Trail completed during the All Saints' Day holidays. There were a few people, but the trail wasn't overrun.
It was grey at the start and slightly rainy at the end, but the scenery was still superb. Imagine what it would have been like if it had been sunny!
We only did the section between points 3 and 7, then returned by the same route.
The view from the cliffs was magnificent!
There is a car park at point 3.

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DelphineElise
DelphineElise

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant walk on the Leucate plateau. We did the loop starting from La Franqui, but it's a shame that the route isn't signposted in that direction. We started on the tarmac path through the vineyards. Luckily, the Visiorando map is accurate. So we stopped for a quick break at the café in Leucate before continuing towards the cliffs, where we enjoyed a magnificent view of the sea after walking along pretty stone paths through the heath. Very pleasant.

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PatBallade
PatBallade

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant and varied hike: the village, the seaside and the return trip through the vineyards.
In addition to this hike, special mention should be made of the Leucate lighthouse and its manager, who offers particularly informative guided tours on the fauna, flora and history of the Leucate plateau. A poster for the association at the entrance to the lighthouse provides all the necessary information.

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SebdeCastres
SebdeCastres
• Edited:

part 1 in the boring village...
part 2, along the magnificent cliff
part 3 in the vineyards, which were also very beautiful.
It's more of a stroll than a hike

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Famille NEE
Famille NEE

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The start and end of the hike were too tarred and uninteresting, which was a shame.
However, the sentier du guetteur trail and the Leucate cliffs were simply magnificent and magical. Picture-postcard landscapes. We took a detour to visit the pretty little village of La Franqui. And we finished off with a tasting of Leucate oysters.

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sebillot
sebillot

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 31, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

An easy hike if you don't go down to the beach (point 4). Very beautiful views. We did it on a Sunday, so there were quite a few people at the cliffs, but it was the middle of winter, so it was very bearable

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OLVMALOU
OLVMALOU

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great hike in the sunshine

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Daniel Pauline
Daniel Pauline

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Beautiful hike with stunning views, we will definitely do it again.
❤️

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Farce
Farce

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike
Patrick

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