Park in the small car park on the banks of the Orbiel, on the right coming from Saint-Pierre-de-Vals or on the left coming from Roquefère or Lastours.
(S/E) Leave the car park, follow the D101 to the right for about 30 metres, then turn right to cross the bridge over the Orbiel. Follow the narrow street and cross another bridge at the end of the village.
Yellow and green signposts - old and sporadic
(1) Cross the D101 (take great care as this is on a bend) and climb up opposite, at the corner of the house, onto a small stony path. After 100 metres, turn right and continue along the path which runs alongside pretty dry stone walls and eventually joins the D9. Follow the road to the left, taking all necessary precautions, until you reach a fork marked with a metal cross (car park for hikers on the other side of the road).
Yellow signposting
(2) Leave the road and take the path on the left. After about 200 metres, ignore a path that climbs up to the left (wooden barriers) and continue to a small tarmac road at the entrance to the village of Roquefère.
You will then have a beautiful view of the castle.
No signposts
Turn right, then immediately left onto the D9. Cross the bridge and, just before the church, climb the stairs on the left. Go under a stone archway and downhill to a small stone bridge, which you cross. Continue a few metres to the right to the small wash house, then turn back and take the small paved road that climbs steeply to the right. This road gives way to a path that quickly joins the road to Saint-Julien.
Yellow signposting
(3) Cross and take the small path opposite, marked by a sign saying "Saint-Julien" on a slate.
(4) At the fork, follow the yellow markings and turn left. Continue straight ahead to reach the wide, partially paved road that serves Les Houstals Nauts and follow it to the left until the next intersection.
(5) Turn right (signposted Cubserviès). The path crosses a beautiful, airy woodland, making several more or less pronounced bends, then turns sharply to the right and climbs up a short grassy slope to the Ventajou dolmen.
(6) Stop here to enjoy the view of the Pyrenees and the Corbières. Continue along the marked path until you reach a fork that is not shown on the IGN map. Turn right and follow a wide, stable track until you reach a large crossroads.
(7) Turn left (sign for Cubserviès) and follow the track to the Plo Saint-Martin crossroads (statue of the Virgin Mary on the right, somewhat hidden by the surrounding trees).
Yellow + yellow and green markings, both old and fairly sparse
Continue straight ahead, following the double markings and the sign for "La Tourette par Miraval" to reach a new crossroads at an elevation of 797 metres.
(8) Turn left, then, at the first bend marked on the right, leave the track and take a wide grassy path on the left. Pass an unattractive building and continue for about 500 metres until you reach the track. Follow it to the left until you reach a large star-shaped crossroads.
(9) Ignore the paths to the left and right and continue straight ahead. At a place called Le Carnier, when the path turns right uphill, turn left downhill (signpost "La Tourette par Miraval" in poor condition).
(10) At the fork, continue left on the path that descends steeply at first and then levels out before reaching Miraval. Once on the tarmac, continue towards the village, cross the bridge on the left and head to the foot of the Notre-Dame de la Lauze church.
(11) Take the flight of steps on the right, pass in front of the church entrance (closed when I passed by) and follow the narrow path that climbs steeply into the forest.
(12) At the intersection, turn right (the path coming from the right before this junction and shown on the IGN map does not exist on the ground). At the top of a steep slope (elevation 536), do not continue climbing to the right but turn slightly left downhill. Be careful as there are no visible markings at this point. Continue to the road (D9).
(13) Follow this road to the right, taking care as there is no hard shoulder, and you will reach the central square of La Tourette. Continue to the right, pass the church on the hill (not open to visitors as it is undergoing restoration) and take the first steeply ascending tarmac road on the right, which then gives way to a wide grassy track.
Go up a path on the right, continue through the woods along a large clearing on your left and you will reach a large crossroads.
Yellow and green signposts
(14) Turn left, join the D9, cross (with caution) and continue straight ahead to reach an area whose sides have just been cleared, about a hundred metres further on.
Follow the yellow markings for about 100 metres, then there are no markings
(15) Leave the wide track and the yellow markings and continue straight ahead, turning left onto a downhill path. At the next junction, go straight ahead and continue for about 100 metres until you reach a low point with a barely visible fork in the path (be careful not to miss it).
(16) Leave the wide path climbing up to the right and turn left onto the trail, which is quite difficult to spot at first. The trail widens and begins to descend quite steeply, crossing several thick layers of dead leaves that require caution as they hide stones on the ground and can cause sprains.
You will reach Mas-Cabardès at a paved road. Turn left, cross the car park and then turn right onto Rue du Colombin, which leads to the D101. The car park is about 100 metres on the right (S/E).