Pic de Rossilló and Pla de l'Arca Dolmen

Coming from Perpignan, at the Prades ring road exit, take the D14 towards Catllar and Molitg-les-Bains. Drive through Catllar and continue to the Molitg thermal baths. Head towards the village on the right (D14a). In the centre of the village, signs indicate the community centre. Park in the car park in front.

(S/E) Leave the car park, turn left, cross the street and immediately turn right into a narrow street that slopes slightly downhill to an old wash house and the Sant Vela fountain. Continue straight on towards the church and the Plaça Major (a beautiful marble square).

(1) Continue opposite along Carrer d'Amunt and pass Font d'Amunt. Continue straight ahead on this tarmac road, which becomes a track (DFCI). Pass the Molitg Irrigation Canal and you will reach a bend in the track.

Yellow markings

(2) Just before this, climb up the hard shoulder on the left to follow the path (sign for "Sentier des Muletiers" hidden by a tree). Go through a metal cattle gate. Continue climbing through the heath on the south side, where the ground is very dry. Cross the dry bed of the Correc des Banyeres stream.

(3) Ignore the path on the left ("short route") and continue straight ahead on the "long route" which leads to a stony track.

(4) After about 350 metres on this track, turn left onto the path for 150 metres, then turn right heading north. Further on, the slope becomes steeper and the path passes by some ruins, crosses the GRP® Tour des Fenouillèdes and approaches the Correc des Banyeres stream, which is still dry.

(5) Continue roughly northwards, cross the stream (elevation 1138) and continue north-northeast towards Cortal de Queraut (ruins).

(6) Continue until you reach a grassy track and turn left for about a hundred metres.

(7) Turn right through the heath to reach the stony track above. Turn left for 50 metres, then climb through the heath, heading for the small antenna on Pic de Rossilló, which can be seen higher up on the right, north-north-west. Continue to the antenna at the summit of the peak (elevation 1,314 metres). You will be rewarded with a beautiful 360° panorama.

No markings

(8) From the summit, note two small woods to the south-south-east. Walk off the trail towards these woods, pass between them, keeping to the left of the one on the right, and join the track below.

(9) Follow the stony track on the left until you reach a path on the right.

(10) Take this path, which cuts across the bend in the track. Continue along the track a little further to the right.

(11) Turn right again onto a path that cuts across the next bends in the track. Continue along this path a little further to the right and, 200 m further on, turn right again to cut across the next bend, heading for a barrier on another track.

(12) Just before the barrier, take the path that branches off to the right, which follows the track for a short distance and once again allows you to cut across the bends (we didn't have any secateurs, but they would have been useful for cutting through some brambles). Join the track that descends slightly south-southeast.

(13) At the "dolmen" sign, you can make a return trip to see its remains. Retrace your steps, find the track, descend it for 50 m and, at the bend, take the path straight ahead (sign) which leads back down to a bend in the stony track, which you will ignore.

(14) Take the grassy track on the left (elevation 958). This is followed by a long walk along a track towards Cortal d'En Ponci (ruins).

Yellow markings

(15) At the next intersection (Molitg sign), turn right towards "Les Planes" and, at the new intersection, take the shortcut towards Molitg. A beautiful path leads to the Llustria stream.

(16) Cross it on a wide footbridge and climb steeply to the left. Higher up, at a cairn, take the yellow-marked trail on the right and then follow the fence. You will come to Molitg at the irrigation canal.

(17) Leave it, descend to the left on a wide track and pass near a wash house to enter the village. Pass in front of the church.

(1) Take the street in the opposite direction to the way you came to return to the car park (S/E).