Roque Sestière and Saint-Siméon from Boutenac

This sunny and windy trip will take you to the heart of the Boutenac National Forest, better known for its wine than for its hikes. In a setting that smells of pine and rosemary, discover the cave and the Chapel of Saint-Siméon, with a fresco depicting its history, its life and its work. Then head to the rocky barrier of Roque Sestière, the highest point of the Boutenac massif, a landmark for birds of prey and an area where the Cers wind has left no chance for vegetation.

Details

4393853
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.32 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 204 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 203 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 242 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 76 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Boutenac (11200)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 43.148439° / E 2.793972°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2446E
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Park at the wash house where the old weighbridge used to be.

(S/E) Cross the small footbridge and follow the rocky path for 70 metres, which turns right as it climbs, then follow the small road on the right called Rue des Remparts.
At the fork, leave Rue de la Fontaine on your right, which leads into the village, turn left and continue along Rue des Remparts, passing the castle and its grounds on your left until you reach the end of the surrounding wall.

(1) Leave the road that turns right and go down the small path opposite, making a detour to the well that once supplied water to the castle.
Fork the Ruisseau de la Garouille stream and follow the path between two vineyards.
Turn 90° to the right and enter the forest, following this rocky, sloping path lined with oak trees until you reach the forest track, which you should follow for about 50 metres.

(2) Leave the track and climb left up a well-marked path between the young pine trees until you come to another track, Chemin du Carnier. Turn right and follow it for 1,400 metres to the cork oak area.

(3) At the fork, on the right is a watchtower used by wild boar hunters, and on the left are the cork oaks, recognisable by their bark. Turn left and walk 200 metres to the next fork, where you should also turn left and continue for 20 metres.

(4) Here you will find a sign indicating "Chapelle Saint-Siméon". Ignore the path opposite and take the very rocky and rugged path on the right, which leads to the chapel.

(5) Saint-Siméon site. Chapel, cave, picnic area.
Leaving the site, head up to the left, due west, along the track.
At the first fork, leave the track, which turns sharply to the right, and continue straight ahead for 1,000 metres along the degraded balcony path, which offers a wide view of the plain and the villages of St André, Monséret and Thézan, and, on a clear day, Canigou in the distance.

(6) Take the path on the left to reach the site of "Roque Sestière", the rocky ridge and the "Coumbo dal Geïs".
Retrace your steps and ignore the track that climbs to the left.

(6) Continue to the right, and 30 m further down, turn left heading north/east, follow this hunting trail, which is very overgrown but passable, until you reach a crossroads. Here, immediately turn 90° left onto a path that descends.
70 m further down, look for a hunter's lookout on the right and, when you reach it, turn left onto the track and follow its twists and turns for 1000 m.

(7) Look for a cairn on the right-hand side and leave the track, taking the path downhill to the right.
Very important: this 100 m long path is very discreet, almost impossible to spot, and does not appear on any map, as it was created by hunters to connect the tracks.
Then turn right onto the track, walk for 300 metres and look for a sign on your left indicating the direction of the "footpath".

(8) Take this path on the left, cross the Ruisseau de la Garouille stream. This path runs along a wall before opening onto a track which you should follow straight ahead for 1000 metres, ignoring all the side paths until you come to a small asphalt road in poor condition.

(9) Leave the tarmac road and take the path on the left that leads to thefirst houses in Boutenac.
Then follow the road straight ahead, ignoring any side roads, until you reach a concrete ford over a dry river.
After the ford, take thefirst street on the right, Rue de la Pinède, and continue straight ahead, ignoring the adjacent streets. Pass behind the church, then go straight down Rue du Foyer.
Cross Avenue des Corbières, turn right and walk 150 metres to return to the starting point at the Boutenac wash house car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 77 m - Boutenac wash house car park
  2. 1 : km 0.43 - alt. 99 m - Small path opposite
  3. 2 : km 0.87 - alt. 126 m - Fork in the trail
  4. 3 : km 2.27 - alt. 189 m - Cork oak area
  5. 4 : km 2.48 - alt. 199 m - Path to the Chapel of Saint-Siméon
  6. 5 : km 2.85 - alt. 162 m - Saint-Siméon site
  7. 6 : km 4.19 - alt. 239 m - Roque Sestière site
  8. 7 : km 6 - alt. 204 m - Cairn - Combe Naurus
  9. 8 : km 6.4 - alt. 159 m - Former site of the Combe Naurus gardens and vineyards.
  10. 9 : km 7.45 - alt. 116 m - Taolière site
  11. S/E : km 8.32 - alt. 77 m - Boutenac wash house car park

Notes

Boutenac is better known for its wine, its châteaux and its AOC Corbières vineyards than for hiking. However, there is plenty here to satisfy hikers, with a massif of forests, heaths and rocky terrain.
You will pass by the Chapel of Saint-Siméon, the local saint who, everyfirst Tuesday in August, brings together Christians and winegrowers on a wild forest pilgrimage to implore the one who commands the rain and will save the next harvest from drought.
As you can see, the Boutenac forest is a sanctuary for wild boar and a hunting ground for epicurean hunters who have nothing to envy of the banquets of Uderzo and Gosciny. No problem during the hunting season, as the hunts are signposted. These half-days are to be avoided, and walkers and hunters get along well.

Near the (1), take a 20-metre detour to see the well that once supplied the castle with drinking water.

Between (7) and (8), the area known as "Coumbo Naoreus" in the local dialect was, until the early 20th century, a place where around fifty gardens were used to feed the local population, as water was abundant there.
Finally, if you have a 99% chance of sunny weather, it's thanks to the Cers wind that blows through the region.
Hike completed on 03/12/20, in bright sunshine and wind, of course.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 7 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.1 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
MI.L
MI.L

Valérie. Yes, that's the problem, and it's the same everywhere, but the authorities force hikers and their children to risk being shot by hunters. It would be so simple to reserve two or three days a week for hunting when the children are at school. I live in Savoie, and here they shoot chamois on the mountainside, and the bullets ricochet off the rock at 800 or 1,000 metres.

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valerie mlrbdlms
valerie mlrbdlms
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Point of interest: Saint Siméon Chapel. A beautiful, fairly easy hike. Pleasant in the sunshine. A little sad because the area was burned down several years ago. A little stressful because it was also hunting season. My children didn't always feel safe, despite the very open landscape, which was undoubtedly intentional to allow hunters and hikers to coexist. Beautiful little paths.

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mflabadie
mflabadie

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Rating 4/5
Well-marked route and detailed description of the hike.
A bit too many tracks for my taste, but the beautiful views make up for the monotony.
Off the tracks, there are some very nice trails with flowers and, especially at this time of year, Montpellier rockroses.

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Topu
Topu

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Well-marked route with yellow markings. The paths have been cleared, so there are no difficulties in following them. However, at point 6, it is better to continue along the track for a few hundred metres and then take a path on the right that joins the track described in the itinerary just before point 7 (more unspoilt). The only disappointment was that the chapel was closed.

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bergpaden
bergpaden

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
A very pleasant route through the Corbières region. Best enjoyed in autumn or winter.

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Brubrurando
Brubrurando

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful view of the villages of St André de Roquelongue, Montseret and Thézan des Corbières.
Avoid in strong winds.

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MI.L
MI.L
• Edited:

YES RANCHORANDO The Boutenac pine forest was burned down 20 years ago, but the vegetation has grown back thickly since then. When I prepared the route in December 2020, work on the firebreaks had not yet begun. I went back in May 2021 and indeed some areas have been cleared, but this has little impact on the route.

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ranchorando
ranchorando

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Burnt area with forestry work in progress.

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AZIRAND.
AZIRAND.

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 31, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk with beautiful views over the Aude plain and the Pyrenees.
Unfortunately, the chapel was closed.

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