Sant Joan d'Albera and Coll de Sant Joan from Montesquieu-des-Albères

From the D618 linking Le Boulou to Argelès-sur-Mer, take the exit for Montesquieu-des-Albères. Pass the new town hall and park in the school car park on the right. Two other car parks are available in this area.

(S/E) Opposite the car park, cross the Grand Rue. Look for a hiking sign. Set off along Rue de l’Ancienne Poste. When you reach the Grand Rue again, first turn left then right to climb two flights of steps. Then turn right onto Rue Saint-Christophe. After 100 m, continue along the path through the woodland. Hiking signs.

(1) Turn right onto a very steep path made of logs for 50 m. Pass an old lime kiln on your right (currently being cleared). Cross a tributary of the Correc de Sant Cristau. The path stays on the right bank of the stream.

(2) At the junction between the track and the path, turn right onto the track, heading due south, for 300 m. Pass a fountain on your left (350 m).

(3) At a sharp right-hand bend (water reservoir – altitude 343), turn left and head uphill into the forest. Cross the Correc de Sant Cristau twice. Pass a sign indicating a fountain on the left (680 m) and leave a path marked by a wooden sign on the left.

Join a track (795 m). Take care with the sign and its directions, which can be confusing.
Head left along the track for 120 m, towards two visible hollows on the hillside. Continue to a junction of tracks and paths (signpost – marker indicating Coll de Llinas).

(4) Turn right, heading west then due south along the track which descends following the yellow markings.
Descend rapidly. Pass a fountain on your left. Reach the Dolmen de Na Cristiana (652 m). Continue, descending rapidly towards the D71 road.

(5) Turn left onto the D71. Watch out for traffic. Ignore the path leading up to Puig Sant Cristau. Continue along the road to the village of Sant Joan d’Albera. A visit is worth considering. Continue along the road.

(6) Leave the D71. Turn left onto a grassy but well-maintained track. Follow this track up the winding path. Pass the 694-metre altitude. Continue climbing. Please note, you will need to leave the track.

(7) At the fork in the road, turn right up a very steep path through the forest. There are yellow markings and cairns. Climb through the forest towards the Col de Sant Joan.

(8) At the pass, head left along the track that runs along the hillside. Signposts are present.
Pass beneath the 949-metre altitude, reach the Coll del Baladre, then pass beneath the 970-metre altitude to arrive at the Coll de la Fontaine de Sant Cristau (water tank on the left-hand side + signpost marked with a felt-tip pen).

(9) Continue to the right, heading north-west, along the track for 300 m. Please note, you will need to leave the track.

(10) At the fork, turn right, heading due north, onto a path that descends very steeply. A post with no sign marks the path. Continue descending due north. Signs, cairns and yellow markings indicate the correct direction to follow. Cross a track. There is a reservoir (710 m) on the right-hand side.
Caution: keep a close eye out for the yellow markings, as many cairns may point in the wrong direction.

(11) Join a track at a sharp right-hand bend. Do not follow it but continue straight on, descending rapidly.
Pass the Collada d'en Godo. Reach a pillar where there is a steel Catalan flag (on the ground, 13 May 2021) and a stone memorial, then a white steel cross. Continue downhill to reach a barely visible junction where a path on the right leads to a track at a sharp bend.

(12) Turn left and follow the track downhill for 1 km. Please note, you will need to leave the track.

(13) Turn sharply right towards the east, then due south, onto a narrower, grassy track. Yellow markings. You’ll reach a fork with an unmarked post on your right.

(14) Continue left, heading due north, still on the grassy track.
After 500 m, at an altitude of 308, turn left onto a path that descends. There is a sign indicating the Marti Forts gardens. I have written in felt-tip pen: Montesquieu (May 2021).
Continue along the path and return to the junction you passed on the way there.

(1) Turn right, heading back down towards the car park (S/E).

Several "unmonitored" water points along the route.
This is a mid-mountain area. So, as you’d expect, you’ll need: rain gear, water, snacks, route map, description, map, GPS, camera, good walking shoes, and possibly a walking stick.

(12) You can follow the yellow-marked trail, join the (2) and descend in the opposite direction to the ascent.

Public transport stop: Grand Rue

Montesquieu des Albères