On the heights of Cosprons

Following the D914 from either Port-Vendres or Banyuls-sur-Mer, reach the roundabout at the Paulilles site. Follow signs for Cosprons, which will be indicated on the left or right depending on your direction of approach, and continue to the village. Park in the small car park located at the entrance on the left, next to an electricity substation.

(S/E) Follow the main street (Rue de la Madeloc) towards the centre of the hamlet until you reach a junction marked by a hiking signpost on the right-hand side. There is a flight of steps on the left.

Yellow^PR® markings

Turn right, pass the church and the cemetery situated higher up on the right, then veer right onto the path leading to the water tower. Head towards the signpost at the foot of the water tower and take the small path that crosses a small stream and leads further up to a narrow tarmac track. Cross this road and continue along the path, which resumes almost directly opposite and to the left. Walk alongside a large vineyard on your left until you reach the end of another tarmac road.

(1) Head straight on along the narrow path, ignoring the road to the right and the wide track to the left. Reach a flat area, let the path leading to Mas d’en Martí branch off to the left and continue straight on to Coll Perdiguer where you rejoin the tarmac.

(2) Turn left onto the narrow but quiet road, pass the first road on the left and continue along the hillside until the left-hand bend.

(3) Take care: the start is poorly marked. Turn right onto a path that makes a lovely traverse along the hillside before rejoining the road at Coll de Mala Cara.

(4) Join the road on the right and continue straight on to reach Coll de Molló and the D86.

(5) Cross the road towards the hiking signpost opposite. Take the stony path that starts at its base. The climb up the small ridge is extremely steep, but the view opening up to the left over the delightful Cosprons valley makes the effort more bearable. Reach a junction located below the Tallaferro battery (hiking signpost).

(6) Turn left, passing in front of the Madeloc refuge, where you’ll find a much wider path leading to the Coll de Tallaferro. Please respect the tranquillity of the area during this section. Follow the track to the left to the old Centre Barracks, whilst enjoying the exceptional view of the Côte Vermeille and three of its jewels: Collioure, Port-Vendres and Banyuls-sur-Mer. Return to the D86.

(7) After a well-deserved stop at the orientation table, follow the D86 to the right until the first junction. Turn right uphill onto the tarmac road closed to vehicles, pass the former Gauche Barracks and head towards Battery 500.

(8) Leave the road and turn left onto a very steep path where you will need to take care. You will reach a junction marked by a hiking signpost.

Markings:^GR® white and red +^PR® yellow

Take the path that starts at the foot of this post and immediately turns left, leading to Coll dels Gascons after another very steep descent where you must again take care.

(9) Follow the road opposite (east) for about sixty metres, then leave it at the^GR® signpost indicating a wooden and stone staircase on the left. The path is then particularly steep and requires caution. You will need to take care again on certain rocky sections.

Cross the road twice, pass the Fontaine del Falgueràs, then rejoin the road one last time and follow it straight on to Coll de Llagastera, where the orientation table offers only a very limited view due to the vegetation.

(10) At the bend, two tracks appear. Take the one on the right, which is marked with both GR 10 and^PR® signs (DFCI AL 68). You will soon reach a three-way junction: ignore the two left-hand branches and follow the right-hand one, which runs almost along the contour line. You will reach another junction.

No markings

(11) Ignore the markings on the right and turn left.

(12) Take a sharp left-hand bend after passing two closely spaced paths on the right. Further on, let a path branch off to the left and keep left a few dozen metres further on. A few metres after the junction with a path climbing up to the right, reach a fork situated at the corner of a vineyard on the right, where a cement retaining wall begins.

(13) Take a sharp left-hand bend, turn left again onto the track at a solitary cypress tree and continue until you reach a tarmac road opposite a small shed with an ochre-tiled roof. Turn left and follow this road as it winds through the vineyards to a crossroads.

(14) Ignore the road to the left and a stony track, and go straight on. Turn left at the junction just after, then turn right to pass between two vineyard plots and cross a concrete slab. At the end of the path, turn right and head up to the main street of the village of Cosprons. The small car park is a few metres away (S/E).

Some sections are very demanding:
- Between (5) and (6): a stony, narrow path with a very steep gradient. Intense and rapid ascent.
- Between (8) and (9): a gullied path with a very steep descent.
- Between (9) and (10): a gullied path with a very steep descent.

Signposting is of very high quality and very frequent throughout. The unsignposted section after Coll de Llagastera requires great care due to the multitude of vineyard paths branching off in all directions. The mobile app will be a very useful aid.

Water point on the^GR®10between (9) and (10).

High-top hiking boots recommended. Very stony terrain. Steep slopes.

Collioure

Port-Vendres

Banyuls-sur-Mer