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From the centre of the village of Argelès-sur-Mer, follow the road signs for the retirement home. When you reach the Auberge du Roua, you will easily find parking on Chemin du Roua, which runs alongside the dual carriageway.
Please do not park in the Auberge du Roua car park, but along the main road.
(S/E) With your back to the dual carriageway, take Chemin du Roua, passing in front of the Auberge du Roua (tarmac road) and continuing for 1.2 km until you reach the end.
(1) At the end of the tarmac section, take the single track on the left and cross a beautiful cork oak forest. At thefirst intersection, turn right. At the end of the forest, you will come to a crossroads with a fire brigade barrier, which you must not cross.
(2) Turn right onto the DFCI AL36, a quiet, wide track for 1.4 km, where you will have the opportunity to enjoy the first views of Canigou and the Albères mountain range.
(3) At the end of this road, you will see the Rancho Campsite on your right at the bottom of the road. Turn left onto the DFCI AL28, a tarmac road for 200 m, which becomes a track again, turning left before the gate of a private property. A gentle 1.4 km climb with views of the mountains, Canigou, the Roussillon plain, Argelès-sur-Mer, the sea and the port of Argelès. You will reach the highest point of this walk, where you will cross a stony track on the left.
(4) Take this narrow, steep track that descends directly downhill on your left, even though it has a nice sign saying "Chemin Privé" (Private Road). The 400 m descent is the technical part of this hike. It is zigzagging, stony and steep. Join a wider track with a viewpoint where you will find benches overlooking La Chapelle Notre-Dame de Vie. (Here you can make a short detour to visit the Hermitage and its Chapel.
(5) Turn right, cross the tarmac road, go straight past the fire brigade barrier and continue to the next fire brigade barrier, which you will have already seen on the way there.
(2) There are two options for the return journey:
- either return to the inn through the forest, taking the same route you took on the way there.
- or you can take an alternative route for a change of scenery, following the description and map.
Go straight ahead along Chemin des Vignes (a tarmac road), which is aptly named.
On the descent, after 1.4 km, after a ford, at the letterboxes, look for a track on the left.
(6) Follow this track to the left and go around a paddock with horses on the left. You will arrive in the middle of the vineyards, just opposite the Auberge. Continue to the right, skirting the vineyards, and you will reach the Auberge (S/E).
But it's worth the effort, isn't it?
Visorando member
Easy 
Tourist office
Difficult 
