Submitted by Thomas Bogaard, A cyclist from our community
You may know Font-Romeu as a real top-level sports venue. It is almost the Papendal of French top sports. But that doesn’t mean that everything here is just for athletes. There is plenty to do for people who want to enjoy an active outdoor holiday. And you can do that here with the whole family!
French top sports environment provides more than just a boring training camp
We are staying in a chalet, which they call a Cabane. We easily settle down for our first night at this campsite. But not before we have explored the village. Font-Romeu is not only a ski resort, but also a village that focuses entirely on (top)sport in the summer. Several French sports federations have training camps here and that is noticeable. There are many sports shops and in addition, the village often sees a stage of a major race pass through. You are reminded of this everywhere. So worth a walk!
But the lively center, which is within walking distance of the campsite, has plenty to offer after your workout. The inner self is also taken care of. There are plenty of local and delicious restaurants. There are a few small supermarkets, but also bike rental, or ski rental in the winter. In addition, there are plenty of providers of fun outdoor activities, such as a climbing course next to the campsite.
Relax on the campsite
If you prefer to proceed more calmly, you can do so at Huttopia Font-Romeu And rightly so. Of course there is a swimming pool. But in addition there is also table tennis, a game room, playgrounds and of course pétanque!
A wonderful bike day
Waking up to a beautiful view with mist is how we start our first day of cycling. Here the percentages are less erratic, but the views don’t really compare to that. After a few short climbs and descents, we want to make up for the missed climb from the recent Vuelta. To do this, we first descend over the long course. After a stretch of flat road plus a bit of downhill, we reach a dam. We decide to ride up and down it. Great in the sun, we had gotten a bit cold from the early start. But soon as we’re back on the route, we start climbing, initially the last of the real climb of the day. And here the fun begins, almost immediately we’re in the forest. And we swing slowly up. Once we’re up, it gets even better.
Beautiful turns towards the climb
We descend beautifully along the mountain wall and through a landscape that would not look out of place on a postcard. Beautiful vistas alternate. But sometimes you’re also in a small world, due to the many beautiful curves. We drive down wonderfully and take in the view. Once we’re down, the long climb to Font-Romeu begins. With several descents, the climb is almost 30 kilometers long. So it’s definitely not all climbing the whole time, and the descents are long enough to really interrupt the climb. This is a climb like you expect in the Tour and therefore over the main road. But we enjoyed it for 30 kilometers. It’s so beautiful that we don’t immediately head to the campsite, but finish the stage to the “real” finish. Complete with finish arch. Or whether that will still be there soon, I can’t guarantee…
We already have dinner inside, but we’ll drive by the boulangerie for a post-ride snack on the porch in the sun. After all, it’s vacation time!
Day two: car-free to the Lac des Bouillouses
On day two we’ll approach things differently. There is a dam lake at an altitude of 2000 meters, with a beautiful road leading there. And the bonus? It’s car-free! On a bus that takes tourists up there afterwards. It’s a 7-kilometer drive to the exit, but that’s not a punishment; you descend over the big track. So with fresh legs we arrive. The percentages of the climb are slowly increasing, with one % every kilometer or so. The first “flat” kilometers are still not car-free; only after 2 kilometers is the parking lot. After that, it’s 10 kilometers of car-free enjoyment. At first you drive up along a babbling stream and as the percentages increase things get more and more erratic. More rocks, but also more views. Once you’re above, there’s some food and drink, before you head back down again. Or you can cycle over the gravel to the reservoir. The descent is a lovely leisurely affair. Despite the road being car-free, the bus can only get around the corner and there are plenty of blind corners. And besides, it’s vacation time. So this time too we’ll go along the boulangerie, through the veranda and enjoy the view!
The routes
Both routes are available with GPX download, map and elevation profile in our route database:
- Day one: via the Lac de Matemale and the Vuelta finish82 km and 1,894 meters of elevation gain, start and finish at the campsite
- Day two: car-free to the Lac des Bouillouses41 km and 723 meters of elevation gain, round trip from the campsite
Huttopia Font-Romeu: reason to return
We enjoyed Huttopia Font-Romeu. We could have taken many more beautiful routes or done wonderful hiking. In addition, there is plenty of information available at the reception about active outdoor activities. There are plenty of reasons to go, so let’s go! Or in our case, come back.
Questions & tips
Do you have any questions about this route, or have you been there yourself? Share them here. We read everything and usually respond within a few days.