When cycling in the Pyrenees, you immediately think of a number of major climbs: the Tourmalet, The Hautacam or Aspin, to name just a few. The eastern side of the French Pyrenees is not yet well known, yet there is plenty to experience! This side of the French Pyrenees is locally known as Pyrénées-Orientales Named and having a very strong connection with Catalonia, the neighboring Spanish region. Is your French a bit rusty? Then you can feel free to speak Spanish here. Explorer Femke went cycling in the relatively unknown Pyrénées-Orientales and takes you to the most beautiful places!
Text and photos: Femke Rotteveel
Unpaved
My first day in the Pyrénées-Orientales was all about off-road driving. There are many MTB trails in the area marked with signs. With Komoot, I extended the route a bit, but that led me to several occasions when I ended up on hiking trails where I couldn’t cycle. So it’s a good idea to just follow the routes: it was great! My main goal for my route was to reach Refuge de Mariailles, a place that is described as very special. The good route to Refuge de Mariailles takes you through a forest path to the top, which is at 1720 meters. This path is also suitable for cars, making it a beautiful wide gravel road up. The Refuge itself isn’t particularly special, but if you turn right just before it, the view is phenomenal. You feel one with nature.
Back down
The first part down goes the same way as the ascent, but afterwards you can take an alternative route back. I can really recommend cycling through the Tour de Goa. That’s another round trip, but on a really cool trail. Fortunately, there are no hikers today. Can you cycle this route with a gravel bike? Yes, definitely! Provided you’re strong enough, because there are some steep sections. Additionally, you should also stay on the forest road instead of riding on the hiking trail. The little things matter!
Climbing, climbing, climbing
After a day of gravel, I want to test whether this area is also suitable for a bike tour. It will be a 100-kilometer route with 2,350 meters of elevation gain. First via the Col de Jau, a climb of 23 kilometers with a few cozy villages at the beginning. If you want to get some food or extra drinks during your trip, do it at the start, because once you’re on the road, there is only nature left. For example, in the beautiful village of Mosset, which is built on a mountain with a view of the sacred mountain Canigou. Until just after this village, the climb is easy with gradients of 3 to 4%. After that, it’s a delightful ride. The advantage of an area that isn’t very popular? You can fully immerse yourself in the wooded descent with beautiful wide curves. During descents, you don’t really want to stop; the Gorges de St. George are so beautiful that I challenge you to continue driving. You’ll know when you’re there.
Col d’Aussières
On to climb two of the day: Col d’Aussières. The wooded landscape where you just descended now climbs you up the other side again. The roads here are not much wider than a Dutch bike path, so sometimes you forget that cars can also be coming along. Apart from the forest, there is little to see, and you don’t get through many villages either. In Montfort-sur-Boulzane, the only café that the village was rich in spring has burned down, but fortunately a passerby knows the way and I can refill my water with holy spring water from Source de la Canelle. This is about five kilometers from the top. On today’s route, I would like to call this climb a kind of transition climb. You don’t necessarily have very nice views because of the forest, but you do zigzag up in the shade. Unfortunately, there is no hut or rest area at the top.
Col de Roque Jalène
There is no shortage of beautiful names. The third climb of the day is called ‘Col de Roque Jalène’. It’s another nice regular climb with the first five kilometers at 7% all the time and the last three kilometers at 3%. The narrow roads are built against the mountain walls and you have a good view over the valley. The highest point of this climb is only 1000 meters and the valley is therefore mostly wide and not deep. It’s a kind of lower-lying plateau, dotted with large round stones. There are no dolmens in this landscape with lots of bushes, few tall trees and grey rock. You feel alone in the world in this landscape with lots of bushes, few tall trees and grey rock. But maybe that’s also because I literally haven’t met anyone. In the distance lies that beautiful snowy peak of the Canigou. Now I’m starting to understand why the French are so proud of it. Just like the descent from the Col de Jau, you can have fun here, with lovely wide and clear curves. No braking, just hanging on and not telling your mother.
Lunch in Baillestavy
One disadvantage of cycling in the Pyrénées-Orientales is that it is difficult to create a nice route without having to return via the same road. On the third day, there is no other option but to ride up and down the Col de Palomère. This climb is perfect for anyone who likes irregular slopes. Perhaps you already guessed that based on my description of the other mountains: I am not that kind of person. The first nine kilometers to the village of Baillestavy run flat up through the narrow and deep valley. The photos speak for themselves; it is breathtakingly beautiful here. In the village I have lunch at La Farga where the locals sit and make music with acoustic guitars and djembes. I don’t know if this is always the case, but you can certainly stop by here for food too. Moreover, you’re wonderfully cool next to the river and under the trees. After Baillestavy, I continue my journey to the top about 10 kilometers further. This part of the climb is a bit disappointing compared to the first part. I wander through the forest and there’s not much to see. Once I’m above, the view is nice, but not spectacular. Maybe I’ve been too spoiled by yesterday’s postcard-like landscape.
Rest days
If the Pyrénéés-Orientales is your summer holiday destination with the family, or if you simply want to stay there for a little longer, the rest of your company will undoubtedly also want to spend some time with you: there is plenty to discover in the area for this.
With a short but steep walk (five kilometers) uphill from Casteil you can see the Abbey of St. Martin visiting. At the abbey you can get a guided tour for a small fee from one of the nuns who live there permanently, or you can visit the grounds for free. With just a short walk, you get a view from above, and even in the pouring rain with my white shoes it’s worth it.
Heavy activity
Basically, you come to the Pyrénéés-Orientales for the peace and the beautiful nature. Villefranche-de-Conflent is the exception to this rule. This bustling fortress town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and you can find all sorts of nice local shops here. Grab an ice cream, sit on the terrace and watch the people go by or walk through the city walls.
From Villefrance-de-Conflent you can also walk to Fort Liberia: “out and about” via the hiking trail or via the underground staircase built by Napoleon. I would recommend walking up the trail and using the staircase only for going down. Even going down seems to have no end to the 734 steps that bring you back to the Fort through one long straight passage. Along the way I encounter heated people sitting on one of the steps puffing away. So just do it the other way around.
Well worth a visit
The Pyrénées-Orientales are a real destination for adventurers in my opinion because it has all the characteristics of France: good weather, beautiful views, French people. But with cols that (almost) no one has cycled before. Go cycling in the Pyrénées-Orientales area, make a few beautiful circuits and your cycling friends/friends will definitely ask for tips when you return!
Cycling routes – Cycling in the Pyrénées-Orientales
Useful links
- Everything about cycling in the region: Cycling in Pyrenees-Orientales
- Everything about France:
The route from this story
- France: Pyrénées-Orientales – Col de Jau108.7 km · 2,714 hmGPX ↓
Questions & tips
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