With Leigh and Merry Foster
Circular Walk from Château de Valmy to Saint-Laurent-du-Mont
Highlights: Cork-oak forest • Romanesque chapel • Panoramic views over Argelès-sur-Mer and the Mediterranean • Easy half-day walk
This pleasant circular walk explores the wooded foothills of the Albères above Valmy, offering magnificent views over Argelès-sur-Mer, the Roussillon plain and the Mediterranean coast. The route follows well-marked tracks and footpaths through peaceful cork-oak woodland, rich in birdsong and shaded for much of the year.
Map: IGN 1:25,000 Banyuls / Col du Perthus / Côte Vermeille (2549 OT)
Waymarking: Yellow trail markers throughout
Distance: Approximately 6 km
Time: 2–2½ hours
Ascent/Descent: Approximately 250 m
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
The cork-oak forests seen today are largely the result of reforestation carried out after the phylloxera epidemic devastated the region’s vineyards in the late nineteenth century. In several places, the old dry-stone terraces can still be seen beneath the trees, reminders of the area’s former agricultural landscape. During the twentieth century, cork production became an important local industry, with factories in Argelès processing bark harvested from the surrounding hills.
Parking
Park in the upper car park at Château de Valmy and leave on foot via the road leading uphill past Camping Les Mimosas.
The Walk
The road soon becomes a broad track climbing steadily through the forest. Pass the disused quarry on your left, after which the track bends right and continues uphill. Continue to the next fork, just beyond a hairpin bend, where a signpost indicates Mas de la Monja to the right.
The circuit can be walked in either direction, but we prefer to turn left and visit the chapel first.
As you climb, take time to look back through the trees. There are beautiful views over Argelès-sur-Mer, the marina, the long sandy beaches and the Roussillon plain beyond.
Continue on the main track until you reach a signpost, then leave the track on a footpath heading north-west into the woods. After around 250 metres, you arrive at the chapel.
Saint-Laurent-du-Mont
Hidden among the wooded slopes of the Albères, the Chapelle Saint-Laurent-du-Mont is one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in the region.
The site is first mentioned in documents dating from 981, when it formed part of the possessions of the Abbey of Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines. The present building dates largely from the twelfth century and was constructed under the authority of the abbey on land overlooking Argelès.
Following its consecration, Saint-Laurent became the parish church for the scattered farms and hamlets of the surrounding hills. The inhabitants earned their living through farming, livestock raising, forestry, charcoal production and, it is said, the occasional bout of smuggling across the nearby mountains.
Like many rural chapels, Saint-Laurent fell into decline during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Thanks to extensive restoration work by local volunteers and heritage organisations, it has been carefully preserved and is now recognised as one of the architectural treasures of the Albères.
After visiting the chapel, continue south on the footpath and turn right (east).
Those feeling energetic may prefer to remain on the main path and continue the long climb towards the Tour de la Massane, one of the best-known landmarks in the Albères and a rewarding viewpoint over both France and Spain.
The trail climbs gently before descending through the forest for about a kilometre until reaching the ruins of Mas Pardès. Some farms in these hills have origins dating back to the early Middle Ages, although little remains visible today. A small picnic area beneath the trees provides a pleasant place to stop.
The path then doubles back west across the hillside and continues through sun-dappled woodland, with occasional glimpses of the plain below. After another kilometre or so, you arrive at Mas de la Monja and rejoin the original track.
From here, retrace your steps back down towards Valmy.
After the Walk
If the weather is too hot, too windy or you simply fancy a gentler outing, spend some time exploring the beautiful grounds of Valmy. The park offers shaded walks, Mediterranean gardens and superb panoramic views over the vineyards, coastline and sea.
The château itself, built in the late nineteenth century, remains one of the most distinctive landmarks above Argelès-sur-Mer and provides a fitting end to this enjoyable walk through the forests of the Albères.
A rewarding walk combining history, nature and some of the finest views over the Roussillon coast, this circuit offers an excellent introduction to the landscapes of the Albères.