Only 15 minutes from Perpignan centre (direction Porte d’Espagne/Barcelona) the lake at Villeneuve-de-la-Raho is used all year round for walkers and joggers, and also provides the water necessary for the ’canadairs’ in case of forest fires.

This walk is a circuit in the Albères hills above the small village of Villelongue-dels-Monts, part of which was one of the “PATHS OF FREEDOM” used by many escapees during WW2 and the ‘Retirada’.

We pass evocatively named places busy with history; Besalú, St Jaume de Llierca, Castellfollit de la Roca before entering Olot and the Parc Natural de la Zona Volcanica de la Garrotxa abundant with fascinating conical and sometimes symmetrical hills.

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