When the Treaty of the Pyrenees (1659) decreed that Spain hand over Roussillon and 33 communes of the Cerdagne to France, the small town of Llivia, in the Cerdagne, somehow managed to remain Spanish. It remains to this day, a little…

Argelès to Banyuls-sur-Mer is a short but fabulous coastal drive on a crisp autumn day, offering panoramic views over the bay of Collioure, row after row of steep, terraced vines, and a sparkling Mediterranean ever present throughout the drive.

At the foot of the Albères mountain range, just a short drive away from the Spanish border lies Argelès. Its name  comes from the Latin ‘argila’ meaning clay. Its motto, ‘qui s’hi acosta, té resposta’ means…

Originally set up by the Rois de Majorque as a defence system to protect the Roussillon from invaders, the tours de signaux (signal towers) allowed information to be passed quickly around the region, using fire and smoke signals.