Some outings from Laroque des Albères
Aqualand at St Cyprien
Cadaqués
Cadaqués is the prettiest seaside village on the Costa Brava. You can reach it either by following the coast road through Banyuls-sur-Mer and Cerbère into Spain (beautiful, but winding and slow), or by taking the motorway towards Figueres and following signs to Roses. It has a small beach, lots of shops and good places to eat, and a very pleasant walking route up over the hill to Portligat (1km, signposted from Cadaqués) where Salvador Dali built a quite incredible house (picture; get there early to have any chance of getting in).
Canigou
Cathar Castles
The Cathar castles are situated in the Corbières hills, about one hour's drive north of Laroque. Perhaps the most famous and most visited are Quéribus (shown left) and Peyrepertuse, both magnificently situated on rocky outcrops on high ridges of the Corbières. Beware that these hills are high (around 700m) and the weather can be very different from the coast or the plain. Visiting Quéribus in particular can be a bracing experience if a north or north-west wind is blowing, and stout footwear and a windproof outer garment is recommended. Take the A9 north from Le Boulou, exit at Perpignan Nord (second exit from le Boulou), follow signs for Foix, Estragel, and Maury, and in Maury take a right turn signed to Quéribus.
The pretty village of Cucugnan just beyond Quéribus is well-situated for a lunch stop. The castle(s) can be combined with visits to the prehistoric site at Tautavel and/or a drive down the Gorges de Galamus and visit to the hermitage (shown) built into the cliff-side below the road.
Col de l'Ouillat and Pic Neulos (almost) by road
Étang (lagoon) de Canet at de St. Nazaire
Though not perhaps worth a separate journey, if you are making a day's outing to Perpignan, or to the coast at Canet en Roussillon or St. Cyprien, or just shopping at the Carrefour hypermarket near Cabestany, then we recommend returning by the Étang de Canet et de St. Nazaire. The D81a main road between Canet-Plage and St. Cyprien Plage passes between the étang and the sea, with plenty of parking along either side. On the sea side, the long sandy beach, backed by dunes, is lovely, though often windy. The étang is rather more low-key in character, but if you are lucky you will see large numbers of pink flamingos in summer. There is often a lot of other bird life (terns, egrets, moorhen, various ducks, ...), and a hide to view them from set in a patch of shrubs and weeds next to the water towards the northern end. Many varieties of wild flowers grow in the sandy soil between the road and the lagoon. On a clear day the view across the étang to Canigou is magnificent. Half way down the lagoon (at the roundabout if you are still in your car) you come across the Village Catalan, a collection of traditional reed-thatched huts, one of which houses a visitor centre. About 100m further south the channel that connects the lagoon to the sea passes under the main road. If you cross the road and follow channel to the sea, you will come across a fenced-off area where little terns nest in the early summer. The channel is often a good place to see flamingoes if none has been visible elsewhere.
Girona
The old heart of the Spanish Catalan city of Girona is well worth a visit. Built above a river, it has a maze of old streets with interesting shops and restaurants, a striking cathedral, and a complete town wall to walk around and give you a different perspective. The metal footbridge from which this photo was taken was built by Gustav Eiffel of tower fame. Girona is about 1 hour away by the A9/A7 motorway.
Perpignan
Perpignan is an elegant French Catalan city that is also well worth a day's visit. The old center is given over to narrow streets (many pedestrianised) that are full of small shops; there is a market hall, and cafés everywhere where you can sit and watch the world go by. Across the river from Le Castillet is a branch of the upmarket department store Galleries Lafayette.
It's very pleasant just to wander along the canal, where there are yet more cafés. The Cathédral St-Jean and the Palais des Rois de Majorque are both well worth visiting.
In a courtyard of the Hotel de Ville there is a lovely nude sculpture by local hero Aristide Maillol (born in Banyuls-sur-Mer).
Near the railway station you can find various ethnic restaurants, in particular Moroccan.
Tautavel
Tautavel, about one hour's drive to the north of Laroque, is the site of the Arago cave, one of the oldest human settlements in Europe, dating back about 450,000 years; you can visit the ongoing excavations and the museum. Take the A9 north from Le Boulou, exit at Perpignan Nord (second exit from le Boulou), and follow signs for Foix and then Tautavel.
Tautavel boasts its own Cathar castle, though this one is neither as well-preserved nor as spectacular as Quéribus and Peyrepertuse. However, combining Tautavel with the Cathar castles makes a fine day's outing.
Through the vineyards to Tour Madeloc
If you don't mind driving along some fairly hairy roads (narrow, steep, winding, with sharp drop-offs at the edge), then driving up to Tour Madeloc provides the very best views of the Cote Vermeille. The road starts at the southern entrance from Collioure to the N114 Banyuls-sur-Mer to Perpignan main road, heads up through terraced vineyards into the hills, and then winds down again to Banyuls (or there is a cut-off to Port Vendres). The final side-road up to Tour Madeloc has recently been closed to motor traffic; just as well, since driving up it was not just hairy, but positively scary! Now it's a steep but rewarding walk to the summit.