There is a section of France and Spain along the Mediterranean called the Cote Vermeille with an average of 300 days of sunshine each year that becomes theCote Catalane in Spain as you travel south. Situated in the Roussillon county, this part of France is essentially Catalan and was once part of the Aragon kingdom. It is supposed to be breathtakingly beautiful. The Pyrenees slope into the Mediterranean, French and Spanish borders meet in a small area filled with lavender, vineyards, and fishing villages. Collioure, Banyuls and Cadaques are a few of the more famous towns but what interested me was an eight-day walking trail that is at its best during the winter months (it’s way too hot in the summer, so think about it for this Fall).

Many different operators run versions of the Cote Vermeille, usually beginning and ending in Collioure but we looked, once again, to La Pelerine. La Pelerine organizes walking/hiking trips ranging from easy to strenuous through France and other countries and has arranged three trips for us. The Robert Louis Stevenson (Chemin Stevenson), Alsace and the first leg of Chemin St. Jacques (also known as the Way of St. James).

A moderate inn-to-inn walking/hiking trip with daily stages of 22 km/13.6 miles and ascents of 700m/2,500′. Sections would be well marked and we’d have to depend on trip notes from La Pelerine or others.

typical portion of topographic map for this region of Spain/FranceThis trek would follow coastline paths with ample time to enjoy the cuisine and local wines, enjoy landscapes that inspired Matisse and Picasso and still get some exercise. La Pelerine would arrange the hotels, transport baggage, and give us maps and trip notes. Surfing for information on the trip, we decided to spend one extra night in both Collioure and Cadaques (both reputed to be extremely beautiful) and tacked on three nights post-trek for Perpignan. We’d have to TGV from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to Perpignan (another important town in Catalan history) so why not visit…right?

Get the digital chapters you want, ditch the ones you don’t! Only $4.95 per chapter!Roussilon area of France