Collioure to Banyuls

At the junction of the Pyrenees with the Mediterranean, Collioure is known for its port, its anchovies, and for the Fauvism of Matisse and Derain. Outside you’ll visit Notre Dame de Consolation, the C19th Batterie de Taillefer, mad Jaume I’s Tour de Madeloc. Excellent views along the Cote Vermeille and the Costa Brava, inland to the Col de Banyuls, and to another tower further west, the Tour de la Massane (793m). Bit of the GR10/Haute Route Pyrénées. Slopes down into Banyuls, on which kitschy local sculptor and general wuzzock Maillol made impoverished seamstress Clotilde collect dyeing plants. (Subsequently she starved for a year in a freezing garret, having agreed - no manager, silly girl - to model for free. Ah, the naive idealism of French artists!)

This is quite a long way from Barcelona, so you might want to combine it with another walk here or in Alt Empordà, a day at the Dalí museum in Figueres, or an extended introduction to the fresh and fruity wines of the Côte Vermeille. Ask me if you want some suggestions.

Please ensure, if applicable, that you have a valid visa for France.