dossier

The Vermillion Coast

Travel Information
Season: Septemberto mid June. This tour is not available in summer – it isnormally far too hot for this walk and getting accommodation can be verydifficult at this time of the year.

Travel options:  Increasingly the low-cost airlines are offering 'one-way'flights at low prices, which could be useful for this tour as it starts inFrance and ends in Spain. However in some cases one way flights can be moreexpensive than return (round trip) flights, and travelers should watch out forthis problem.

Outward flights: Perpignan or Girona Airport.  Perpignan is the more convenient for thestarting point of the tour at Collioure (20 min by train to get to Colliourefrom Perpignan.

Return flights: Depart Barcelona or Girona.Perpignan is a possible alternative, although less convenient than Barcelona.

We advise you to book the land-only part of thetour with Breakaway Adventures before finally committing to yourflights.

Level of Difficulty
Fitness:This walk is best described as moderate and should present no difficulties foranyone in reasonable condition and accustomed to walking up and down 2000feet/600 meters or so in a day.

Day stages:Short in distance, the daily ascents up to 650m/2200 feet make each day a fullone.

Waymarks: Variablein quality. Little waymarking in vicinity of towns and villages, but wellmarked on GRs (GR 10, Gr 11, Gr92). The coastal route on the Spanish side isfairly well used and not hard to follow.

Accommodation & Meals
Accommodation is in small hotels/pensionson a half board basis (evening meal and breakfast) on 4 nights, bed andbreakfast only on 3 nights. Picnic lunches on walking days are not included inthe tour cost, but picnic materials can readily be bought in local shops or apacked lunch ordered the night before from your accommodation.
Most frequently used hotels are described below but alternatives are used onoccasion when room availability is limited.

Nights 1 & 2 Collioure. A comfortable 3* hotel overlooking the harbor and citadelof this port which has long attracted artists. (Bed and Breakfast only)

Night 3 Banyuls-sur-Mer. Here we use two different hotels, both 2* with 'gastronomic'restaurants specializing in seafood. One is a family run hotel by the sea shorewith a terrace restaurant overlooking the Mediterranean. Rooms have privatefacilities and TV. The other hotel is smaller, all with private facilities,direct telephone and satellite TV. Here too there is a shaded terraceoverlooking the water. (Dinner included)

Nights 4 & 5. Portbou. A small town just on the Spanish side ofthe border. Dinner is included normally on the first night  in a local restaurant.  You may have a second night here if we cannot book you in at llanca fortomorrow. 

Night 5: Llanca.  a small resortdevelopment with an attractive old town a mile inland. We stay at a small hotelon the front that was one of the first to appear here and has changed throughthe decades as the pictures inside it show. You are here on a bed and breakfastbasis, but the accommodation has an attractive restaurant. 

Night 6. Port de la Selva. A traditional fishing village that has largely escapeddevelopment for the mass tourism market. Here we stay at a 2* pension. Wherethe friendly proprietors provide excellent meals. (Dinner included).

Night 7. Cadaques.Our hotel overlooks the sea on one side and faces the mountains on the otherside. The hotel has excellent facilities, including a pool and a sauna. (Dinnerincluded).

Extra nights
Second nights at Collioure and Portbou are alreadyincluded in the tour. An extra night at Cadaques would round the trip off well,with an opportunity to see some more of the landscapes which inspired Dali.Please enquire for rates.

On Self Guided Tours we provide you with . . .
Route notes; walking route maps at1:50,000 scale; local information.