The Mediterranean coast along the Pyrenées-Orientales department is known as the Côte Vermeille- meaning ‘vermilion coast’. Named after a reddish-orange pigment, this sunny coastline under the watchful eye of Mount Canigou has been the inspiration for many artists, including Picasso and Matisse. They all fell in love with the warm light and vivid colours. The Sentier du Littoral is a coastal path that stretches between Argelès-sur-Mer and the border village of Cerbère, and even further to Cadaques in Spain. The family and I walked a part of it, starting in Collioure and ending at the port of Argelès-sur-Mer.
Coastal Path
The Sentier du Littoral was on my wish list of things to do when in Collioure. However, I didn’t realise that this was a serious hike over several stages that went all the way to Cadaques in Spain. When the family and I were spending some days in Collioure, we wanted to do a short hike along the coast. Luckily, you can do parts of the Sentier du Littoral. And as we stayed in Collioure, we decided to walk up and down to Argelès-sur-Mer. It was a bit of a search to find the start of the coastal path. But after a bit of googling and asking locals, we found the first sign at the stadium. Here, there is also a paid parking lot.
Breathtaking Views
As soon as we set foot on the coastal path, we were surrounded by a stunning landscape of steep cliffs, secluded beaches, and wildflowers. My eyes couldn’t get enough of the breathtaking views over the Mediterranean Sea. Although the part from Collioure to the port of Argelès-sur-Mer is short, about 5 kilometres according to the sign at the start, it was varied enough. We went down to the Plage de l’Ouille, where we swam in the crystal blue water. All refreshed, we continued on our way up and down the path, passed the Crique de Porteils Camping to arrive on the beach of Anse du Portell. I was glad that we had already gone to the sea at the Plage de l’Ouille, as this beach was covered with pebbles.
Le Racou
Via one last steep staircase, the family and I reached civilisation again. On our right, we spotted some nice restaurants and a few houses, not realising this was one of the most typical spots of Argelès-sur-Mer. It was only because I wanted to walk along the beach that I discovered this was the Racou hamlet. The traditional white houses with narrow alleys in between them replaced the wooden cabins in the 1930s and formed a little village within Argelès-sur-Mer. Even after all these years, Le Racou has kept its original spirit. Our goal was the port of Argelès-sur-Mer, though. And when the twins spotted the boat shuttle, they refused to go back on foot. As it was a holiday, Chéri and I gave in. After a quick lunch, we hopped on the ‘navette’ of Roussillon Croissières (13 euros per person) to get another view of the marvellous Côte Vermeille.
