Biker-friendly accommodation in Pyrénées-Orientales

The Pyrénées-Orientales allow you to alternate between sea and mountain on the same day, making it a department apart for a motorcycle road trip. From the Canigou massif dominating the Roussillon plain to the Côte Vermeille and its rugged coves, the landscapes change quickly and decisively. The roads of the Conflent climb towards passes such as La Perche and Le Jau, the Galamus gorges impress with their vertical walls, and the Cerdagne opens onto a vast plateau at 1,800m with Font-Romeu, its mountain villages and its yellow train. A radically different atmosphere from the coast less than an hour from Perpignan. On the heritage side, Villefranche-de-Conflent and its Vauban fortifications, the perched villages of Castelnou and Eus, and the abbey of Saint-Martin-du-Canigou are all worth the detour. Not forgetting the Catalan gastronomy: Collioure anchovies, Banyuls wines and cargolade. All of this in a distinctly Catalan atmosphere, just a stone's throw from Spain.

What to see and do in the Pyrénées-Orientales ?

The department packs a rare diversity between sea and mountain. On the Côte Vermeille, Collioure charms with its royal castle, its colourful harbour and its lanes that inspired Matisse and Picasso. Further south, Banyuls-sur-Mer and its marine reserve offer diving and swimming in preserved waters. In the mountains, the Pic du Canigou peaks at 2,784 metres and remains the sacred mountain of the Catalans, visible from Perpignan. The medieval villages of Villefranche-de-Conflent, Eus, Castelnou and Mosset are listed among the Most Beautiful Villages in France. The abbey of Saint-Martin-du-Canigou, perched on a mountainside, impresses with its Romanesque architecture. The Yellow Train links Villefranche to the Cerdagne through spectacular landscapes. In the Cerdagne, the plateau at 1,800 metres altitude around Font-Romeu, Saillagouse and the high-altitude lakes such as Les Bouillouses offers a unique high-mountain atmosphere. The gorges of Galamus and Carança offer vertiginous passages. On the cultural side, Perpignan with its Palace of the Kings of Majorca and the Castillet, the Cathar castles of Peyrepertuse and Quéribus, the fortress of Salses and the organ pipes of Ille-sur-Têt round out a particularly rich heritage.

Motorcycle routes and road trips in the Pyrénées-Orientales

The department offers an exceptional network of winding roads between the Mediterranean and the high mountains. The D618 crossing the Galamus gorges is a narrow and vertiginous passage, closed to campervans, offering unique sensations over 2 kilometres. The Canigou circuit via the D116 from Prades allows you to skirt the massif passing through Villefranche-de-Conflent, Vernet-les-Bains and Casteil with alpine panoramas. The Pyrenean passes route crosses the department: Col de la Quillane, Col de la Perche, Col Fourtou, Col de Jau, before reaching the Mediterranean at Argelès-sur-Mer or Cerbère. The D115 leads to the Col de Puymorens at 1,915m, gateway to Andorra. The Côte Vermeille between Argelès and Cerbère along the D914 alternates tight bends and sweeping views over the Mediterranean. The Conflent and the Vallespir are packed with small departmental roads such as the D13 towards Mosset or the D618 towards Prats-de-Mollo. To the north, the Corbières offer rolling roads through vineyards and Cathar castles.

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