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Camino Catalan?

Time of past OR future Camino
Recent:Norte/Muxia- Spring '23
MadridWay- Fall '23
I have a ticket to southern France on September 26, starting my camino at Banyuls or Perpignan. A lot can happen in a month, but at the moment I plan to use it.
What is the name of the camino out of Perpignan...I've heard about and been wanting to visit that city. Visiting and walking from there sounds a good combination. I love France!
 
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What is the name of the camino out of Perpignan...I've bee wanting to visit that city. Visiting and walking from there sounds a good combination.
Not sure what it's called in France - I think it joins the Cami Catalan on the border at Perthus or Puigcerda, or at Llançà near the coast. Perpignan's a lovely city which I last visited when I was about 18 (40 years ago: "I feel chilly and grown old"), so I'm hoping I will make it back there next month - lots of Maillol sculptures, more catalan than French in many ways.
 
Not sure what it's called in France - I think it joins the Cami Catalan on the border at Perthus or Puigcerda, or at Llançà near the coast. Perpignan's a lovely city which I last visited when I was about 18 (40 years ago: "I feel chilly and grown old"), so I'm hoping I will make it back there next month - lots of Maillol sculptures, more catalan than French in many ways.
Well Alan, I know from the forum that you walk many of the more obscure Camino routes. If you are unsure of an official name out of Perpignan, I doubt I will ever be adding it to my future camino bucket list! Thanks anyway, and best of luck to you! I'm sure Laurie would have loved to join you once again if we in the USA were not "quarantined" to European travel at this time.
 
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Not sure what it's called in France - I think it joins the Cami Catalan on the border at Perthus or Puigcerda, or at Llançà near the coast. Perpignan's a lovely city which I last visited when I was about 18 (40 years ago: "I feel chilly and grown old"), so I'm hoping I will make it back there next month - lots of Maillol sculptures, more catalan than French in many ways.

We may be wandering down towards Perpignan ourselves in the coming weeks... I'll happily buy you a beer if the timings work out :cool:
 
...
I have a ticket to southern France on September 26, starting my camino at Banyuls or Perpignan. A lot can happen in a month, but at the moment I plan to use it.

Looking forward to seeing you again in Santiago and having a, properly socially distanced, glass or cup of something tasty with you!

BC SY
 
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Not sure what it's called in France - I think it joins the Cami Catalan on the border at Perthus or Puigcerda, or at Llançà near the coast. Perpignan's a lovely city which I last visited when I was about 18 (40 years ago: "I feel chilly and grown old"), so I'm hoping I will make it back there next month - lots of Maillol sculptures, more catalan than French in many ways.
My collection of "Camino Routes I'll Never, Ever Walk" tells me there is a Camino Catalan de Sant Jaume (blue line) heading into Spain south of Le Perthus

1598431804007.png

but does not show anything north of the border. Any use?
 
I have crossed the Pyrenees on a footpath between Perthus and Figueras: beautiful country. The path has a long and chequered history: it was used for volunteers for the International Brigades to cross into Spain during the Civil War after France officially crossed the border, and it was then used, in 1939, for refugees fleeing from Spain into France. During the Second World War it was a route for Allied airmen who had been shot down over Europe to cross into Spain, which was neutral, and thence, often via Portugal, back to the UK.
 
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My collection of "Camino Routes I'll Never, Ever Walk" tells me there is a Camino Catalan de Sant Jaume (blue line) heading into Spain south of Le Perthus

View attachment 81693

but does not show anything north of the border. Any use?

That joins or is part of the Camí Catalá de Sant Juan. The only route I know of starting from Banyuls is the GR 10.
I may be wrong but I know of no Camino out of Perpignan heading south and I'm always on the lookout for arrows. I hike a lot around Collioure and down as far as Paulilles.
 
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What is the name of the camino out of Perpignan

Hi Chris,

I am searching high and low but cannot find the map I have stored somewhere on my computer. It shows a large number of crossings from France over to Catalunya. I will keep trying. But here is a bit of information —

Back when I was gathering info to walk the Cami St. Jaume from near the French border, I struck up a correspondence with the amigos in Girona (who, at the time, had very strong opinions about “fake” caminos made up by the Generalitat and “real” caminos marked by them. But that’s not relevant to your question, so I will stop digressing..). This note, which I translated, was in response to my question about where to start in Spain. I wound up starting in Llanca, and walking the first day up to St. Pere de Rodes, which is spectacular. It looks like there are many options and it is very confusing without a map!

“The caminos come from Perpignan. From there, four different routes arrive at the border and cross the Pirineo to enter into the province of Girona. One of those enters through Coll de Banyuls, on the old Via Heraclea, and it arrives at the monastery of Sant Quirze de Culera. At that point the Camino divides into two branches, one continues on the Via Heraclea to arrive a Rabos de L'Empurda y Perelada, tnd the second goes to Vilamaniscle on the Cami de Rodes and arrives at the monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes. It then continues towards Pau, Vilajuiga, and then in Perelada it merges with the first branch and then continues on to Vilaberyran and Figueres."
 
My collection of "Camino Routes I'll Never, Ever Walk"
Unfortunately, it sounds like the four Caminos leading out of Perpignan are "out of my league", too. I know little Spanish and the Catalan would be quite daunting to navigate for me. If I am ever to visit that city, I will have to stay put to enjoy a few days there, then bus or train back to Le Puy to walk that beautiful route again.
In the meantime I am focused on the plans I had for last April, if and when the travel ban will be lifted for US residents.

Thanks, everyone, for all of the tips and advise. I know some of you will benefit from this thread.
 
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What is the name of the camino out of Perpignan...I've heard about and been wanting to visit that city. Visiting and walking from there sounds a good combination. I love France!

Towards Santiago there are four routes -- and multiple variants.

Historically though they really lead from Catalonia via Perpignan towards Rome (the route predates the Camino), in which case the name is Cami Romieu.

In the other direction, well, you can call it the French Catalan Way, in French Les Chemins Catalans, but the fact is there are so few pilgrims on those routes that special names aren't really a thing that's needed --- it's just the Way of Saint James.

The two best routes are the one over the Perthus (you cross the Pyrenees at 250m altitude) and the one up the valley to Bourg-Madame (more beautiful, but tougher). There is a route up to Andorra as well, but it's poorly documented and fairly tough on the French side.
 
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Towards Santiago there are four routes -- and multiple variants.

Historically though they really lead from Catalonia via Perpignan towards Rome (the route predates the Camino), in which case the name is Cami Romieu.

In the other direction, well, you can call it the French Catalan Way, in French Les Chemins Catalans, but the fact is there are so few pilgrims on those routes that special names aren't really a thing that's needed --- it's just the Way of Saint James.

The two best routes are the one over the Perthus (you cross the Pyrenees at 250m altitude) and the one up the valley to Bourg-Madame (more beautiful, but tougher). There is a route up to Andorra as well, but it's poorly documented and fairly tough on the French side.
Well @JabbaPapa, I would definately need a guide if I were to do either of those routes, and in addition my Spanish is nearly nil!
 
Those are nowhere near Perpignan.

But yeah, there's easily a couple of dozen places where you can traverse the Pyrenees ...

JabbaPapa, does it look to you like I have a picture of the central part of the French-Spain border? Around Huesca? If so, I must have another photo somewhere of the eastern (Catalán and Andorra) crossings, and the western (Vasco) crossings, though I think those are better known.

I did find an old thread from way back when, when I was starting to sort this all out, and it is focused on the routes from France that go into Catalunya. So that might be helpful for people who are going to be walking from or near Perpignan.
 
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I did find an old thread from way back when, when I was starting to sort this all out, and it is focused on the routes from France that go into Catalunya. So that might be helpful for people who are going to be walking from or near Perpignan.
Earlier this year (way back before Covid times), we were making plans for our next Camino to begin toward the end of September. We had contemplated starting in Perpignan and making our way to Llanca in order to follow in the footsteps of peregrina2000 by joining the Cami St. Jaume at that point. Having done some further research, I was unable to find a Camino route joing Perpignan with Llanca. So, instead we made plans to begin in Llanca and I made bookings for our first few nights along that route. Unfortunately, I have since then had to cancel said bookings as I am so uncertain of walking there at this time. I fear that many of the small communities along the way will not have facilities open for pilgrims and I have noted that this is indeed the case once one reaches Montserrat and the small places one goes through after that on the way to Huesca. Given the ever-changing restrictions in Spain combined with recent rotating lockdowns throughout the country, it would seem almost impossible to plan any Camino route beginning toward the end of September. All I can do now is to think back fondly to the Caminos I have walked and hope that there will come a day when I can once again enjoy the wonders of being on a Camino.
 
The map appears to be upside down or at least the words on it are. Would you please flip it 180 degrees and repost it.
It's common practice, in the northern hemisphere at least, to have north at the top of the map. Perhaps turn your computer screen 90 degrees to the left? ;)
 
It's common practice, in the northern hemisphere at least, to have north at the top of the map. Perhaps turn your computer screen 90 degrees to the left? ;)

As a clerical friend once stationed in Pangnirtung on Baffin Island told me, "From up here, you're all upside down."
 
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The map appears to be upside down or at least the words on it are. Would you please flip it 180 degrees and repost it.


It's common practice, in the northern hemisphere at least, to have north at the top of the map. Perhaps turn your computer screen 90 degrees to the left? ;)

Oops, I should have made clear that I already did turn the picture, so the version you are seeing Jeff is not the orientation that was showing when I originally posted and when DoughnutNZ asked me to turn it.
 
JabbaPapa, does it look to you like I have a picture of the central part of the French-Spain border? Around Huesca?

The eastward edge of the border section is about directly south of Saint-Gaudens, and the westward edge is about directly south of Lourdes.

The routes on the eastern section of the map would lead towards Monzón, the westerly to the pueblos Ilche, Berbegal, and Pertusa. These are indeed all on the Camí Catalan via Huesca, and carrying on westward from those places would lead to Huesca.

The trail from Gavarnie (in France), the most westerly on the map, seems to be an interesting one. It's mountainous, but populous. It leads towards Sabiñánigo, which is 20-25K or so from Jaca. I'd say it's the most attractive one from a Pilgrim's perspective, as the others take you quite a bit south, except that the Camí Catalan ends up taking you back up north towards Jaca or Santa Cilia, so you'd end up piling on extra miles for little purpose. Unless I suppose you wanted to get to the Camí Catalan variant via Lleida instead of Huesca ?

There are ways to get towards Sabiñánigo from most of those mountain passes, but there's a trail up from Lourdes along the Gave de Pau up to Gavarnie, crossing the Pyrenees at the Port de Boucharo (2270M), then down the Rio Ara to Torlo-Ordesa. Then either get onto the mountain trail westward at Broto, or take tarmac through some villages, either way to Biescas ; then south to Sabiñánigo ; then West to Jaca and the Aragónes etc.
 
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I think that means I have to go back to hunt for the rest of that map, I know I have it somewhere, and it extended across the entire range.
There is also this (scroll down for the map):
Unfortunately it doesn't show detail north of the border.
 
Earlier this year (way back before Covid times), we were making plans for our next Camino to begin toward the end of September. We had contemplated starting in Perpignan and making our way to Llanca in order to follow in the footsteps of peregrina2000 by joining the Cami St. Jaume at that point. Having done some further research, I was unable to find a Camino route joing Perpignan with Llanca. So, instead we made plans to begin in Llanca and I made bookings for our first few nights along that route.

There is a route from Perpignan to Llançà, but I think it has not been waymarked yet on the French side. Including because of all the possible variants.

Pilgrim lodging is very difficult on the French side, except for Perpignan itself where there is an excellent Refugio. But tourist accommodation is not so hard if you can manage the prices.

Anyway, to start out you should DIY a route, with the help of a smartphone map, on as many small country roads or farming tracks as possible towards Saint-Cyprien ; then I'd suggest through Latour Bas-Elne then a track leading eventually to the bridge which is the only place you can cross the river there (there's a tarmac variant of course).

From there to Argelès ; then go coastal via Collioure and Port-Vendres to Banyuls. Then drink some of the local wine, warning it's very strong, and I'd recommend the white over the red.

There's a coastal trail to Cerbère. Cross the border to Port-Bou. And there's a waymarked trail from there through Colera to Llançà.

Unfortunately, I have since then had to cancel said bookings as I am so uncertain of walking there at this time. I fear that many of the small communities along the way will not have facilities open for pilgrims and I have noted that this is indeed the case once one reaches Montserrat and the small places one goes through after that on the way to Huesca.

The best resources from Manresa onwards on the Camí San Jaume and the Camí Catalan are actually those of the Ignaciano Way, which is identical for the Catalan via Lleida until Logroño ; and as far as the Catalan via Huesca is concerned, as far as Tàrrega.

Here : https://caminoignaciano.org/en/lodging/

There are more lodging opportunities than people think, though there are a few long stretches with not much at all -- but until you reach Manresa, there will be little indeed in the way of Pilgrim lodging.

---

I was unlucky at first at Manresa as the main tourist office was closed, the youth hostel was unaffordable for me (I was penniless that day), the local priest was away on some teaching/learning trip (he told me by phone that he would have put me up), and nobody in Montserrat was competent enough to tell me about the Ignaciano pilgrim hostel at the Sanctuary (but instead these people gave me a crazy runaround), and I was completely unaware of the existence of the above web resource -- but finally the Camino did provide, in the form of a local former pilgrim who offered me some food (a kebab) and room on the floor to sleep on. And great pilgrim conversation. Yay !!
 
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There is also this (scroll down for the map):
Unfortunately it doesn't show detail north of the border.

Apart from the Aragónes and the Ebro Way, and a snippet of the Francès, it manages not to show any of the Camino routes in Catalonia and Aragón, except a couple of the variant routes up from Barcelona to Montserrat.

And really, even as a map of hiking trails, it's woefully incomplete. But I guess it could be a little helpful for some people treading some of the lonelier variant Ways.
 
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