La Tour Madeloc: A Coastal Hike in the South of France

I was named after a town where the mountains meet the sea, so naturally I am enamored by hilly places along the coast. When I first moved to France however, I thought I was a Paris girl through and through. When I was offered a job in a small Mediterranean city, I was sad to leave the city of lights, but excited to see more of France. I did not think a small city close to the border with Spain was my vibe, but it wasn’t until I discovered the nature of the Pyrenées-Orientales that I started to really appreciate the region.

Like many during the spring of 2021, I was not able to socialize or travel, so I turned to nature and fell in love with hiking again. After Hiking Port-Vendres to Banyuls Along the Sentier Littoral and La Tour de la Massane trail, I was determined to make the trek to another remarkable summit in the area: La tour de Madeloc.

For those who do not drive, this coastal hike in the South of France is accessible by train. From the Collioure train station, it’s about a 30-minute walk to the trailhead. Even though I had visited Collioure several times before, walking through a different part of town allowed me to see idyllic landscapes and more of the vineyards.

The French hiking website Visorando has a variety of itineraries for hikes around this monument ranging from medium to difficult. The tower is located 650 m (2132.55 ft) above sea level and it took me and my partner about 2 hours with a few breaks in between to reach.

The ascent can be difficult because some of the sections of the trail are steep to climb and there is not much shade, so it can get hot rather quickly. The challenging parts of the trail are worth it however, because of the panoramic views of the sea, the coastal towns, and surrounding mountains.

Once named the Devil’s Tower, La tour de la Madeloc was built in the 13th century under James II, King of Majorca. Along with la tour de Massane, it was one of many beacons in the region to watch for attacks coming from Spain or by the sea. At the summit of the hike, you can admire the tower up close, but it is impossible to climb up, as it is currently used as a television satellite relay.

For the descent, we chose a winding path that led us through vineyards back to the Collioure beach. We hiked in late May so the trail was blooming with Spanish Lavender, Forsythia, and pink Cistus. I’m glad we brought our raincoats with us because even though the morning was quite sunny, storm clouds soon rolled in. Luckily we didn’t get rained on!

My advice for this hike would be to go as early as possible to avoid the heat from the sun in the spring/summer, bring plenty of water, and leave no trace behind to help preserve this beautiful area! The Mediterranean Sea is unfortunately the most polluted sea in the world, so it’s important to be mindful as a tourist.

Now that I live in Paris again, I dearly miss this little corner of France. However, I’m very thankful to have a job with school vacations that allow me to escape the city and enjoy nature in different parts of the country.

Thank you so much for reading about this coastal hike in the South of France and stay tuned for more adventures in France and beyond!

À la prochaine,

Camden