Just beyond Thuès-Entre-Valls, southwest of Villefranche on the left of the main N116, the wild wooded canyon of the Gorges de la Carança cuts south into the mountains towards Spain. A path follows the gorge to a junction with the GR10 at the refuge of the Ras de la Carança (3–4hr), while a further path continues on to meet the HRP on the frontier in another four hours.At Fontpédrouse, 5km beyond Thuès, a road branches south across the river and up a grassy spur above the River Aigues towards the village of Prat-Balaguer. From the top of the rise directly opposite Fontpédrouse, a path leads down to the Aigues where water from hot springs forms three separate pools at different temperatures, and you can skinny-dip for free. Another 10km up the main road brings you onto the wide plateau of the Cerdagne, whose once powerful counts controlled lands from Barcelona to Roussillon and endowed the monasteries of St-Michel-de-Cuxa, St-Martin-du-Canigou and Ripoll, now well inside Spain. It's an area that has never been sure whether it is Spanish or French. After the French annexation of Roussillon, it was partitioned, with Spain retaining – as it does today – the enclave of Lliva. The first place you come to is the little garrison town of Mont-Louis, built by Vauban in 1679 and still used as a base for paratroops and marines. There isn't much to see, but it is a far pleasanter place to stay than the monstrous ski resort of Font-Romeu, just down the road. There's a tourist office (July & Aug daily 9.30am–noon & 2–7pm; Sept–June Tues–Sat 10am–noon & 2–6pm; tel 04.68.04.21.97) and a good but expensive hotel, La Taverne, in rue Victor Hugo (tel 04.68.04.23.67, fax 04.68.04.13.35; €40–55). Campers should head for the site at Pla de Barres, 3km away on the road to the Lac des Bouillousses (tel 04.68.04.21.18; closed mid-Sept to mid-June), or there's a gîte d'étape at La Cassagne farm (tel 04.68.04.21.40; under €30), half an hour back down the main road. For food, Lou Roubaillou, near the barracks in rue des Écoles Laïques, serves up excellent mountain produce (menus in the €20–30 range). Of things to do round about, there's a good four-hour walk from the pretty mountain village of EYNE up a valley renowned for its flowers and medicinal plants to the Col d'Eyne, and numerous walks in the Carlit Massif around the Lac des Bouillousses – where there's a CAF refuge (tel 04.68.04.20.76), though the lake itself and parts accessible by car get very crowded in season. The region's curiosity is the four solaire, or solar power station (1hr guided tours daily: summer 10am–6.30pm, winter 10am–12.30pm & 2–6pm; €5), at ODEILLO just below Font-Romeu, although the most impressive part of this, a screen composed of thousands of mirrors, can in fact be seen from the road.
| 