On this wonderful stage I cycled through the mountain range of the French Pyrenees that form the natural border between Spain and France separating the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe. The route connects the Mediterranean coast with the beautiful wide beaches, of Le Barcarès on the foot of the Pyrénées Orientales to the Atlantic Coast of the French Basque towns of Biarritz in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the French.

This choice of route was only to see the Pyrenees, from another perspective, not immersed in high mountain cycling, since that was not the purpose of the trip, mine was to circumnavigate the entire Iberian Peninsula including crossing the mountain range which however the route was not flat at all, it had challenging sections and, obviously, climbs and descents!

I crossed the Pyrenees exactly as I wanted to by riding a variety of roads, including one part (the Véloroute V81, also known as La Vélosud or the Pyrenean Piedmont). The name of the route, "Piémont Pyrenéen", refers to the Pyrenean Prealps.

ROUTE DESCRIPTION

Stage #3 I Day 9 I Camping Cap Leucate, Leucate - Camping de d'Agliy Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet I France I MAP

This morning before leaving the campsite in Leucate which is located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Étang de Leucate or Étang de Salses is a Lake in Pyrénées-Orientales and Aude he had greeted a Spanish boy named German a very nice guy he had met the night before at the campsite who was also doing a cycle touring trip. after a chat I started my day by cycling along the V8 cycle path also known as the Mediterranean Way reaching the small coastal village of Le Barcarès with its beautiful wide beaches, which borders the Mediterranean Sea at the foot of the Pyrénées Orientales,

I continued cycling along the Littoral continuing to the Agly River, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea and the route gradually headed towards the foothills of the French Pyrenees and, through the green cycle path that runs along the Agly River, passing through the area of ​​Claira, the town of Rivesaltes up to the municipality of Cases-de-Penes and then to Estangel.

I  then followed the Vélosud cycle path (V81), the route to be taken from Maury to Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet, this section runs along the Agly valley, an area between vineyards and with the imposing backdrop of the Pyrenees until reaching the village of Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet, where I had stayed at the Camping de L'Agly.

Stage #3 I Day 10 I Camping de d'Agliy Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet - Hotel Castel d'Olmes, Lareque-d'Olmes I France I MAP

This morning before leaving the Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet campsite at the Camping de L'Agly I said goodbye to the owner or the person who worked at the campsite, a very kind and funny woman, and after a continuous hug under a cloudy sky we passed by the municipalities of Caudiès-de-Fenouillèdes, Puilaurens located in the lower part of the Boulzane valley and Campérié, Col du Campérié (Alt 514) Them the route passes by the small village of Saint-Martin-Lys located in the Aude, in the upper valley of the Aude river and then the winding, quiet road wound through sheer cliffs that fell into the waters of the river that ran through the magnificent Gorges du Pierre-Lye and were surrounded on both sides by huge mountain walls.

After that I passed a rural mountainous area of ​​Belvianes-et-Cavirac, Quillan, Ginoles (Quilla, at 601 m), Brenac, Puivert. Lesparrou, Bélesta located on the river Hers-Vif and Laroque-d'Olmes and in this locality I stayed at the Hôtel-restaurant à Laroque d'Olmes.

Stage #3 IDay 11 I Hotel Castel d'Olmes, Lareque-d'Olme - Hotel/Camping Parc de Palétès, Saint-Girons I France I MAP

The following day I left the Hotel Castel d'Olmes, Lareque-d'Olme under a rainy sky on a quiet road with picturesque landscapes, a tranquil rural setting with a variable gradient and continued In the heart of the country of Olmes in the département of l'Ariège passing through the municipalities of Lavelanet and from in the first of Nalzen the road had reached a difference in altitude of 630 meters with a maximum gradient of -5%.

After that the gradual descent I reached the area of ​​Villeneuve-d'Olmes and the sky had changed its appearance with a clearer sky passing by the areas of Celles, Saint-Paul-de-Jarrat and the charming medieval town of Foixthe is the capital of the department of Ariège nestled at the crossroads of two rivers, the Ariège, the Arget and overlooked by its imposing castle perched on a rocky peak.

Leaving the locality I cycled routes ( D117 and V81) and I alternated them since they ran parallel to each other but both were in the absence of traffc and the road slowly went uphill until reaching the altitude of 599 m Col del Bouich and then downhill passing by the area of ​​Saint-Martin-de-Caralp characterized by its mountainous landscape, including the Montcoustan summit, the surrounding lovely panorama of the Barguillère valley w green lands with grazing animals.

And between the ups and downs of the road surrounded by an intense green of the landscape and always with grazing animals passing by the dessert towns of La Bastide-de-Sérou, Castelnau-Durban, Rimont, Montjoie-en-Couserans, Saint-Girons where I stayed in a Camping ariège Parc de Palétès where you can also rent chalets, mobile homes and lodges and since the weather had become cloudy and it would surely rain heavily I had decided to take a room and then eat at the restaurant of the Camping Parc de Palétès.

Stage #3 I Day 12 I Hotel/Camping Parc de Palétès, Saint-Girons - Camping Les Craouès, Capvern I France I MAP

The next day I had breakfast at the restaurant of Camping Parc de Palétès and the day was sunny. After breakfast I took the V81 cycle path from the Saint-Girons river, also called Salat river, well signposted, through the surrounding countryside and the nearby mountain ranges, and from Mane to Lestelle-de-Saint-Martory, a peaceful route overlooking sunflower fields and offering breathtaking views of the surroundings.

Then the rural area of ​​Beauchlot, Labarthe-Inard, Estancarbon and from this point the route began to climb slowly and increasingly steeply passing through the area of ​​Saint-Gaudens. Then the route from the V81 branched off and I followed the provincial road (D817) and continued through the quiet countryside passing through the towns of Saint-Gaudens, Valentine, Montrejeau, Points-de-Riviere, Cantous Mazères-de-Neste and Capver and stayed at the Camping Craouès campsite.

Stage #3 I Day 13 I Camping Les Craouès, Capvern, at the foot of the Pyrenees - Hotel Monford, Lourdes I France I MAP

The next day I left the Camping Craouès campsite in Capvern waiting for the sky to clear since it had rained all night and also in the morning but I had camped under a shed where they washed the dishes and it was unused because of the low season and I had not taken a single drop of rain, yeah!.

I had followed a route in the countryside with cloudy and foggy skies like winter passed by the town of Banque Moire and in Castllon I had found a dog friend who led me a desolate path with valleys of ups and downs and very green vegetation reaching Montgaillard, Loucrup, Escoubès, and finally Lourdes where I stayed at the Hotel Monfort. After having settled in the hotel I wandered in the rain to the Sanctuaire Notre Dame De Lourdes and its surroundings. Lourdes is a pilgrimage town in southwestern France. Even for the non-religious, the town is well worth a wander and immersed in a beautiful natural setting.