We will be driving back to Barcelona (flight to US) from the Arles region of southern France.
What lovely villages or castle hikes or coastal towns would you take a detour for on our highway drive?
We can stay a night.
I am looking at the le plus beaux village website and found Lagrasse and Minerve, but wondered if they are worthy of a detour. Or is Collioure nice? Or maybe an afternoon/evening in Carcassonne?
Thank you all for any insight!
Collioure is nice, but the town we really liked in that area is Ceret. It’s a short drive from Collioure, towards the mountains. A number of modern artists, like Picasso, Braque, and Soutine hung out there for a few years. Ceramic tile reproductions of their works adorn various outdoor spaces. There is a museum of modern art, small, but good, and a museum of musical instruments.
A great place to visit would be Rick’s back door town of Cucugnan in the Cathar region of France. Visit the bakery in the base of the working flour mill, take in the beautiful countryside, enjoy the best cassoulet in the region at the Auberge du Vignerons. It’s midway between Arles and Barcelona.
Thank you for the suggestions! I knew someone would have an opinion!
Minerve is quite a bit to the west but a relatively easy visit if you are going as far as Carcassonne.. I think it is very interesting but outside of its fascinating geographical layout, there is not a lot there.
Along the way you might take a look at Château de Peyrpertuse or Château de Queribus. I would definitely recommend Collioure.
On Minerve, it is lovely with a nice perched position over the gorge but it is very tiny with limited services. It is nice as a stop but as part of the bigger tour of the region.
Some find Carcassonne too commercial, but just time your visit wisely to avoid any crowds (PM is good). If you have the time, the drive through Andorra to Barcelona is quite nice, with some nice hikes reachable from the highway/roads.
I find Aigues Mortes just as interesting as Carcassonne with the advantage of its being close to the sea. There are a lot of very inexpensive yet noteworthy seafood restaurants next door at le Grau du Roi (and very good beaches).
We love Collioure! It has art history, a beautiful waterfront location, a castle and wonderful restaurants. We will return there. Easy choice!
