The Fenouilledes valley is famous for its wonderfully preserved
Cathar Castles (photo below left); Wine
growing and tasting! Gorges abound and the largest, set
behind the nearest main town of Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet,
has something for every age. It is a must to visit the spiritual
and yet earthy L'Hermitage (a lovely church
in a cave shown below right) with it's beautiful sculptures
and in the cafe ask for a copy of the stories about the
hermit St. Antoine and his pig; this is set next to the
canyoning available in the Gorge de Galamus.
Beyond the stunning gorge are rock pools for all ages to
enjoy - small channels for toddlers and babies, deeper rock
pools for the more adventurous. The outward bound centre
in Caudiès-de-Fenouillèdes
has everything for those wanting to challenge the elements
and the fast running rivers on the way to Quillan offer
many opportunities for kayaking. Don't forget the French
markets: early Saturday in St. Paul; Sunday
mornings in Espéraza or Illes-sur-Têt;
Tuesdays in Prades right underneath Canigou.
There is a wonderful cultural centre in the nearby village
of St. Martin, the Auberge Taichac, which has art exhibitions,
talks on ecologically friendly issues, African drummers,
workshops on a variety of topics, supervised walks up into
the hills, CD's, magazines, TV (especially for sporting
events), as well as fantastic food, eaten either as a restaurant
or occasionally as a village feast with long tables and
a mixture of locals and visitors from all over the world.
