the Cerdagne-Font-Romeu, mountain lakes and hot springs

Check-in at your accomodation in Saillagouse. Depending on your arrival time, you have the possibility to go for a  short hike.
Short hike from Saillagouse
This loop itinerary reminds of the gatherings of herds and flocks that used to happen every year at the end of spring, when the shephers gathered the livestock to count them and take them to the highest parts of the mountains. Coming back from the mountain pastures , the transhumance season used to end with the autumn fairs. Night in a hotel with swimming pool and wellness centre. Distance : 5km, duration : around 2h00,  ascent : +200m, descent : -200m. 

Loop around Planès. The climb to Pla de Cédeilles, through the famous « GR10-transpyrénéen » offers a nice crossing of the Planès forest. The way down towards the Riberola valley, overlooking the surrounding landscapes, is just as beautiful as the climb.  When reaching Prats-Balaguer, its Romanesque church and its castle, a beautiful surprise will await you : natural hot springs, nestling in the valley, surrounded by forests and blocks...  Way back to Planès through Saint Thomas and its thermal baths (possibility to enjoy the sulphurous hot springs here as well). Night in a quality guesthouse with heated swimming pool. Distance : 16,5km, duration : around 6h30, ascent : +900m, descent : -900m.

The hike leads you today to Mont-Louis, a citadel fortified by Vauban under Louis XIV rule and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage. Further on, sometimes along the Têt river, sometimes overlooking the the Barrès pine forest, your itinerary leads you to the Bouillouses lakeside conservation area, also called « the small Pyrenean Canada » with its beautiful lakes, plateau and forests. Night in a moutain hotel (2050m) in a stunning setting. 
 Distance : 19km, duration : around 6h30, ascent : +750m, descent : -250m. 

You will spend the day hiking on altitude paths and discovering the Carlit mountains and their various lakes. Several options : for experienced hikers, climb to the Carlit Peak (2921m) if the weather forecast permits, otherwise, hike from one lake to the other in the mountain pastures towards the Carlit, highest summit of the Catalan Pyrenees. Gorgeous viewpoints.  On the path, for each altitude stage you reach, you will admire various glacial lakes, surrounded by a diverse and picturesque vegetation, full of different fragrances. Night in a moutain hotel (2050m) in a stunning setting. Distance : 11km, duration : around 3h45, ascent : +350m, descent : -350m (Carlit lakes) OR Distance : 15km, around 6h15, ascent : +900m, descent : -900m (Carlit lakes and Carlit Peak). 

With this transition section via the chemin des Ramades, you will leave the high mountains to reach the cerdan plateau, walking on the heights or along a glacial valley where the Angoustrine steam runs : a paradise for anglers and a gathering place for herds. Arrival in Angoustrine after a short uphill section. Night in a family-run hotel. Distance : 13km, duration : around 4h, ascent : +150m, descent : -850m. 

Crossing Dorres (1458m) at the beginning of this section, you will discover a charming village overlooking the Coma Armada valley, well-known for its roman and medieval heritage and its thermal hot springs. Possibility to enjoy the sulphurous hot springs. Waking by the Santa Maria de Belloc chapel (1685m), you will slowly reach Saillagouse through villages and cultivated meadows. The itinerary crosses the Spanish enclave of Llivia : a historical curiosity inherited from the 1659 Pyrenean treaty, this small town whose territory merely reaches 12 hectares is the only inland foreign enclave in France. This section offers various highlights, from cultural sites (the Belloc chapel, famous for its legend) to diverse landscapes with striking contrasts. Distance : 21km, duration : around 6h45, ascent : +650m, descent : -650m.