Gorges de la Fou

This beautiful natural site is a unique geological curiosity. It is called gorges because it is one of the narrowest, longest and deepest canyons in the world. Gorges de la Fou has a total length of 1739 m, an extension through which the water has found its way. The depth of the canyon is between 200m and 250m.

Gorges de la Fou is situated 2 km from Arles-sur-Tech in the south of France in the eastern Pyrenees. In some sections it is so narrow that it is less than 70 cm. It has a rich and varied vegetation as well as various rock formations.

Discover Gorges de la Fou

You reach the Gorges de la Fou by car on the D-115 road between Arles de Tec and Prats de Molló. After 2 km from Arles, you take a tarmac road that climbs up the mountainside. A large sign "Gorges de la Fou" indicates the way to follow. After 500 m you will find a free car park at the entrance to the Gorges de la Fou and from there the adventure begins.

The walk starts with a 150-metre walk along a dirt track and then enters the gorges.

At the beginning of the tour you will be given a helmet, which is compulsory due to the risk of falling stones, as a great variety of animals live on the upper part of the canyon walls. Then you will enter a metal footbridge where you will be able to walk through 1500 m of the canyon. Along the way you will find several places where you can observe the canyon and interesting information panels about its geology, rock formations and information about the plants and vegetation of the area.

The tour lasts about half a day. It is an easy excursion in which the whole family can participate, even children, as the passage through the canyon is well protected. You can visit and hike it between April and November, as the weather during this time of the year is favourable for hiking.

Along the way you will also see small warnings that in the event of rain or water falling from the waterfall, it can splash the walkway, making it slippery.

A few representative points of the Gorges de la Fou route

Along the route you will find emblematic spots such as the grotto of Saint John the Baptist with the image of this saint, or the Eagle Rock named after Père Besti, a local adventurer and explorer who used to go into the gorge looking for eagles' nests. Further along the path you will also discover an image of Our Lady of the Fou Gorge and halfway along the route (750 m) you will find the Can Pey grotto and further on the Soldier's Stone.

At the end of the route there is a final large rest area. From there you can see the valley floor in all its splendour.