Top things to do

Roussillon had its artistic heyday around the turn of the 20th century, when Fauvist and cubist artists flocked here, attracted by the searing colours and sun-drenched landscapes. This wonderful museum was created i…

Perpignan’s most dominant monument, the Palace of the Kings of Mallorca sprawls over a huge area to the south of the old town. Built in 1276, the castle was later refortified with massive red-brick walls by Louis XI…

These rock formations must be one of the most striking geological wonders in Occitanie, though they have remained well under the tourist radar. They consist of clusters of fairy chimneys that were formed when erosio…

If only every market was like this. Renovated and now a temple to fresh local produce, this is the kind of place where you pop in for a pastry and emerge an hour later with charcuterie, ripe fruit, desserts and five…

Chez Paco is a snazzy tapas bar tucked in a backstreet away from the madding crowd along the seafront. The tapas (cheese, meat, fish and charcuterie) are varied and tasty, the service excellent and the vibes super-c…

Perched 728m up on a rocky hill, Quéribus was the site of the Cathars’ last stand in 1255. Its structure is well preserved: the salle du pilier (pillars' room) inside the central keep still features Gothic pillars, …

In a lofty location 63km northwest of Perpignan via the D117, turreted Puilaurens is perhaps the most dramatic of the Cathar fortresses. It has the full range of medieval defences: double walls, four corner towers a…

Peyrepertuse is the largest of the Cathar castles, teetering on a sheer spur of rock with a drop of 800m on either side. Several of the original towers and many sections of ramparts are still standing. In early Augu…

It might not look much from the outside but trust us: Ben Aqui is a wonderful and soulful place to have some great local tipples (from €3) and excellent traditional tapas (from €5) in a lively atmosphere.

Part industrial relic, part nature walk, this 35-hectare coastal site is remote, as you'd expect of a one-time dynamite factory. It was set up by Nobel Prize founder Alfred Nobel in 1870 and subsequently abandoned i…