Gorge de Galamus

Useful Information

photography — Gorge de Galamus, France. Public Domain.

Location:	Saint Paul. Follow D/ north from Saint Paul, D10 south from Cubières-sur-Cinoble. (42.835803, 2.479961)
Open:	no restrictions. [2021]
Fee:	free. [2021]
Classification:	Gorge
Light:	n/a
Dimension:	L=1,500m.
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Gorge De Galamus, Saint-Antoine, 66220 Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet, Tel: +33-468-59-07-57. Oxygen Aventure, 66220 Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet, Tel: +33-682-69-83-00.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1892	road completed.

Description

The Gorge de Galamus is a steep ravine in limestone hills, which is popular for canyoning and hiking. The Agly, the Eagle River, has its spring in Camps sur Agly. If flows through a wide valley for some kilometers until it reaches the limestone ridge which blocks the way. Cutting through this ridge it created a narrow gorge with up to 500 m high walls on both sides. The gorge was used to construct a road at the end of the 19th century, which connects Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet and Cubières-sur-Cinoble. The road is only single lane and not suitable for trucks, camper vans, trailers, or busses. The maximum width is 2 m, the maximum height 2.7 m, the maximum weight 5 t. It is not allowed to stop in the gorge or to overtake. A drive through this gorge is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

Since 2003, alternating traffic has been set up. During July and August daily in the afternoon, there are traffic lights, and you may have to wait 15 minutes until you are allowed to enter. The good thing is, there will be no oncoming traffic. When the alternating traffic is in effect, ther is also a shuttle service. So it is possible to walk the gorge or a part and return with with electric shuttle for a nominal fee of 1 EUR.

The whole gorge is a Natural Monument. It is much recommended visiting the site on foot, as it is not allowed to park except on the few parking lots which are often crowded. The steep part of the gorge is only 1.5 km long, the walk from parking no 1 to no 4 is 2.8 km, from no 2 to no 4 1.8 km. There is a bigger parking lot at the southern end of the gorge (parking no 1). It is forbidden to leave the trails, pick flowers, make fire, throw rocks, or disturb the fauna. However, it is allowed to do canyoning in the gorge and there are several operators which offer such tours. We listed one of them, Oxygen Aventure.

The best way to see the gorge is probably the path to the Ermitage Saint Antoine De Galamus which is cut into the rocks. There is also a road which ends at the lower end of the gorge, which was built to access the dam. But entering the gorge by foot is quite difficult as there is no trail or path through the gorge.