Argelès-sur-Mer is known for its long beach, but the fun is in the hills behind it. The Albères are the eastern end of the Pyrenees, a low, forested range that drops straight into the Mediterranean, and the Massane is its secret. The Forêt de la Massane is a nature reserve of beech trees, some of them centuries old, growing on the cool northern slopes at a height where one would not expect them near the sea. In 2007 it was inscribed by UNESCO as part of the primeval beech forests of Europe, and scientists have studied its dead wood and insects for decades.
A rider cannot enter the beech forest, which is a walking reserve, but the approach is half the pleasure. From Collioure, the little fishing town with its blue-domed bell tower and its anchovies, roads climb into the hills through terraced vineyards that produce Banyuls and Collioure wines. In 1905 the painters Matisse and Derain worked in Collioure and gave birth to Fauvism with the explosive colours of the bay. The Tour de la Massane stands above the forest, one of a string of medieval watch towers that guarded the border.
The riding here is a mixture of coastal views and mountain roads. Narrow lanes climb steeply through vines and cork oak, there are lots of hairpins, and the surface is mixed, with some rough patches. The Tramontane, the dry north wind, can blow hard, especially in winter and spring, so be ready for gusts on exposed bends. Come on a clear day for views along the coast to Spain, and in autumn when the vineyards turn red and gold.
The border is only a few kilometres south, and the Col de Banyuls takes you over into Catalonia on a modest, pleasant road. Cross it for lunch if you like, but remember that rules and fuel prices differ.
Collioure has bars and restaurants, though little parking in summer, and Argelès, with ten thousand people, is the nearest place to fill up.