I must say that venturing to the Vermillion Coast during the high season was a bold idea. La Côte Vermeille is the coastline stretching from Argelès-sur-Mer to Cerbère, the border village with Spain. This summer destination is loved not only by French tourists but also by their neighbors. It’s no wonder, as the beautiful creeks, coves, cliffs, and charming towns can enchant anyone. However, I’m glad to say we didn’t feel too overwhelmed (except for Collioure, but we’ll get to that).

Once we arrived at our campsite, we took our bicycles and cycled to Argelès-sur-Mer. What a beautiful sun-kissed town! Colorful houses, bars serving sangria, tourists strolling lazily through the small maze of streets—it was a pleasant surprise. I hadn’t expected to like it, fearing the crowds and the overly touristy vibe, but I needn’t have worried. Argelès-sur-Mer is small, but we still managed to spend quite a while there.

Where to eat in Argelès-sur-Mer: A big shoutout to Au Vin 20, where, under a sprawling tree, we enjoyed our first glass of Banyuls and tried tapas with anchovies – a local specialty.

There’s Argelès old town, but there’s also Argelès Plage, which, though part of the Argelès municipality, lies three kilometers from the actual town. Argelès includes a seven-kilometer stretch of beach with all the expected seaside attractions – bars, overpriced restaurants, shops selling temporary tattoos, and long lines for ice cream. A classic beach resort scene. Still, we were pleasantly surprised: the beach and its infrastructure are in excellent condition, and we couldn’t help admiring the beautiful architecture close to the sea – no doubt, old family mansions. I had braced myself for identical concrete buildings, so this was a wonderful surprise! And from the beach, we could already see the cliff outlines – a beautiful view to enjoy as we licked ice cream melting onto our hands.

Collioure, of course. The most famous town of Côte Vermeille, and one of the most favorite ones in the South-West. When I first met Collioure six years ago in February, I was completely smitten – a true Mediterranean gem, which has it all: a fortress, beaches, nature, charling old town – no wonder why artists like Matisse and Picasso loved this place. No wonder why artists still love it! One of the things to know about Collioure is that in summer it’s unbearably crowded. Three years ago coming here by car was the worst thing that happened to us on that trip – a mistake we won’t make again. Now, it’s bicycles only.

Where to eat in Collioure: Another thing to know is that restaurants here can be very expensive — the town’s popularity is to blame. You’ll often see scandalously priced meals (€18 for a Caesar salad!) and in majority of cases the quality doesn’t match the cost. This might be why you’ll find so many stands selling crêpes or pizza slices to go — a solid alternative. As for us, we learned our lesson and stuck to anchovies from the market for a picnic in our van.

That said, none of this takes away from Collioure’s charm. Relaxing with an ice cream on the pier, watching the sunset as golden light washes over the fortress and boats (another defining feature of Collioure) was the perfect way to bid farewell to August.

The coastal path of La Côte Vermeille is an absolute must-do in the Pyrénées-Orientales. It’s part of a larger trail that extends down to Spain, all the way to Cadaqués, but for now, let’s focus on the French side.

As the name suggests, this hiking trail follows the Mediterranean coast through breathtaking scenery: cliffs, the sea, vineyards, and charming Catalan villages. The path starts in Argelès and stretches to Cerbère, a town near the border—32 kilometers (20 miles) of stunning views. For us, however, a smaller section was just right—8 kilometers from Port-Vendres to Plage de Paulilles, which we completed in about two and a half hours, not counting our beach and photo breaks.

From Port-Vendres to Plage de Paulilles coastal path:

Total distance: 8,75 km

Time without pauses: 2:24:43

Time including pauses: 3:46:35

Altitude: 308 m

The Pyrénées-Orientales official site has a page detailing each part of the trail, but I couldn’t be happier with our choice! It allowed us not only to explore Port-Vendres — a fishing town I had no particular expectations for, yet it turned out to be beautiful, authentic, and far less crowded than Collioure — but also to see the famous Cap Béar with its lighthouse, swim in stunning coves, and enjoy a hike that was scenic without being overly challenging. It felt like a big adventure packed into just three hours.

Before reaching Plage de Paulilles, our final stop, we enjoyed a long break on a small beach in a secluded cove – Plage des Oursins. These quiet moments are what make a trip unforgettable. Once again, I regretted not owning snorkeling gear as the cove must must have so much beautiful marine life to observe. But just floating on our backs in the honey-like Mediterranean waters was enough.

Then it was time to wrap up. We walked the last kilometer to our final point and then hopped on bus No. 540 back to Port-Vendres. It’s always funny to watch a bus cover in twenty minutes what took us several hours to hike. Did the bus swim in the sea though? Did it see the lighthouse of Cap Béar in the mist? Precisely.

Where to stay in Collioure: As I mentioned earlier, this area is extremely popular, especially in summer, so it’s wise to take care of the accommodations as early as possible. We traveled with our van, Robbie, and this time decided to stay at a campsite, as wild camping was out of the question. There are countless campsites around Collioure, particularly in Argelès. But when we tried to book a spot, guess what, there was zero availability. Have I already mentioned how touristy Collioure is?  😅

So, the only campsite with a place for us was Camping Les Amandiers. With its 3.5-star Google rating, we weren’t exactly thrilled, but it was our only option. In the end, it turned out to be a great choice! The comments on Google complained it was dirty and cramped with no space between the pitches. It’s not entirely untrue but given the geography of the place and the nature of its soil, it’s simply impossible not to have dust in every corner of your van or tent. I’m more surprised that with such conditions – a dusty, dry and rocky surface, they actually managed to organize such a cute campsite under 2km from Collioure with a direct access to a lovely beach! And believe me, not having to park in Collioure is much more valuable than a higher Google rating. In a word – big love to Camping Les Amandiers. Also, this is not an ad, but it could have been. 😀

Then came the highlight and the main reason of our trip—the 36th International Photojournalism Festival in Perpignan, held every September. A few words on how it’s organized: the exhibitions are spread across around ten venues in the center of Perpignan, although the largest and most interesting ones are located in the Couvent des Minimes and the Eglise des Dominicains. The entire city is involved in this event, and it’s impossible to miss the brochure with a detailed map and descriptions of each photographer and their work.

One thing to know about Visa Pour l’Image is that it’s not a joyful event. Moreover, you are likely to feel a need to retch and this will be only natural. The photos are of exceptional quality, but their subjects are the darkest, and depressing aspects of our world and what is wrong with it. Wars, social injustice, climate crises, and other heartbreaking realities – just writing about it brings back the heavy feeling of drowning I experienced during this festival. I attach the program of this year’s festival to give an idea.

I was a mess. We unintentionally began with an exhibit on teens in France addicted to smartphones, – that was enough to destroy our spirits, but we quickly realized that it was a very soft one. In short, it’s an incredible festival, but if you’re feeling vulnerable, it’s wise to take care by avoiding  the most sensitive exhibitions.

With our heads buzzing, we headed to La Carmagnole for lunch — a delicious, budget-friendly spot and a refreshing change from Collioure’s tourist traps. The rain was finally slowing down. I found it beautifully ironic that Perpignan — one of France’s sunniest cities — greeted us with a gloomy, rainy sky on precisely the day when sunshine might have felt out of place.

That will be our last trip in Occitanie for a while now. But after so many adventures over the past four years, there’s nothing to regret. If you’re looking for more information or just some inspiration, be sure to check out our fellow bloggers L’Oeil d’Eos and their travel guides about French Catalonia — they live in the region and know all its ins and outs.