Gorges de la Fou visitor guide

Visit Gorges de la Fou, France

Note: the Gorges de la Fou have been closed because of a rockfall and it is not clear when or if they will reopen.

The Gorges de la Fou are a deep natural gorge in the Tech Valley west of Ceret, in the southern Languedoc-Roussillon region and near Arles-sur-Tech. The gorges that have been carved by a fast moving stream over the course of millions over years

Visit the Gorges de la Fou

The gorges are now a paid 'attraction', with a walkway running a couple of kilometres along the bottom of a very narrow and steep-sided gorge. As you follow the path the cliffs rise up to 200 metres above you, and at times you can barely see the daylight above the gorge as they squeeze in on the path, while at other times the path opens wider.

While it is perhaps a shame that it has been necessary to place a metal walkway, and protection nets overhead, which detract a little from the natural environment - in truth the gorges would be otherwise impossible to see. Certainly it makes it much easier to visit with children...!

We enjoyed visiting these gorges, and are able to recommended a visit.

Note: the word 'fou' doesn't come from the French word for 'mad', as you might expect, but from the catalan word for 'precipice'.

Visitor information

Bring water if it is a hot day - although you are often in the shade it still can be very warm. Be aware that although it is quite an easy walk through the Gorges de la Fou there are also quite a few steps along the way.

The Gorges de la Fou are open to the public from April to November, entry price about 10 euros for an adult or 5 euros for a child over the age of 4.

Attractions nearby

Also here in the Tech Valley there are several other towns and villages of interest as well as attractive scenery. You will enjoy a stroll around Arles-sur-Tech, very close to the Gorges de la Fou, to see the abbey, and our favourite towns in the Tech valley are Ceret, a historic town with a popular museum of modern art, and Prats-de-Mollo, close to the border with Spain and overlooked by a castle.

If you prefer natural highlights we suggest you also travel a short distance north to see the Orgues of Ille-sur-Tet, a natural amphitheatre of rocks that is very interesting and beautiful.

You can find more travel ideas in the Pyrenees-Orientales guide and the Languedoc-Roussillon guide.