Pic de Bugarach
1,230 m
France
Also known as Puig de Bugarag, Pech de Bugarach, +2Also known as
Puig de Bugarag · Pech de Bugarach · Pico de Bugarach · Puèg de Bugarag
- Elevation
- 1,230 m
- Prominence
- 712 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Apr–May
- Routes
- 2
RegulationReported 5 Aug 2026
Aude prefectoral order of 5 August 2026: when a weather zone is classed at 'Extrême' fire risk, access to wooded areas larger than 4 hectares is prohibited. Check the daily map and any local orders before walking in summer and early autumn.
audetourisme.com
Routes
2The shortest and easiest way up the highest summit of the Corbières: a yellow-waymarked path of about 3.5 km and 560–600 m of ascent from Col du Linas (667 m), through box and beech woods below the Pique Grosse to a summit with views to the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean. About 2 hours up.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 3.6 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +565 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,230 m
- Time Up
- 2h 21m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 1h 36m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Bugarach village drive about 4 km along the D14 towards Soulatgé to the free car park at Col du Linas (667 m). Start at the wooden barrier by the information board and follow the yellow PR waymarks south: first a wide track, then a footpath through box and beech woodland. The path passes below the Pique Grosse (1,081 m; an optional 20-minute return detour) and climbs the south side. At a small saddle it crosses briefly to the north side, then returns south into a clearing, from where it is a short climb to the summit (1,230 m). The upper path is steep, eroded and in places rocky enough to need a hand; it is slippery when wet. Stay on the waymarked line — 'hors sentier' signs close numerous shortcuts. Descend the same way. Allow about 3–3½ hours round trip for 6.5–7 km. The summit ridge is exposed to strong winds, and in summer there is no shade higher up and no water on the route.
Start
Col du Linas668 m
- No practical public transport to Col du Linas; the nearest railway is at Quillan or Couiza on the Carcassonne–Quillan line, about 20–30 km away.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Col du Linas → Pic de Bugarach | 3.6 | 565 | 5 | 2h 21m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Col du Linas668 m
- Feature: Pique Grosse1,043 m
The path passes below it; optional detour to the top
- Summit: Pic de Bugarach1,230 m
Key Passages
- Path below the Pique Grosse
- Saddle where the path crosses briefly to the north side
- Steep, eroded upper path to the summit
Equipment
0/4 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
The highest summit of the Corbières (1,230 m), a limestone block above the village of Bugarach known as the 'upside-down mountain' because its top layers are older than its base. A steep half-day hike leads to a view from the Pyrenees to the Mediterranean.
Pic de Bugarach (also Pech de Bugarach) rises abruptly above the villages of Bugarach and Camps-sur-l'Agly in the upper Aude, between the Corbières and the Fenouillèdes. Its geology is unusual: a thrust sheet pushed the oldest rock layers on top of younger ones, earning it the name 'montagne inversée'. The western part of the mountain lies in Bugarach and the eastern part in Camps-sur-l'Agly.
The easiest ascent, from Col du Linas on the north side, is a short but steep and eroded path of about 550–600 m; the classic Voie de la Fenêtre from Bugarach climbs the south face past a hole through the cliff and is a genuine, exposed scramble. On a clear day the summit view takes in the Canigou and the eastern Pyrenees, the Corbières and the Mediterranean.
The mountain is also known for esoteric beliefs: in the run-up to 21 December 2012 it attracted visitors who believed it would be spared an apocalypse, and the authorities closed access around that date. Today it is mostly quiet walkers' country, but summer heat, fire-risk restrictions and grazing herds need to be taken into account.
Climbing Notes
The Col du Linas route needs normal hill fitness and sure footing on a steep, eroded and sometimes slippery path; allow about 3–3½ hours round trip. The Voie de la Fenêtre needs a head for heights and some scrambling ability and is not for unaccompanied children; most people climb it and descend via Col du Linas (about 5 hours for the 13 km loop). Carry plenty of water and avoid midday heat in summer. Expect strong winds on the summit ridge. In summer and early autumn, check the Aude fire-risk level before going: on days classed 'Extrême', woods larger than 4 hectares are closed. Herds graze the upper slopes in summer; keep dogs on a lead and walk around them.
History
The mountain has long been a landmark of the upper Aude. From around 2011 it drew large numbers of New Age visitors associated with the supposed end of the Mayan calendar on 21 December 2012; the mayor of Bugarach reported more than 20,000 visitors in the first half of 2011, and the Aude prefecture closed access to the mountain, and the airspace above it, for several days around that date.
Season
Best Apr–May- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Good
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Good
- July: Possible
- August: Possible
- September: Good
- October: Best
- November: Good
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Possible when snow-free; occasional snow and ice
- Feb
- Possible when snow-free; occasional snow and ice
- Jun
- Hot; start early
- Jul
- Hot; check the daily fire-risk level, woods may be closed
- Aug
- Hot; check the daily fire-risk level, woods may be closed
- Sep
- Fire-risk restrictions may still apply
- Dec
- Short days; snow possible
Access & Permits
- Rules
- Aude fire-risk rules: on days when the weather zone is classed 'Extrême', access to woods larger than 4 hectares is prohibited (prefectoral order of 5 August 2026); check risque-prevention-incendie.fr/aude and aude.gouv.fr in summer
- Stay on the waymarked paths; many shortcuts are signed 'hors sentier'
- Summer grazing on the mountain: keep dogs on a lead and walk around herds
- Getting There
Bugarach; Quillan
Carcassonne (CCF); Perpignan (PGF)
- Car: from Limoux via Couiza to Bugarach, then about 4 km on the D14 towards Soulatgé to the free car park at Col du Linas (667 m)
- From Perpignan via Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet and the Gorges de Galamus (narrow and crowded in summer) to Cubières and Bugarach
- No practical public transport to the trailheads
Hazards
- Exposure
- Weather