From Requesens to Puig Neulós, circular route

In order to reach the starting point of this route, you have to go to La Jonquera and  to Cantallops. In Cantallops, we follow the signs for Requesens or Castell de Requesens and continue along a forest track that is in fairly good condition, halfway we will find a metal door. Car access is not  forbidden, but the door must be closed once passed. Just before reaching the castle, we find a crossroads, there is a bridge, if we went straight we would go to Requesens and to the right crossing the bridge, to the castle. We park here.

We start to climb before the bridge, along a fairly milled and marked path that will take us to the neighborhood of Requesens, we find the AE96 junction and continue towards La Jonquera, until we reach the hermitage of the Mare de Déu de Requesens, where we will find the AE97 junction and continue in the direction of La Jonquera via Coll Forcat.

We follow the yellow marks along a track that gradually becomes steeper, reaching the Font de la Verneda. A few meters from the source we have to take a turnoff to the right that climbs up and makes us go up a stream. This is how we get to Coll Forcat. Crossing AE91.

In this pass we find a wire that marks the border. We continue in the direction of Requesens via Coll de Faig. We pass on the other side and following the path on the right we will reach the Coll de Forcadell, we continuing  and we will find the Roc dels Tres Termes. A little further up, we find a new junction AE92 Coll del Pou and following in the direction of Requesens by Puig Neulós we will reach the top of Puig Neulós. From this peak of 1257 meters, the Pyrenees descend definitively towards the sea.

After enjoying the magnificent views of the Empordà plain, the Pyrenees, the Rosselló and the Canigó, we begin the descent towards the Coll de Tanyareda. We will find the AE93 Font de la Tanyareda junction and continue towards Requesens via Coll de Faig, we will go towards the Tanyareda refuge and the Coll del Faig, AE94 junction. Here, if we continue in the direction of Requesens through Coll de l'Estaca we can deviate a little to go up to the Pla del Fum where you can see some views of the Empordà and the gulf of Roses.

We go back to the Coll del Faig and now we continue in the direction of Requesens, Cantallops and Capmany, just follow the yellow signs until you reach the Coll del Castell, where there is the junction AE95 Castell de Requesens If you leave the yellow marks, continue to the castle of Requesens and following the track to the Corral Nou we will reach the beginning of the route.

Our proposal continues in the direction neighborhood of Requesens, in this section also coincides with the GR11, we will find proto-industrial elements, currently, all these constructions are disused.

We skirted the dam (resclosa) that led the water to a small hydroelectric power plant to get electricity and continued towards the Ice Well (pou de glaç), the snow pits served as an underground reservoir to store during the winter those materials that, transformed into ice, were used. in the hottest times, to preserve food or cool drinks.

We cross the Cutives bridge and go to the Teuleria, an oven for making tiles. Despite being in poor condition, we can still see the oven hole and the interior walls. The exterior is in the best condition.

We continue towards the Rovellada fountain, a stone fountain with a reddish spout due to the iron that carries the water, and we find a strange polygonal tower with an adjoining chamber. This construction dates from the time of the reconstruction of the castle, in the 19th century. He is known as the Pentinador (hairdresser)  and legend has it that the lady of the castle took refuge in it to put the iron mud in her hair, to become red-haired.

We now follow the track and find the AE96 junction again, now we will continue in the direction of Cantallops to reach the starting point, about 700 meters.

The name Puig Neulós is due to the cloud that often covers the summit, it is also what inspired the identifying logo of the Albera Natural Park.