Corsavy is a mountain village at 777 m on the southern side of the Canigó massif. From its winding streets, the view stretches across the Roussillon plain to the Mediterranean. When planning your trip, it is worth treating local history, mountain scenery and hiking as distinct highlights. The Massif du Canigó has been classified as a Grand Site de France since 2012 and is also designated a type 2 continental ZNIEFF. Both designations apply to the massif; Corsavy’s position on its southern side places the village within this landscape.
Churches, signal tower and mining history
At the entrance to Corsavy from the direction of Arles-sur-Tech stands the former Romanesque church of Sant Martí de Cortsaví. An old church dedicated to Saint Martin is mentioned in a document from 1001 and was consecrated in 1159. Corsavy’s church houses the altarpiece of Saint Peter, featuring nine paintings. Another historical highlight is the Tour de Batère: it stands on the ridge descending from Canigó within the municipality of Corsavy, at 1,450 m above the Roussillon plain. From the 11th to the 15th century, the tower formed part of a medieval military signalling system. It was built around 1340, towards the end of the reign of the kings of Mallorca, to strengthen the kingdom’s defences in the face of the threat posed by the King of Aragon.
The iron mines of Batère are also part of the area’s industrial heritage. They were among the oldest iron mines in France and among the last to remain in operation. The Chemin d’Enfer – Parcours du mineur de Batère à Rapaloum is a mountain-bike route along a former railway line to the remains of the iron mines. Corsavy thus offers encounters with different chapters of history: medieval defence and signalling, as well as the former mining of iron ore.
Hikes through viewpoints, forests and mountain climbs
The La Tour de Corsavy hike is described as a family-friendly trail accessible to everyone all year round, leading to the signal tower. The walk offers sweeping views of the village, Vallespir, the Albères and the sea. La Devesa focuses on a different landscape: the shaded route runs at the foot of Tres Vents through extensive beech forests crossed by the Riuferrer and its tributaries. Its starting point is Léca, a hamlet 4 km beyond Corsavy on the D43 towards Batère.
The Tour des Canals de Leca is a scenic hike along the Canals, described as small streams. The Corsavy section of the Tour du Haut Vallespir GR®P runs from Batera to Sant Guillem. It is rated very difficult, is 17.5 km long and involves 1,138 m of ascent. The options range from trails with views of the village, mountains and sea to a section with a clearly stated level of difficulty. Check current trail conditions and access before setting out. For the start of La Devesa in Léca, also take current road and parking conditions into account.
Discover more destinations: Saint-Jean-Pla-De-Corts, Prats-De-Mollo-La-Preste, Reynes, Matemale, Port-Vendres, Sainte-Marie-la-Mer, Taillet, Baillestavy
For the broader travel guide: Pyrénées-Orientales.
