At the Pyrénées Méditerranée Tourist Office, we love sharing the gems of our region with you! Today, we're taking you to Cap Béar, an emblematic site on the Côte Vermeille that combines history and breathtaking landscapes. Ready for discovery?
A site steeped in history and emotions
It is at the turn of the coastal path between Port-Vendres and Paulilles that Cap Béar gives us its secrets and invites us to marvel. We often go there to hike, to fish, to swim, and to take a breath of fresh air. However, it is impossible to miss the special atmosphere that envelops us and makes us travel through time as one advances on its point.
These are the things that struck us when we first encountered this remarkable site, and they are also what we try to convey during our guided tours. We invite you to explore the riches, waiting for your next visit.
The Cap Béar lighthouse
All in marble and granite, it has adorned itself with its finest features just for you!
The singularity of its architecture is its splendour, the history of its optics is its richness.
From its height of 27 meters, the Béar lighthouse listed historical monument in 2012 stands proudly on its cape and has protected the Port-Vendrais coastline with its light since 1905. With its buildings below, it takes you to the time of the guardians, and immerses you in a nostalgic atmosphere, at the heart of our intangible heritage and the maritime know-how that we must preserve.
It will also offer you an appreciable corner of shade, the ideal opportunity to enjoy the landscape around a picnic with family or friends. But beware of your waste, it's a protected space! Trash cans are also available in front of the gate below.
The remnants of World War II
The Atlantic Wall somewhat steals the show, and yet it is also a important vestige of the Second World War!
The Wall of the Mediterranean, which extends from Cerbère to Menton, is also the richness of the landscapes and the history of the department. The works, listed between 300 and 400 on the territory and built between 1942 and 1944 by the German army, are camouflaged in the most strategic places of the Côte Vermeille. They will surprise you with their great diversity and their excellent preservation.
For the more adventurous, you can go into some of the double-entry bunkers that you will come across, and thus admire the alliance of reinforced concrete and shale. Be careful, however, not to trample on or disturb the abundant fauna and flora that surround you, they are very rich and precious!
The fauna and the flora
Offering one of the most breathtaking landscapes in the region, it is not for nothing that Cap Béar is part of the Natura 2000 network. It is in fact counted among the natural sites of the European Union with great heritage value thanks to the exceptional fauna and flora found there.
Thus, coming to Cap Béar also means setting out to meet the protected speciesOr endemic, from our beautiful Vermilion Coast: Polycarp of Catalonia, Thymélée Hirsute and Armérie du Roussillon, among others, await you there. Don't hesitate to also bring a good pair of binoculars! Sit down, and let yourself go to contemplation and meditation in this exceptional setting. You will surely have the chance to observe the ballet of the crag martins, or even to have a visit from some Black Redstarts or Thekla Larks.
Guided tours of Port-Vendres
It is impossible to talk about Cap Béar without discussing the history of the town in which it is located. Come and discover Port-Vendres through our guided tours, led by our passionate guides. Their main ambition? To make you look at the little things, the little details and anecdotes of History. It is also a special moment to talk together about gastronomy and discover the must-see places in our magnificent territory.
These visits are suitable for all types of public and particularly popular with families with children aged 6 and over.
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