(E 12-Sentier Littoral/guide OTI) Banyuls-sur-mer (Plage des Elmes/Plage du Troc)
Discovering the luminous Banyuls, city of art and science.
This hike takes you through Banyuls along the seafront. You'll be charmed by the local life and the works of Maillol.
Leave Elmes beach towards Banyuls town centre.
The view over the bay is worth the detour. Turn left, taking the sidewalk to Cap d'Osne and continue down towards the central beach. Walk past the terraces of the bars/restaurants to arrive in front of the Tourist Office, where you can admire a work by local artist Aristide Maillol ("L'Ile de France sans bras").
Pass by the Tourist Office (don't hesitate to go inside to find out about the activities and tours available in Banyuls), continue along the promenade towards the Arago Laboratory (Aquarium) via the Maillol walkways. A second work by the sculptor ("The Reclining Girl") is located there. At the entrance to the port (classified as a "Port de Terroir")
Continue on the promenade in front of the Arago laboratory which leads to Ile Grosse. At the end of the building, turn right and take the staircase which leads to the RD 914. At the beginning of the 1880s and after having founded the Roscoff marine station on the English Channel, the zoologist from the Sorbonne, Henri De Lacaze Duthiers (1821–1901) decided to explore the Mediterranean Coast to establish a second station. The rocky coast near Spain offered a great diversity of habitats and organisms. Henri De Lacaze Duthiers, seduced by the Banyuls sur mer site, decided to build his new laboratory there. At the top of the stairs turn left and go to Troc beach, arrival point.