The old village of Joch lies on a hill above the Vinça plain and the Têt Valley. The municipal area stretches from the camí de l’Estrade at an altitude of 300 metres to Puig de les Feixes at 926 metres, the highest point in the municipality. The village’s history can be read in its buildings and waterworks; two circular walks offer different route profiles.
La Força and the history of the village
La Força is a fortified complex in the upper part of the old village. Homes and cellars are arranged around the former castle. The walls still visible today were built between 1361 and 1368. Two gates and some of the outer walls remain from the original complex.
Saint-Martin and other works of art
Saint-Martin Church dates from the 18th century. The foundation stone was laid on 5 May 1756, and construction continued until 1778. The church houses several valuable Baroque altarpieces from the late 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The Retable du maître-autel, gradins d'autel is located in the sanctuary. It is made of carved, painted and gilded wood and is classified as a protected object.
The Retable de saint Jean-Baptiste is an altarpiece of carved, painted and gilded wood. Its four half-relief panels depict the life and death of John the Baptist. In the Cambra del rector, there is a painted ceiling dating from the 17th century; the date September 1693 appears on the central beam. The Croix de les Feixes is a replica of the Croix du Canigó, erected in 2011.
Guided visits can include Saint-Martin Church, the village of Joch, or both. A church visit lasts about an hour and a half, while a village visit takes around two hours; tours are subject to local availability.
The Rec Major and the El Salt waterfalls
The Rec Major is an irrigation channel dating from the late 13th century and still supplies water to all the fountains throughout the village. At El Salt in the village, it forms two successive waterfalls: one about six metres high and another downstream, approximately twelve metres high. Both height figures are estimates; their sequence is also part of the description of this stretch of the channel.
Two circular walks with different profiles
The Boucle de les Voltes is an easy, 1.9-kilometre circular walk for families, with 175 metres of ascent and descent. It runs entirely through Joch, in the uplands of Joch and the Baronnie, through oak woodland and garrigue along former rural paths. The Puig de les Feixes route, by contrast, is a difficult mountain circuit covering 8.6 kilometres and taking about four hours. It passes through orchards and vineyards and offers views as far as the Mediterranean.
There are two distinct route profiles to choose from: a walk rated as easy and suitable for families, and a longer, difficult mountain hike with an approximate duration. The Puig de les Feixes route starts and ends at the castle car park in Joch. Check local access conditions before setting out.
Local cuisine
L’ESCOLA D’AVANT is a traditional restaurant serving local cuisine in Joch’s former village school. Restaurant services are subject to local availability.
Discover more destinations: Serralongue, Port-Vendres, Corbère-Les-Cabanes, Elne, Villelongue-dels-Monts, Saint-Estève, Salses-Le-Château, Pas De La Casa
For the wider travel overview: Pyrénées-Orientales.
