Things to do in Perpignan
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Perpignan
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Late spring sweet spot, warm, everything open, sea swimmable by June and crowds still sane.
Early autumn sweet spot, warm sea in September, Visa pour l'Image crowds, then quiet October light.
Peak heat at 30 to 35C, full beach and festival program, packed Collioure and Canet, sightsee before noon.
Mild, bright and very quiet, many coastal businesses closed, reduced Yellow Train timetable, low hotel prices.
What's on
- Procession de la Sanch Good Friday
Silent procession of black robed penitents from Saint-Jacques church through the centre.
- Fête de la Saint-Jean 23-24 June
Catalan midsummer, the Canigou flame, bonfires, sardana dancing and fireworks.
- Les Jeudis de Perpignan Thursday evenings, July and August
The centre becomes an open air festival of concerts and street performance each summer Thursday.
- Les Déferlantes July, four days
The region's big popular music festival at Le Barcarès, with Perpignan as its rail and hotel base.
- Visa pour l'Image Late August to mid September
The world photojournalism festival takes over the city with free exhibitions for about fifteen days.
- Village de Noël December
Christmas village along the Tet and in the centre, with chalets, an ice rink and illuminations.
Best things to do in Perpignan
Palais des Rois de Majorque
A vast Gothic palace fortress of the Kings of Majorca, with arcaded courtyards, a chapel and rampart views to the Pyrenees.
Le Castillet
Perpignan's red brick emblem and Catalan folk museum, worth its small fee for the rooftop view over the old town.
Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Perpignan
A huge single nave Southern Gothic cathedral beside the Campo Santo, the quietest and most beautiful cloister in town.
Musée d'art Hyacinthe Rigaud
Catalan Gothic art, Rigaud and the Roussillon moderns in two grand town houses, strongest when a temporary exhibition is on.
Hôtel Pams
A free Belle Époque mansion of marble, onyx and painted ceilings, with a hidden courtyard garden in the city centre.
Loge de Mer
The Gothic sea exchange on Place de la Loge, the civic heart of old Perpignan and its best cafe sitting square.
Rue Paratilla
Perpignan's food street of spice shops, charcuterie, cheese and wine, made for grazing and picnic shopping at midday.
Gare de Perpignan
The station Dali declared the centre of the universe, a fun ten minute stop and the hub for every train day trip.
Where to stay in Perpignan
Saint-Jean and the quais
first trip, sightseeing on foot
The palace, Loge, cathedral and Paratilla quarter, busiest and most pleasant by day and evening.
Clémenceau and Espace Méditerranée
train arrivals, families, longer stays
Wide boulevards and the city's largest suites, calmer at night and ten minutes from the old town.
Palais des Congrès and Las Cobas
quiet, modern comfort
The riverbank cultural quarter in a calm residential area, still a short walk to the Castillet.
South: Moulin à Vent and Porte d'Espagne
drivers and regional touring
Settled family suburbs with parking and the road to Spain and the beaches, best with a car.
Think twice about
- Saint-Jacques
Deep poverty, degraded housing and open drug dealing around Place Cassanyes. Visit the market by day, never base here.
- Haut-Vernet
High burglary rates, visible dealing and few visitor facilities in the north of the city. No reason for a visitor to stay.
- Bas-Vernet
Among the poorest quarters in France on official figures, with persistent insecurity. Pass through only if needed.
- Saint-Mathieu
Old central quarter with degraded housing and a consistent local verdict of night time unease. Choose Saint-Jean instead.
Best restaurants in Perpignan
La Galinette
Perpignan's starred table, where the chef cooks tasting menus almost entirely from his own two hectare garden.
Le Clos des Lys
A garden terrace celebration restaurant loved by locals, refined regional cooking and a famous dessert buffet.
La Table du Mas
A Catalan accented hotel restaurant that out cooks its setting, open lunch and dinner seven days a week.
Casa Sansa
Perpignan's Catalan institution since 1846, for boles de picolat, snails and crema catalana in generous portions.
Restaurant Lou Grilladou
A small romantic bistro for foie gras, scallops and honey spiced duck, with bargain lunch menus in the old town.
Manat
A tiny modern Catalan dining room cooking market fish and vegetables in a lighter, current register at dinner.
Les Halles Vauban
A lively food hall of twenty stalls around shared tables and a garden, the best cheap and group dinner in town.
Spaghetteri' Aldo
Perpignan's beloved cheap Italian of big pasta plates and a noisy room, the default easy dinner in the centre.
Outdoor things to do in Perpignan
Collioure
The Fauvism fishing port of pink houses, anchovies and a castle by the sea, twenty minutes from Perpignan by train.
Château Royal de Collioure
The great royal castle guarding Collioure port, with rampart walks and the definitive view back over the bay.
Sentier du Littoral
The marked Vermilion Coast path from Argeles to Banyuls, all cliffs, vineyard terraces, coves and swimming stops.
Explor'Addiction Canyoning et Spéléologie
The best reviewed local guides for the Llech canyon, a half day of natural slides, jumps and clear pools.
Extérieur Nature
A river outdoor base for canyoning and a treetop zip line park, the region's most flexible family activity day.
Le Train Jaune
The little yellow mountain railway climbing from Villefranche through gorges and viaducts to the highest station in France.
Forteresse de Salses
A vast Spanish artillery fortress on the old border, bigger, stranger and quieter than Carcassonne.
Catamaran Navivoile
A big sailing catamaran from Canet along the Vermilion Coast to Port-Vendres, with swimming stops and dolphin hopes.
Best hotels in Perpignan
La Villa Duflot
Perpignan's five star villa hotel with spa, pool and a serious restaurant in gardens on the southern edge of town.
Château La Tour Apollinaire
Luxury apartments in a chateau with exotic gardens and a pool, a secret garden feel a short walk from the centre.
Dali Hôtel
A spotless Dali themed design hotel opposite a park, with a rooftop terrace and an easy walk to the old town.
Novotel Suites Perpignan Centre
The city's largest suites with kitchenettes, between the station and the centre, ideal for families and longer stays.
Hôtel de France
A classic small hotel on the palm lined quai beside the Castillet, bought for its address in the heart of town.
Hôtel de la Loge
A 22 room hotel in a 16th century merchant house off Place de la Loge, the best value bed in the old town.
ibis budget Perpignan Centre
The floor price for a clean, predictable branded bed in Perpignan, for travellers spending days out in Roussillon.
Is Perpignan expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €65 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €110 a person |
| Splurge | €240 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Stade Aimé-Giral: a few days ahead
- Théâtre de l'Archipel: a few days ahead
- Explor'Addiction Canyoning et Spéléologie: a few days ahead
- Extérieur Nature: a few days ahead
- Le Train Jaune: a few days ahead
- Catamaran Navivoile: a few days ahead
- Domaine de Falgos: a few days ahead
- La Villa Duflot: weeks ahead
- Book La Galinette weeks ahead and Le Clos des Lys for weekends.
- Book Llech canyoning, Navivoile sailings and Yellow Train seats days ahead in summer.
- Book hotels early for Visa pour l'Image and big USAP match weekends.
Is Perpignan safe?
- Base in western Saint-Jean, Clemenceau, the north bank or the south, not Saint-Jacques or the Vernet.
- Enjoy the Saint-Jacques market by day and do not wander that quarter at night.
- Leave nothing visible in a parked car anywhere in Roussillon.
- The Tramontane wind can cancel boats and coastal plans, so keep a flexible day. Emergency number 112.
Perpignan travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- The Castillet interior is small, so skip any queue and return later in the day.
- The Palace of the Kings has almost no furniture, so come for architecture and views.
- Golf de Saint-Cyprien trades on a past reputation its current reviews do not support.
- Listings saying authentic historic quarter without naming a street often mean Saint-Jacques.
Getting around Perpignan: public transport and more
- Walk the flat compact centre, palace to station is about twenty minutes.
- Take TER trains for Collioure in twenty minutes, Villefranche in fifty and Salses in ten.
- Use Sankeo buses for Canet beach in about twenty five minutes instead of driving in August.
- Agree any non metered taxi fare first, the airport run should be about 15 EUR.
Who Perpignan suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Perpignan your trip
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