Ponteilla: Gardens, Donkeys and Wine Trails

Ponteilla brings together a range of themes for a day out: a garden with a diverse array of plants and trails, encounters with Catalan donkeys, signposted circular routes at a vineyard, and architectural history. You can choose what to focus on based on what interests you during your stay. The experiences are clearly distinct: plants and trails, animals and workshops, vineyard routes or an architectural detail.

Circular routes and scenery at Mas Bécha

The Mas Bécha vineyard in Nyls covers 25 hectares, extends over three hills and lies at an altitude of almost 100 metres. Four circular routes are signposted on the estate. They offer a chance to discover the vineyard and its know-how while enjoying the characteristic landscape of the Aspres. The routes thus combine winemaking with an experience of the landscape. If you choose this focus for your visit, check in advance whether the routes are available.

The four signposted routes offer a different way to spend time in Ponteilla than a trail with a specified duration or an animal-related activity. The connection with the vineyard and the Aspres landscape makes Mas Bécha particularly interesting for travellers who want to focus on these themes. The size of the estate, its position across three hills and its altitude of almost 100 metres give the place a tangible setting, without implying a particular route or time requirement.

Visits and workshops at the Asinerie Kuleni

The Asinerie Kuleni is a farm that breeds Catalan donkeys and produces donkey’s milk. Visitors can choose from a range of activities, including simple visits. Special workshops focus more closely on the animals: visitors can learn about various activities and spend time with donkeys, female donkeys and foals.

A simple visit and a workshop are different ways to spend time with the donkeys. You can decide whether you are looking for a general introduction or specifically want to spend time as part of a workshop. Check reservation requirements or current participation conditions in advance; activity availability may change.

Plant diversity and trails at the Jardin Exotique

The Jardin Exotique has a discovery trail of about three hectares, featuring 1,400 plant species. For those interested in plants, botanical diversity is the main focus. In addition, the discovery trail winds around the garden and offers families a challenge lasting almost an hour. The plant trail and the discovery trail offer different experiences: you can focus on the plants or take on a challenge designed as a round that lasts nearly an hour.

There is also a zip line at the Jardin Exotique. If you plan your visit around the trail or this activity, check the latest information: individual activities may change, as may the exact layout of the trail. This keeps the garden’s plant diversity and its different options clearly distinct, without requiring you to plan your visit in a set order.

Church and gate made of Catalan bricks

The architecture offers another way to see Ponteilla. The church is of Romanesque origin and underwent major alterations over the centuries. One of its two towers has a fine gate made of cairons, or Catalan bricks; the other tower is part of the church. The gate, with its characteristic building material, and the church thus form part of the same architectural setting. The Romanesque origins and later alterations can be viewed as distinct layers of history.

The differences between the themes can be summed up clearly to help you choose: the Jardin Exotique combines plant diversity with a family trail lasting almost an hour and a zip line. The Asinerie is about Catalan donkeys, visits and workshops; Mas Bécha focuses on four signposted circular routes and the Aspres landscape. For an architectural focus, the church and its cairon gate offer a different perspective. You can plan your trip around the interest that matters most to you and check participation requirements or availability in advance for activities that depend on the date.

Discover more destinations: Felluns, Sainte-Marie-la-Mer, Serralongue, Tordères, Cases-De-Pène, Castelnou, Corneilla-La-Rivière, Villefranche-de-Conflent.

For the broader travel overview: Pyrénées-Orientales.