Hairpin turns snake like isobars on a geologic survey through terraced vineyards that produce the local vintages, like the sweet dessert wine, Banyuls.
The last town before the Spanish border, Cerbere, feels more Catalonian and less French, with a smaller quai-side than Banyuls and a boat-clogged harbour framed by the Pyrenees.
Banyuls is home to the Musee Maillol, where the works of sculptor Aristide Maillol, a contemporary of Paul Gauguin, are on display along with those of Marcel Duchamp and Picasso.