Les Orgues d'Ille sur Têt

The Orgues d'Ille-sur-Têt occupy the north of the commune of Ille-sur-Têt, in the Pyrénées-Orientales, on the left bank of the Têt, at an altitude of between about 140 and 244 metres. They are fairy chimneys: columns of soft rock, topped by a harder cap that protects them from erosion.

The rocks come from sedimentary deposits about four million years old, mostly dated to the Pliocene. The Têt valley sank during the uplift of the Pyrenees and the river carried materials from the range, which accumulated in layers. During the cold period of the Quaternary, a layer of rock fragments allowed the material beneath to resist better. Since then, erosion has been hollowing out the soft part of the columns.

The current evolution is rapid: Mediterranean rains and the disappearance of vegetation cut the slopes with gullies, and these forms are therefore destined to disappear. The site has been listed since 1981 and the commune has managed it since 2001, with developed paths and a car park. Shade is rare, hence the value of bringing water and a hat.

← Other sites in Pyrénées-Orientales