Caurel Woods and Lake Guerlédan

This hike was completed and written during the summer of 2015, an exceptional period when the lake was drained for dam maintenance.
We invite hikers to do this walk in spring, when the colours and scents are at their best, with the clear waters of the lake as a backdrop.

Since 2024, major work has been underway between points 3 and 4 with a view to building a free Himalayan footbridge for crossing the Blavet, which cuts the complete tour of the lake in two. This will still be possible for the most experienced walkers. (See note in "Practical information".

Details

141977
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 15.79 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 228 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 235 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 280 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 122 m

Photos

Description of the walk

(S) Depart from the car park in front of Caurel Church and head west. After 100 metres, at the fork, take the D111 on the left. Drive through the hamlet of Kergoff and, at the left-hand bend, take the road on the right. This ends at the departmental road, which you take on the left.

(1) After 100 metres, take the path on the right.

(2) At the place called "Keriven", take the road on the left. This is theGR®®341North, which you will follow along the banks of the lake.

(3) At the crossroads, turn right towards the pier.

On the right: the future Himalayan footbridge (scheduled to open in July 2025).

(4) Leave the road and take the path on the right.

(5) Leave theGR®®341Ntemporarily and take the riverside path on the right.

(6) Rejoin it and turn right, continuing along the lake shore.

(7) At the fork, continue on theGR®®341Nby taking the path on the right and join another fork.

(8) Continue on theGR®® 341N, taking the path on the right. Continue to follow the lake shore and pass in front of

(9) "La Belle Bleue": a slate house near the quarry (a 20-metre-deep hole).

(10) The path leads to a paved road that leads to Anse de Landroanec. Take this road on the right and, almost immediately, turn left onto the path.

(11) At Porz Braz, you will rejoin the road. Continue along the road and, after 250 m, at Porz Canon, turn left. At the T-junction, turn right to reach another junction.

(12) Turn left and left again when you reach the road. Continue on this road westwards until you reach the junction 50 metres from the N164.

(13) __''Alternative route shown on the map: turn right. Cross the N164, take the second road on the right towards Ker Labour and the covered alleyway of Coat Correc. The monument is located in a field about a hundred metres from the top of the hill.

(14) Quite an interesting view of the lake. Turn back.

(13) Then take the road on the right, heading west, follow the cemetery and return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 190 m - Parking in front of Caurel Church
  2. 1 : km 2.04 - alt. 172 m - Turn right
  3. 2 : km 2.23 - alt. 172 m - Turn left
  4. 3 : km 2.53 - alt. 160 m - At the crossroads, turn right onto the D 111.
  5. 4 : km 3.41 - alt. 126 m - At the bend: take the road on the right. - Lac de Guerlédan
  6. 5 : km 4.03 - alt. 124 m - Leave the GR, continue along the path on the right.
  7. 6 : km 4.88 - alt. 124 m - At the GR junction, turn right at a right angle.
  8. 7 : km 6.52 - alt. 179 m - Continue along the path on the right (GR 341N).
  9. 8 : km 7.04 - alt. 144 m - Continue along the path on the right (GR 341N).
  10. 9 : km 7.86 - alt. 138 m - The slate house (see photo)
  11. 10 : km 10.26 - alt. 131 m - On the road, turn right and then left.
  12. 11 : km 11.08 - alt. 130 m - On the road, turn left.
  13. 12 : km 11.74 - alt. 161 m - Continue on the right: Pors Lostic
  14. 13 : km 12.63 - alt. 183 m - Alternative route to the covered walkway: AR = 2 km
  15. 14 : km 13.79 - alt. 272 m - Coat Correc covered walkway
  16. S/E : km 15.79 - alt. 192 m - Parking in front of Caurel Church

Notes

Information: 500 m before (7) and also between (8) and (10), some sections (steps carved into the rocks) are difficult to negotiate, making the Bois de Caurel walk dangerous for children and impassable for people with reduced mobility.

For pleasure, I have just redone this hike (August 2016) and am therefore attaching some new photos, as the lake is back.

Himalayan footbridge

2022 With the abandonment of the first project, the second project has been approved and work should begin shortly, with an inauguration planned for June 2025. It twisted when it was loaded, requiring a review of all the calculations.

Latest news: June 2025 The opening of the Himalayan footbridge has been delayed due to a technical problem. The 275-metre-long footbridge, which is currently costing €2 million and was due to open on 28 June, has been postponed to a date yet to be confirmed.

We are monitoring the situation and will keep you informed.

 Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 22 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
yanbar76
yanbar76

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The only really interesting point is the lake shore with its views and the hilly terrain with some nice climbs and descents.
The big downside is the end of the route, with a very busy road and access to the covered alleyway being closed (private property).
To see this covered walkway, I recommend taking the car to point 13, turning left and, after passing under the N164, taking the small road on the right for 1 km, leaving the car at the side of the road and taking a path on the left (signposted).
I would also recommend returning to Caurel via the greenway at the Porz Braz exit (point 11) to finish this hike in a more peaceful setting.
For your information, the Himalayan footbridge spanning the two banks, built this year, is closed as it twisted during safety tests with loads.

Machine-translated

CACOIN
CACOIN
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

BEAUTIFUL HIKE, QUITE TECHNICAL IN THE CAUREL WOODS WITH THE LAKE OF GUERLÉDAN IN THE BACKGROUND 🤩. WITH AN ELEVATION GAIN OF 280M.

THE START AND END OF THE CIRCUIT ARE UNINTERESTING, TAKING YOU ALONG THE ROAD AND EVEN A LITTLE DANGEROUS ON THE WAY BACK TO CAUREL.

I RECOMMEND TAKING THE CAR TO POINT 14, AS THERE IS ANOTHER UPHILL SECTION 😔 AND THIS MAY BE DISCOURAGING AFTER THE PREVIOUS CLIMB.

Machine-translated

User 21721201

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

It's a shame that the part where the footbridge is located has been removed, as this makes the walk less interesting.

Machine-translated

Spieuchot
Spieuchot

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very nice hike with varied terrain.
At point 8, we couldn't find the fork to go down and get back to the lake.
The end is a bit tedious, walking along a fairly busy road.

Machine-translated

Pierre Kephas
Pierre Kephas

Visorando. Good website.

Machine-translated

benao
benao

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

To see the covered walkway at point 14, take the D2164 road, which is very busy and has no hard shoulder for walking.

I suggest skipping the covered walkway (you can always drive there at the end of the hike) and instead take the greenway (between points 11 and 12) to return to Caudel.

Machine-translated

Alternature 3R
Alternature 3R
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Circuit completed in "Trail" mode, in a group of 10 people. We did not climb up to the covered walkway and preferred to stay on the green path to avoid the cars on the D2164.
I can confirm that the Caurel woods are technically challenging and only suitable for experienced walkers. We are used to walking in trail mode, but we also had a group of walkers who found the GR 37 very difficult (irregular steps carved into the rock, a succession of stones, roots, narrow paths, etc.).
But what beautiful scenery! For experienced walkers, the walk is well worth it.
We used the GPX track, not the text description.

Machine-translated

maxcaviso
maxcaviso

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Easy hike.
Very pleasant with beautiful views of the lake.
The trail has lots of ups and downs with quite a few steps.
I can confirm that the Porz canon covered walkway is not accessible via the route described; it is practically barricaded, and we had to turn back.
Furthermore, access is only possible via a paved road, which is very long.
It is better to return by car, leaving 300 metres to walk.

Machine-translated

didfly
didfly

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 25, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Some very interesting technical sections, but perhaps not recommended for unequipped and inexperienced walkers. Some beautiful panoramic views to discover. A very beautiful hike, highly recommended.

Machine-translated

Padrig F
Padrig F

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 03, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice hike.
Only the last part along the D2164 is not very pleasant due to the traffic, with vehicles travelling quite fast, and perhaps a little dangerous.
Didn't have time to go to the covered walkway, next time!

Machine-translated

jmdoutey
jmdoutey

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Don't be discouraged by the start of the route: about 2 km on a very busy road with nothing of interest, then the well-developed lakefront with campsites, parking, a sailing club, restaurants and bars... but then you reach the wilder part of the lake, where the views are superb. On the second half, there are lots of hills, some of them quite steep. Not recommended for beginners... It took us 3 hours and 50 minutes, including a 25-minute picnic stop.

Machine-translated

Maurice S.
Maurice S.

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 01, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike with a few challenging sections, so suitable footwear is recommended (between points 7 and 10). We didn't go as far as point 14 (covered walkway) to avoid walking on the RD 2164 road (the greenway runs parallel to it), but even so, we still walked for four hours (including breaks). I would recommend this hike to more experienced walkers. For those who want an even shorter route, you can join at point 5 in the village of Kergoff, which also avoids the crowds of visitors and vehicles around the beautiful shore.

Machine-translated

Wicklow Wench
Wicklow Wench

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 19, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Really lovely walk between woods and lake. Once away from the car park, the foot traffic was light even though the rest of the lake was crowded.
The point of access to the viewing point, though, is very steep, rocky and unstable - not to be attempted without proper footwear. The views are rewarding.

Machine-translated

Mcboby35
Mcboby35

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice hike. Two challenging climbs. K Very nice day.

Machine-translated

Kasabanova
Kasabanova

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 28, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant hike. We followed the map provided by the tourist office in front of the campsite, even though we missed the start of the trail because it's really hard to find (Guerlédan trail markers).

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.