Circular walk starting from Lacave

de fr

From the Ouysse to the Causse de Lacave, a circular route that takes in scenic viewpoints and the cool banks of the Dordogne.

Details

n°69070323
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.48 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 240 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 245 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 308 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 96 m
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

Belcastel Castle
L'Ouysse
Belcastel Castle in the distance
Les Boulangers hamlet

Description of the walk

Park at the Lacave car park, located at the cemetery.

(S/E) Take the track that climbs up the Combe Cuiller, always keeping to the left and ignoring the paths branching off to the right. Most of the climb is under tree cover: orange markings + brown mountain bike signs. After about 1 km, the path opens out to reveal the vegetation of the Causse, with smaller, sparser trees. Continue to a T-junction.

(1) Take the left-hand branch, continuing to climb for about 250 m, then turn right. At the next junction, turn right again to follow the airfield track out of sight until you reach a T-junction.

(2) Turn left for a short detour to get closer to the runway.

(3) Turn back towards the junction.

(2) Carry on straight ahead, passing through a cattle gate. Continue to the hamlet of Les Alièzes , enjoying several views of the Causse.

(4) Follow the small road and join the D247.

(5) Cross it carefully and take the small road opposite towards the hamlet of Les Boulangers.

(6) On the right, enjoy the beautiful view of Belcastel Castle, then turn right at the T-junction to cross the hamlet: watch out for the old Lacave sign. Continue along a track (cattle gate) which gradually becomes a path as you continue downhill.

(7) Stay on the right-hand branch at the three-way junction to follow the path, which leads into the forest—first sparse, then denser—until it reaches a cul-de-sac (dead-end valley floor) via a few steps carved into stone blocks. The coolness is palpable in this very dense undergrowth, where the trees are covered in moss.

(8) The path continues downwards until it reaches the banks of the Ouysse.

(9) Continue straight on, passing the few houses of Valeille, and reach the hamlet of Les Bertoux.

(10) Turn left to join the main road (D23). Follow it, turning right: take care, as there is traffic during the season. At the first bend, leave the D23 and turn left onto the old road leading to the bridge over the Ouysse: viewpoint over Belcastel Castle.

(11) Quickly take the wide path on the right, which leads back a little further to the same road (D23) at a riverside café (closed out of season).

(12) Follow the D-road to the left with care to return to the cemetery car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 114 m - Cemetery car park
  2. 1 : km 1.46 - alt. 250 m - T-junction
  3. 2 : km 3.08 - alt. 304 m - T-junction
  4. 3 : km 3.25 - alt. 300 m - Track. Aerodrome
  5. 4 : km 4.3 - alt. 267 m - Les Alièzes
  6. 5 : km 6.19 - alt. 215 m - RD247
  7. 6 : km 6.84 - alt. 232 m - Hameau des Boulangers
  8. 7 : km 7.4 - alt. 214 m - Three-way junction
  9. 8 : km 8.02 - alt. 159 m - Secluded
  10. 9 : km 8.56 - alt. 111 m - The - Ouysse (rivière)
  11. 10 : km 8.91 - alt. 114 m - Les Bertoux
  12. 11 : km 9.29 - alt. 97 m - Old Ouysse Bridge
  13. 12 : km 9.9 - alt. 105 m - RD23 - Grottes de Lacave
  14. S/E : km 10.48 - alt. 114 m - Arrival: Cemetery car park

Notes

Parking: drive past the village of Lacave to reach the car park (1 km further along the D23), which is located behind the cemetery.
In Lacave: open-air café in season, campsite, Michelin-starred restaurants, swimming, caves.

Worth a visit

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 4 reviews
Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
Jacques.cugnon
Jacques.cugnon

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, and we passed by the place where the Aubrac cattle graze peacefully.

Machine-translated

User 3616782

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

Superb hike, easy, with a beautiful variety of views and interesting vegetation.
The only downside was that at the end, at a place called Les Boulanger, we didn't open the gate and there was a superb herd of horned Aubrac cattle. So we continued for about a hundred metres along the tarmac road and turned right at the no entry sign (except for residents), which took us to the Ouysse valley, about a hundred metres from the Truffé resurgence. On the GR 6, head towards Lacave for the return journey. It's a bit longer but very interesting.
Enjoy your walk, everyone.

Machine-translated

Geneviève VAYLAC
Geneviève VAYLAC

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This walk is very pleasant. Please note two things:
- There are no signposts from point 4 onwards, but the description on the information sheet is very reliable.
- At point 6, when you reach the hamlet of Les Boulangers, I advise you not to turn right at the T-junction and therefore not to cross the hamlet, as a large electric fence blocks the path. You have to open it (which is tricky!) and cross a large herd of cattle (cows and a bull!). A very friendly local resident (the owner of the geese!!!) advised us to follow a different route to reach the banks of the Ouysse: it’s really simple – turn left at the T-junction (and therefore don’t go through the hamlet of Les Boulangers), then take the first path on the right which leads down to the Ouysse. When you reach the Ouysse, take the path to the right and follow the river to point 9. This way, you avoid points 7 and 8.
The route is 2 km longer, but not difficult.
Enjoy the walk!

Machine-translated

dani46
dani46

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant and varied walk that takes you through a variety of landscapes: a steep-sided valley through woodland, limestone plateau, riverside... Don’t hesitate to take a short detour before point (1), 850 m from the start, to see the karstic cave of Saint-Sol, through which the Lacave caves were discovered in 1905. Follow the path to the right (Chemin karstique du Pech de Lacave) for 60 m, then to the left (karstic cave of Saint-Sol) for 50 m (return).
Please note: when passing through the hamlet of “Les Alièzes”, there are two Border Collies running free, one of which is a little aggressive, and in the hamlet of “Les Boulangers”, there are a few geese that may also be running free and actively defend their territory.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

Walking The villages of Bastit and Meyraguet in a circular loop starting from Belcastel

Visorando Member
Les villages du Bastit et de Meyraguet en boucle au départ de Belcastel
↔10.91 km ↗+273 m ↘-273 m ◔3h 55 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Lacave (Lot) (Lot)
A beautiful hike from Belcastel to Bastit, returning via the village of Meyraguet. This walk can be done in sunny weather, as much of it is in the forest. You can admire the L'Ouysse valley below. After crossing the road at (2), head towards the magnificent village of Le Bastit on the banks of the Dordogne, overlooked by its castle. The return journey is along a path overlooking the Dordogne. No difficulty, just a slight incline.

Walking Port de Creysse to Meyronne

Visorando Member
Port de Creysse à Meyronne
↔7.28 km ↗+21 m ↘-24 m ◔2h 10 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Meyronne (Lot)
A very pleasant route for the whole family, with no difficulty at all. The route is situated in the valley between Meyronne and the Dordogne. You can see the old kiln of a very old tile works, with its manor house at the edge of the hamlet of Laborie; then we arrive at Port de Creysse where, in summer, a boat can take you across the Dordogne. The return journey takes you through walnut groves in the valley.

Walking Saint-Sozy - Blanzaguet loop overlooking the Dordogne

Visorando Member
Boucle Saint-Sozy - Blanzaguet en surplombant la Dordogne
↔7.84 km ↗+275 m ↘-275 m ◔3h 00 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Saint-Sozy (Lot)
A beautiful walk along the Dordogne and the surrounding cliffs. The start and finish are in the picturesque village of Saint-Sozy. The outward journey is along the cliff overlooking the Dordogne and offers magnificent views of Belcastel, Lacave, Le Bougayrou and Saint-Sozy. The return trip from the pretty village of Blanzaguet offers access to numerous caves before reaching the banks of the Dordogne, where you can take a dip.

Walking Cabouy and Saint-Sauveur sinkholes circular loop

Visorando Member
Boucle des gouffres Cabouy et Saint-Sauveur
↔8.20 km ↗+169 m ↘-177 m ◔2h 50 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Rocamadour (Lot)
Starting from the Col de Magès, a circular route that takes you to the Gouffre de Cabouy and the Gouffre Saint-Sauveur. The resurgences are most spectacular to see in winter, spring and autumn when the water flow is greater, and on a day with clear skies, which will give beautiful colours to the gushing waters. But it’s different every time, so the best thing is still to go and discover them for yourself. Unfortunately, there is an 800-metre stretch along the road that cannot be avoided without a major detour, but the rest of the walk takes you along paths through some very beautiful, quiet spots.

Walking The pilgrim

Visorando Member
Le pèlerin
↔10.82 km ↗+359 m ↘-363 m ◔4h 05 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Rocamadour (Lot)
With a magnificent overview of the landscapes of the Causses du Quercy Regional Nature Park around Rocamadour, this hike takes you into a breathtaking site at the heart of a thousand-year-old pilgrimage dedicated to the Virgin Mary, a major Christian site since the Middle Ages and classified as a Grand Site d'Exception in the Midi-Pyrénées region.

Walking The Pilgrim 2

Visorando Member
Le pèlerin 2
↔7.92 km ↗+240 m ↘-240 m ◔2h 55 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Rocamadour (Lot)
Offering a magnificent overview of the landscapes of the Causses du Quercy Regional Natural Park around Rocamadour, this hike takes you into a breathtaking site at the heart of a thousand-year-old pilgrimage dedicated to the Virgin Mary, a major Christian site since the Middle Ages and classified as a Grand Site d'Exception in the Midi-Pyrénées region. This hike partly follows the previously published hike 1: see link in Practical Information. It is slightly shorter and has a lower elevation gain.

Walking Snail trails starting from Rocamadour

Visorando Member
↔19.26 km ↗+358 m ↘-358 m ◔6h 30 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Rocamadour (Lot)
Magnificent Vallée des Moulins. A 19 km circuit with no major difficulties. Spectacular landscapes, natural curiosities and, everywhere, in an arid and barren environment, the mark of man's struggle to survive. GPS essential

Walking Rocamadour, the sacred city of the Lot, which hides many wonders

Visorando Member
Rocamadour, la cité sacrée du Lot qui cache bien des merveilles
↔4.13 km ↗+219 m ↘-214 m ◔1h 50 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Rocamadour (Lot)
As well as its breathtaking beauty, Rocamadour is a tiny village, yet one that harbours a unique architectural and spiritual heritage. The steep, cobbled streets transport you to another era, right at the heart of history. With 216 steps and 1,000 years of history, this village in the Lot conceals millennia-old treasures on the cliffside. Perched above the Gorges de l'Alzou, Rocamadour is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful villages in France.

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.