Loop around the lakes starting from Arsac

An easy route near the vineyards, then through the forest and around two lakes.

Details

182521
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.49 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 8 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 8 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 34 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 20 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐
    Area: Médoc
  • ⚐ District: Arsac (33460)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 44.987083° / W 0.696083°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 1436SB, 1535SB, 1536OT
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the Salle Soubeyran car park on Avenue de Soubeyran in Arsac.

(S/E) Cross the playgrounds to reach the road. At the pedestrian crossing opposite the stadium entrance, turn right and follow the small dividing hedge to the street of the housing estate.

(1) Turn left into the housing estate, continue straight ahead along Allée de l'Astrakan, then along the extension of Allée du Poitou. At the end of the cul-de-sac, take the path between the houses on the left, then turn right to follow the Laurina stream to the small bridge.

(2) Cross the small bridge and pass between the houses. Continue straight ahead to the end of the street and turn left onto the path that follows the meadow. Continue until you reach the paved road. Turn left to follow the D208 road.

(3) Take the white path on your left for 400 m at the edge of the woods, follow the forest and continue to the path before the high-voltage line

(4) Turn right onto the forest path until you reach the road (elevation 33). Cross the road and continue to the small stream.

(5) Turn right and follow the stream on the left bank to reach the paved road (watch out for traffic). Cross the road.

(6) Take the path on the left bank and follow it; there is only one. Cross a small wooden bridge at the edge of the forest, turn right and walk along the coppice. Join the bank between the small and large ponds.

(7) Turn slightly left to cross the field (this area can sometimes be muddy), then turn right onto the white path. Turn left (there is a dead end opposite), then right. Join the separation between the banks of the ponds.
(8) Go straight between the two ponds, continuing to follow the white path that goes around the lake. Reach the entrance to the housing estate at the small peninsula.
(9) Leave the lake shore by turning left to reach the tarmac road. At the crossroads (elevation 22), follow Rue du Prince to the left. You will arrive at the D208 and the fork you passed on the way there.

(3) Cross over and immediately take the path on the left, following the same route as on the way out to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 26 m - Salle Soubeyran car park
  2. 1 : km 0.62 - alt. 23 m - Common fork for outward and return journeys
  3. 2 : km 1.22 - alt. 21 m - Small bridge
  4. 3 : km 2.08 - alt. 23 m - Crossroads of the circular
  5. 4 : km 3.82 - alt. 31 m - Path before the power line
  6. 5 : km 4.49 - alt. 30 m - Louise (cours d'eau) - Affluent de la Jalle de Castelnau
  7. 6 : km 5.5 - alt. 26 m - Small bridge
  8. 7 : km 6.14 - alt. 24 m - View of the lake
  9. 8 : km 7.41 - alt. 22 m - Passage between the lakes
  10. 9 : km 8.85 - alt. 23 m - Entrance to the housing estate
  11. S/E : km 11.49 - alt. 26 m - Salle Soubeyran car park

Notes

Following feedback from hikers, I made a few changes on 22/10/2024 to improve the route.

Reviews and comments

4 / 5
Based on 26 reviews

Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.2 / 5
Route interest
3.8 / 5
cascoromero
cascoromero

Hike completed on 9 December 2025, very pleasant, good terrain quality for this winter season, variety with lakes, forests, beautiful forest trails, crossing villages.
All the hikers in the group were delighted, despite the difficulty of finding a place to picnic two-thirds of the way through the hike.

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Annie64250
Annie64250

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

very pretty loop; not many people... done in August and during the week...
i recommend this route, thanks to the author

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Ardechois33
Ardechois33

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We did the circuit backwards. Not a good idea because to get from point 6 to point 5, the fork in the path is not at all obvious, so when you get close to point 5, there is a stream that you cannot cross. So we turned back and eventually found the fork.
Otherwise, it's a beautiful hike
We started from point 2 to shorten the hike

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freyy
freyy

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk with little road traffic, the paths are shaded and pleasant. We started the hike at Allée du Château at the carpooling area to avoid the beginning of the circuit, which passes through uninteresting streets.

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User 25839725

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The circuit does not highlight the lake shores sufficiently
We did not find any signage.
Local authorities could improve signage and develop one or two small rest areas

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boule33
boule33

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely place for a peaceful stroll, with many different routes to choose from. Worth discovering and revisiting if you live in the area.

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martinet-galopins
martinet-galopins

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike through the woods, easy to do? We made two changes to avoid the straight roads, which are dangerous:
1 - Between points 74 and 5, we continued past the road and took the path marked on the IGN map after the Louise River. On the map, the black line marking the path stops, but the path continues to the road.
2 - Between points 6 and 7, we followed the path along the lake to the end, without taking the monotonous forest road.
Thank you for this discovery, as these ponds are very beautiful and completely unknown (I have lived in Bordeaux for 70 years!)

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StephaneMetz
StephaneMetz

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Please note: crossing rivers and ditches is not easy, as there are no bridges along the route

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RedParrot
RedParrot

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A few long, straight stretches with little shade, but some beautiful views. Easy to do

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LaurentOcean
LaurentOcean

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Enjoy your hike.
A bit of road.

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Anne laure
Anne laure

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk, but the little wooden bridge is really dangerous ⚠️

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oramont
oramont

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 30, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We shortened the section through the Arsac housing estates slightly by parking at a carpool area near the tennis courts on Allée du Chateau. After point 6, it seems better to head towards La Louise stream. There are many paths that allow you to extend the route.

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dooli
dooli

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 11, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk that we do from time to time between lakes and forests. Thank you for the idea.

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jakoufr
jakoufr

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 17, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful loop for this Easter Sunday! Varied landscapes, vineyards, undergrowth, and turquoise gravel pits to finish.
The sun was high in the sky, but the woodland sections softened its intensity.
No problems with the route. The section around the vineyard has changed a little (a large "private road" sign is a bit worrying), but compared to the description, you just need to go a little further to easily cross the ditch. The small road 33 has been newly resurfaced with a nice tarmac but there is no traffic, unlike the D208, which has no room for pedestrians and where you have to be very careful.
The GPS track differs slightly from the path after crossing the 208 road, but it's easy to find your way, especially when crossing the "La Louise" stream on two pallets!
A leisurely return to the housing estate and then the car park where you started.

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Tridon33
Tridon33

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Admittedly, the start of the route through the housing estates isn't particularly exciting, unless you want to study urban planning through the ages... ;-)
Once you've passed this rather uninspiring start, the rest of the route is more enjoyable. Be aware that the route has been slightly altered at one point because a new vineyard has been planted.
After crossing the road, the small path through the woods that takes you closer to the lakes is not very obvious when crossing the small stream. But we made it anyway.
We enjoyed beautiful light as we walked around the lakes, which have very different colours. As we approached the town (Arsac), it became a little busier...

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