A very nice circular loop starting from Villaret.

de fr

A walk through the land of owls painted on the pebbles of the Durance by the pupils of the Saint-Martin-de-Queyrières primary school.

Details

n°56997754
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 2.84 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 479 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 463 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 4,268 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 3,766 ft
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Description of the walk

Park in the car park on the left bank of the Durance, on the road leading to Villaret.

(S/E) Take the path on the left bank of the Durance. Then walk along a large meadow to reach a barely visible path at its end.

(1) Turn left and walk through the forest to quickly reach the village of Villaret.

(2) Turn right onto the road, leave it about 50 metres further on and begin a fairly steep climb through the woods. Reach the highest point and the forest track at a hairpin bend.

(3) Turn left and follow a wide, almost horizontal path. You will reach another forest track.

(4) Take it on the left and, via a steeper descent, arrive at the crossroads of the Route des Espagnols, at the Ferme des Regains.

(5) Here you will find theGR®653D, the Domitian Way ofthe GR® de Compostelle. Take it on the left and continue on to Grange Saint-Jean.

(6) Continue along theGR® to return to the Durance car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 3,789 ft - Car park on the left bank of the - La Durance
  2. 1 : mi 0.47 - alt. 3,786 ft - Bout du pré
  3. 2 : mi 0.77 - alt. 3,944 ft - Le Villaret
  4. 3 : mi 1.01 - alt. 4,262 ft - High point
  5. 4 : mi 1.8 - alt. 4,236 ft - Forest track
  6. 5 : mi 2.08 - alt. 4,078 ft - Ferme des Regains
  7. 6 : mi 2.34 - alt. 3,937 ft - Grange Saint-Jean
  8. S/E : mi 2.84 - alt. 3,806 ft - Car park on the left bank of the - La Durance

Worth a visit

Between (1) and (2) Enjoy the beautiful paintings on pebbles created by pupils at Saint-Martin-de-Quyrières primary school, which are scattered along this section of the trail.
(5) Ferme des Regains: it is possible to visit this unique farm by appointment.
(6) Grange Saint-Jean: here, the municipality of Villard Saint-Pancrace has restored this site, which served as a bivouac during the war for Spanish refugees who built the road known as the Spanish Road here. The municipality has also restored a memorial path.

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.

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Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 7 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
glaciers
glaciers

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 20, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The stones decorated by the children are really lovely. There’s something for everyone...
The climb after point 2 is really steep for a retired couple!
We took a break on the way down, sheltering from the light rain under the "Spanish toilets".
Thanks to the author for sharing.

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QUILOTOA
QUILOTOA

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A beautiful hike, enhanced in the first part by small pebbles decorated with paint by children, very nice!

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Lafalla
Lafalla

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

A pleasant short loop in the forest with a few streams, which is very nice in warm weather. The climb after crossing the road is a little steep, especially when it's hot. There is very little road, which is nice.

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flavat
flavat

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An interesting forest route when the weather is warm.
The owls along the trail delight children.

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crisbo
crisbo

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant short hike, enhanced by the cute decorations painted by children and placed here and there along the trail. Friendly and fun! On hot days, it was very nice to take a refreshing break by the river.

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geli
geli

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

13 August 2024
Hello
Yes, this walk is very pleasant with children.
Where you say: "(2) Turn right onto the road, leave it after about 50 metres to begin a fairly steep climb into the woods"
I would like to make the following comment: the climb up the embankment just after leaving the road can be difficult in wet weather or on slippery ground for someone who is not very alert; it would be enough to cut 3 or 4 steps.
The rest is perfect, the owls are delightful!
Thank you for this short route.
Geli

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tcheuma
tcheuma

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A beautiful, easy hike, mainly through the woods. At point 1, we missed the small path leading up to Villaret. Fortunately, we realised our mistake after 300 metres. We enjoyed seeing the pebbles painted by the children.
At point 2, we didn't take the steep path as my husband had injured his knee. We took the detour along the forest trail instead.

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