Châteaux around Cantenac and Margaux

Easy hike around the châteaux of Margaux. The hike takes in the prestigious châteaux of Margaux, passing through the vineyards that surround them.

Details

2683983
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.62 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 20 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 20 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 19 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 6 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐
    Area: Médoc
  • ⚐ District: Cantenac (33460)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 45.026992° / W 0.654522°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 1436SB, 1535SB
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in front of the Salle Saint-Vincent in Cantenac, located at the beginning of Route de Jean Faure, just after the railway line.

(S/E) Take Rue Camille Godard, crossing the railway bridge to Avenue de la5e République. Turn left, passing in front of Château Prieuré Lichine.

(1) Take the first road on the left, which leads into the vineyards and arrives at the railway line. Turn right and follow this road until you reach Route de Brane.

(2) Turn left onto this road, cross the main road and continue to Issan. Take care.

(3) Turn right onto the road to the port of Issan. Turn left onto the signposted path leading to Château Pontac.
In front of the château, take the lane on the left that leads to Chemin de Lynch. You will arrive at the D105.

(4) Turn right, then immediately left to reach Château Margaux.

(5) Go around the harvesters' accommodation buildings to reach the road to the church. In front of the cemetery, take the Abbé Laurent road to the main road (D2).Take care. Turn left to pass in front of Château Palmer.

(6) Turn right onto the path that passes through the vineyards to Château Rauzan.
Turn left onto Route d'Issan, going around Bitou, until you reach the main road at the Cours de la Marne crossroads. Take care.

(7) Cross the railway line, continue along Route d'Arsac, turn right onto Chemin du Plaisir, then left onto Chemin de Brown. Reach the crossroads of a path before the junction with Route d'Arsac.

(8) Turn right onto this path, which is bordered by a hedge of trimmed pine trees, running alongside vineyards and continuing into a small wood. At the end of the path, you will reach the crossroads in the Boulibrane district. (You can take the road opposite and head towards Château Martinens. At the château, turn left to reach point 9). Otherwise, turn left onto the road and continue to the star-shaped crossroads.

(9) Just after the wasteland, take the path on the left to the village of Peséou.

(10) Take thesecond path on the right along the vineyards. Cross the Chemin du Bonita and continue to the junction with another vineyard path. Turn right. Carefully cross the D105E1 at Calbat and head for Benqueyre. Go around this village. Take the path through the vineyards to the small stream.

(11) Cross it via the bridge, then turn right and continue along the path through the vineyards. You will reach Château Kirwan. Walk along the right-hand side of the railway line to quickly return to the car park at Salle Saint-Vincent (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 6 m - Salle Saint-Vincent car park
  2. 1 : km 0.45 - alt. 12 m - Château Prieuré Lichine
  3. 2 : km 1.4 - alt. 17 m - Route de Branne
  4. 3 : km 1.92 - alt. 14 m - Issan
  5. 4 : km 2.96 - alt. 11 m - Route du Port
  6. 5 : km 3.4 - alt. 6 m - Château Margaux
  7. 6 : km 4.49 - alt. 18 m - Château Palmer
  8. 7 : km 5.57 - alt. 15 m - Carrefour du Cours de la Marne
  9. 8 : km 6.05 - alt. 17 m - Hedge of sapinettes
  10. 9 : km 6.89 - alt. 16 m - Star-shaped crossroads
  11. 10 : km 7.47 - alt. 14 m - Crossroads in the vineyards
  12. 11 : km 8.87 - alt. 10 m - Bridge
  13. S/E : km 10.62 - alt. 6 m - Salle Saint-Vincent car park

Worth a visit

Sights: all the great châteaux of Médoc, Margaux, Prieuré Lichine, Kirwan, etc.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 10 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
User 4414424

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 06, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Great hike, but best done in summer. Lots of forest paths, yeah.

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Collaur
Collaur

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

Lovely walk

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martinet-galopins
martinet-galopins

I didn't think to change the description after changing the route. Sorry for this mistake.

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Quievrecourt
Quievrecourt

Thank you

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martinet-galopins
martinet-galopins

Thank you for your very pertinent comment. I have modified the description and renumbered the waypoints.
The route to Château Martinens has been removed as it is uninteresting (tarmac road).

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Quievrecourt
Quievrecourt

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

There is an inconsistency between the route description and the route on the map at point 8: at Boulibrane, the description directs you towards Château Martinens, which is not the case on the map.

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jec33
jec33
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Route starting from Château Marquis de Terme. The first half, in our case up to the approach to Château Kirwan, is a little monotonous. We shortened the second half, which is much more varied, at Issan without going via Château Margaux, and via Palmer, which makes it exactly 9 km.
Please note that there is very little shade, so the route can be tough in summer...

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martinet-galopins
martinet-galopins

Hello Randoparet
Thank you for your comment about the cemetery after Prieuré Lichine. It is indeed the wall of the Château d'Issan. I was misled by the cross in front of the wall. I have corrected the description. In fact, you simply need to take the first path on the left after passing the Prieuré Lichine buildings.

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randoparet
randoparet

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A route through vineyards and châteaux; it is not always easy to find your way among the vineyards criss-crossed by numerous paths.
There is a notable error in the description: it says "take the path opposite the cemetery", but it is not a cemetery, it is the boundary wall of the Château d'Issan wine estate!

J. L. Paret

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martinet-galopins
martinet-galopins

Hello
Our route does not pass by Issan Castle, which is fenced off. The route passes by Pontac Castle, but you can walk past Issan Castle and turn left further on into the vineyards to reach the road to the port and the route described.
Thank you for your comment.
Happy hiking!

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Squirrel33
Squirrel33

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello

The route was very good and took us past some beautiful wine châteaux, but unless we took the wrong turn, the road to Château Issan is closed by a gate at the entrance and exit. There is a solution: continue further along the perimeter wall on the left, but the route is less interesting as there is little view of the rear of the château, or take a path on the right and go around the château on the right, which gives a beautiful view of the rear of the château.

Otherwise, we had no problems on the route.

Well done again for this beautiful hike.

Squyrrel33

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martinet-galopins
martinet-galopins

Very good point. I will modify the route accordingly. Thank you and enjoy your walks.

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khlayre
khlayre

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Route through the vineyards and châteaux of Margaux.
A pleasant walk, even though you cross several roads, as there is very little traffic.
There is a slight change to the route at Château Margaux, as mentioned in other comments.
(Take the main tree-lined driveway leading to the château rather than going around it as suggested in the proposed route).

Thank you to those who take the time to post routes.

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jmnahon
jmnahon
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello,

The route is perfectly passable. A small adjustment needs to be made to the GPX track at Château de Margaux. The path along the railway line is average, but it avoids the main road. Remember to stray a little from the route to visit the châteaux, otherwise you risk passing them by without enjoying them. I do Nordic walking, so there's a bit too much road for my liking. But it's a lovely walk for hiking.
Link to the article about my outing: https://ajtmarchenordique.wordpress.com/...
Jean-Marc

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martinet-galopins
martinet-galopins

You can make this hike even more interesting by finding out more about the prestigious wine-producing châteaux.

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