Route de La Fée Carabosse

Hike from the Chapelle des Lieux Saints to the Lizien racecourse in Guémené-Penfao. Magnificent views over the Don valley and the Guénouvry countryside.

Details

1374099
Creation:
Last update:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 17.18 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 244 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 249 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 81 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 6 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park of the Chapelle des Lieux Saints picnic area in Tahun, Guénouvry.
(S/E) Take the gravel road on the right and, at the intersection, follow the road on the left

(1) At the end of the bend, pass the embankment on the right and enter the woods. Follow the small path on the right and cross the quarry (only at weekends), then arrive on the D125, follow it along the grassy strip on the right.
Carefully cross the D42 road linking Le Gâvre to Conquereuil and enter the woods opposite via a small passage. Follow the path through the woods.

(2) At the exit, on the gravel road, turn right for 100 metres onto the road leading to the village of Tréguély, then turn left onto the path. At the Route de la Butte de Tréguely, turn right.

(3) Before leaving the woods, take the path on the right to the Boulargot road in Tréguély.

(4) Take the road on the left to the place called Boulargot. Before reaching the D125, which connects Guénouvry to
Guémené-Penfao, head towards the wide path on the right and continue to an intersection.

(5) Turn left and join theGRP® des Trois Rivières marked in red and yellow.

(6) At the intersection, follow the path on the right to the valley road and turn left towards the village of La Vallée. Follow the paved road to the Étang de la Vallée car park.

(7) From the car park, head back into the woods via the second small path, continue on theGRP® until you reach the junction with a new path.

(8) Turn left, leave theGRP®, and follow the path for about 500m until you reach a path on the right that leads to the Rocs de Gascaigne. Carefully descend the various steps and stairways to the path running alongside the Don. Turn left towards Gascaigne and, at the bend, you will find the road and theGRP® leading from Guénouvry to Guémené-Penfao. Take the path on the right (11m), leading to the racecourse, and follow the Don to the footbridge.

(9) Cross the Don via the footbridge and turn immediately right onto the path running alongside the Don for about 600m until you reach a bend to the left. Turn left at the intersection and walk up through the woods to the right-angle bend on Avenue du Paradis. Take the large path on your right, then the first path on the left after 50 metres. Follow this path to Grande Allée, then take it on the right for about 900 metres.

(10) Take the path on the right until you reach a small stream, follow it to the edge of the woods, then follow the path on the left until you reach the path crossing the meadow on the right. From here, you will reach the footbridge crossing the Don. After crossing the Don, take the Route de la Vallée on the left for about 180m and go up a small narrow path on your right. Join theGRP® and return to the crossroads you passed on the way there.

(6) Follow the path on the left to the Route de la Vallée, then turn right. You may see the Château de Juzet on the left and the mill on the Don. At the bend, follow the steep path on your left towards Le Tenou.

(11) After a sharp bend, at the entrance to a meadow, take the small path on the left and follow it through the woods overlooking the Don. Pass by a drinking water spring, then take a gravel road leading to the village of Tréguély.

(12) Turn left when you reach the road leading to the village of Tréguely, cross it and reach a right-angle bend.

(13) Leave theGRP® trail and follow the road to the right towards Guénouvry. Take the gravel road on the left. At the end of the road, turn left onto a descending path.

(14) Before reaching the road leading from Tréguely to the village of Les Rivières, turn right onto the path until you reach the D42. Take care when crossing the road.

(15) Turn right onto the D42 for 20 metres and turn left onto a small steep path until you reach the deserted road through farmland.

(16) Cross the road, then take the path opposite, at the edge of the woods, and follow the path up to the Chapelle des Lieux Saints (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 53 m - Chapelle Sainte-Anne picnic area
  2. 1 : km 0.9 - alt. 66 m - Path to the quarry
  3. 2 : km 2.26 - alt. 72 m - Route de Tréguély
  4. 3 : km 3.15 - alt. 65 m - The Tréguély hill
  5. 4 : km 3.55 - alt. 73 m - Boulargot Road
  6. 5 : km 4.99 - alt. 55 m - Crossroads
  7. 6 : km 5.43 - alt. 33 m - Vallée Trail
  8. 7 : km 6.55 - alt. 15 m - Parking at the Vallée pond
  9. 8 : km 7.19 - alt. 58 m - GRP trail junction
  10. 9 : km 9.35 - alt. 6 m - Lizien footbridge
  11. 10 : km 11.42 - alt. 59 m - Juzet Forest
  12. 11 : km 13.23 - alt. 46 m - Côteaux du Don
  13. 12 : km 14.32 - alt. 52 m - Entrance to the village of Tréguély
  14. 13 : km 14.58 - alt. 50 m - Tréguély, Guénouvry road
  15. 14 : km 15.64 - alt. 25 m - Chemin de l'Enfer
  16. 15 : km 16.35 - alt. 23 m - Conquereuil road
  17. 16 : km 16.63 - alt. 29 m - Viewpoint over the village of Les Rivières
  18. S/E : km 17.18 - alt. 52 m - Chapelle Sainte-Anne picnic area

Notes

(S/E) Picnic tables, water point, toilets, on the site of the Chapelle des Lieux Saints. The chapel is open during the day.

Worth a visit

  • Numerous viewpoints along the route (Don Valley, Carabosse Fairy Rock, etc.)
  • Château de Juzet (private)
  • Crêperie du Moulin de Juzet
  • Rocs de Gascaigne
  • Juzet Woods

Reviews and comments

3.7 / 5
Based on 10 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.4 / 5
Route interest
4.1 / 5
bikeràpied
bikeràpied

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant route. I particularly enjoyed the numerous paths that avoid roads.
Be aware that if you have several vehicles, it can be difficult to park at the start. I would say 3 or 4 vehicles max.

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WendyJouny
WendyJouny

Thank you for your feedback.

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Bernard 10
Bernard 10

As a hiker and horse rider, I don't think this route is entirely suitable for horses. Some of the undergrowth will pose a problem in terms of headroom. Some of the paths are narrow and the gradient is sometimes steep. There are sections of tarmac road, which means there are cars. So it's dangerous...
That said, by studying the map carefully, it will always be possible to reach your destination. But you will be straying from the proposed route.

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WendyJouny
WendyJouny

Hello,
Is the route suitable for horse riding?
Thank you in advance.

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Bernard 10
Bernard 10

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I used the suggested itinerary to plan my own route (19 km). I set off from Guéméné Penfao and headed towards Rocher de Carabosse, then on to Chapelle des Lieux Saints where we had a picnic (table and benches). The return journey followed the original route.
After taking the footbridge at the old racecourse (you can also start from there – car park), we crossed a very pleasant pine forest. We went "straight ahead" (altitude point 49) to reach Rocher de Carabosse. A very beautiful place with a panoramic view. The descent to rejoin the original route is a little tricky, but it's easier with walking sticks. The rest of the walk to Tréguély and the chapel was very pleasant. A small path through the woods.
Admittedly, there are a few tarmac sections, but nothing more than that, and they are necessary to reach the beautiful paths.
I had my IGN map, a Townav GPS and the Visorando app (1:25,000 map), so I never got lost.
It's a hike I would happily do again.

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tugny44
tugny44

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The route is pleasant because of the scenery it offers and also because of its elevation. However, there is far too much tarmac and it is somewhat difficult to navigate. I am used to the Visorando smartphone app. It suits me perfectly. But here, there are errors in the route.
The most significant one is WP10. This point is a few hundred metres too far away. I followed this route and realised that it wasn't taking me to the footbridge over the Don. You have to take the previous path on the right. I also couldn't find the path described after point 8 to take us to the Gascaigne rocks. So I followed the GRP and found the route along the Don.
It's a shame, but no regrets, it's still a beautiful walk. I just hope that corrections will be made for future users of this route.
Just for your information, my wife and I completed this route in 3 hours and 24 minutes.

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jppbzh44
jppbzh44

Hello,
Thank you for your message. I should point out that when I created the route, I estimated the journey time at 4 hours, which was probably a little underestimated.

Jean Pierre

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goderville
goderville

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 28, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike in a splendid setting. The route is hilly, but the climbs are short. Please note that the estimated duration is not accurate. Even at 3.5 km/h, it takes 4 hours and 45 minutes, not 5 hours and 45 minutes.

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randobrivet
randobrivet

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

An interesting route in its forest section, but too much tarmac and limited appeal.
Two separate routes around the points of interest (Gascaigne rocks and Etang de la Roche) would seem more appropriate. Best done in autumn.

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henri57
henri57 ★

Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to give your opinion.

The first time, at point 8, we continued along the trail, turning left where the GRP turns right to descend towards the Don.

The second time, using the Visorando app, we never found the alternative trail to the GRP that leads to the Rocs de Gascaigne.

Indeed, if we compare the route on the IGN map with the OSM map, there is a significant difference.

Could you please check with the OpenStreetMap (World Hiking) map and let me know what you think?

If you had used the OSM map on the Visorando app, would you have been able to complete the OSM Trails hike?

See you soon!

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AnnSummersWest
AnnSummersWest

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 26, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

This hike is very interesting due to the diversity of the landscapes it passes through. Regarding the route, there is a serious problem at point 8.
We did the hike twice, the second time with the "GPS-Visorando" app.

The first time, at point 8, we continued along the trail, turning left where the GRP turns right to descend towards the Don. Further on, as indicated in the hike description, we took a trail turning right which, in fact, never descends towards the Don and led us to the D 125 road which leads to the racecourse!

The second time, using the Visorando app, we never found the alternative trail to the GRP that leads to the Rocs de Gascaigne. We even tried to follow the app's directions, walking through the woods, but we only found a few traces of a path that seems to have disappeared. So we made our way "by guesswork" to the GRP (just before the steps) which leads to the banks of the Don: be careful! These steps, with their log nosings, are very slippery in wet weather.
Finally, a useful tip: after point 7, go up a path and, at the first three-way junction, turn right to reach point 8.

Conclusion: the easiest thing to do at point 8 is to continue following the GRP towards the Rocs de Gascaigne and then turn left, following the Don towards the small bridge at point 9.

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MOTHIER
MOTHIER

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Rejuvenation guaranteed as you walk through the pine trees between points 9 and 10!

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SebZed
SebZed

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 07, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

The route is quite shaded in some places, but overall it is difficult to get lost. A pleasant walk in the countryside.

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henri57
henri57 ★

Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to give your opinion.

Reliability of the description: Disappointing

Did you have any issues with the description? If so, how can we improve it? Do you have any suggestions?

See you soon

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batar yv
batar yv

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 12, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing

What not to do when the Don is in flood
The crossings over the Don are impassable.
On the return journey from Guémené, we had to go as far as Conquereuil to find a passable road bridge.

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