The Gouffre de Padirac and its surroundings

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This day hike allows you to discover the Gouffre de Padirac and the listed villages of Loubressac and Autoire. From the promontory, you can enjoy a splendid view of the valley.

Details

n°1790253
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 17.85 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 493 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 500 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 418 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 170 m
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Photos

the Château des Anglais
loubersac
autoire waterfall
autoire waterfall

Description of the walk

Park in the car park behind the Gouffre de Padirac.

(S/E) Head north, then turn immediately right and continue straight ahead until you reach a junction with theGR®652(white and red markings).

(1) Go straight ahead. Pass the Croix Hélène and continue to the small road. Follow this road to the right.

(2) Cross the D14 and take the path opposite, which leads to the Route du Rouquet.

(3) Turn left and head towards the village of Loubressac. Pass the town hall, cross the Place du Foirail, turn left and then right into Rue du Bourg. Then turn right into Rue du Château, pass the castle and the church before joining theGR® behind the cemetery.

(4) Continue straight ahead and descend to Bolivaria, which you will pass.

(5) At the crossroads, leave theGR® and take the orange-marked horse trail opposite, along the walnut field. Go up the path and take the trail between the dry stone walls.
At the end of this path, turn left onto the trail that descends the cliff to Autoire (yellow markings). Be careful on the descent to take the path on the right marked in yellow. You will come out onto the D135 (Route de Saint-Céré à Lapoujade) at Taillefer.

(6) Follow the road to the right, then turn right onto the D38, where you will rejoin the GR®. Turn right again. Continue for a few dozen metres, then turn right to reach the Romanesque church.

(7) Return to the D38, turn right, then right again towards Merlet. Do not follow the sign for the waterfall. Cross a small bridge, then turn left under the cliffs.
Take the path that climbs to the right towards the Château des Anglais. Climb up the cliff.

(8) At the fork, under the rock, turn right to see the castle ruins, then turn around and continue straight ahead to the stairs. Climb the stairs and turn left towards Siran.

(9) Once in the hamlet, turn right, then left at the first crossroads and join the road.

(10) Turn right onto this road and take theGR® on the left a few metres further on. Follow the signs to the stele (IGN route incorrect here).

(11) Keep to the path opposite and follow it until you reach the Gouffre de Padirac car park (S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 355 m - Car park at the Gouffre de Padirac
  2. 1 : km 0.35 - alt. 355 m - GR® junction, straight ahead
  3. 2 : km 3.01 - alt. 338 m - Crossing the D14
  4. 3 : km 4.11 - alt. 349 m - Route du Rouquet, on the left
  5. 4 : km 7.46 - alt. 303 m - Viewpoint at Loubressac
  6. 5 : km 7.94 - alt. 300 m - Crossroads, end of the GR
  7. 6 : km 9.34 - alt. 170 m - Taillefer, road on the right
  8. 7 : km 9.59 - alt. 186 m - Église Saint-Pierre (Autoire)
  9. 8 : km 10.97 - alt. 310 m - Fork - Château des Anglais
  10. 9 : km 11.96 - alt. 350 m - Siran
  11. 10 : km 12.52 - alt. 362 m - Road, on the right
  12. 11 : km 14.59 - alt. 399 m - Stele
  13. S/E : km 17.85 - alt. 354 m - Gouffre de Padirac car park

Worth a visit

Visit the Gouffre de Padirac, which is approximately 35 m in diameter. At the bottom of this chasm, 103 m below the surface, flows an underground river that runs through part of a large network of over 55 km.

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 25 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
Marie-therese arsuffi
Marie-therese arsuffi

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, the Autoire waterfall is a must-see, and you can join the trail via the small footbridge at the foot of the waterfall
The return trip is a bit long
The villages are all beautiful
the climb up to the English castle is a bit challenging
However, there are slippery stones along the route, so walking sticks are recommended
thank you for this suggestion

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Bertrand648
Bertrand648

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route starting from the Padirac chasm. Beautiful view of Loubressac, especially after passing through the village following the route. In Autoire, you can go directly to the waterfall without passing by the Château des Anglais; follow the signs for "cascade" and then climb back up to the plateau either via the Château des Anglais or directly. The return to Padirac via a long path is less pleasant. Worth doing nonetheless.

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Pierrette.L
Pierrette.L

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I had difficulty finding the starting point. Then, in Loubressac, I wasn't sure I was on the right path

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VALOMA
VALOMA

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A wonderful discovery of the villages of Autoire and Loubressac

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waki89
waki89

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful landscapes and wonderful discoveries in these villages

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Pasin
Pasin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent route combining bucolic trails and passages through beautiful villages in the Lot region.

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Flore46
Flore46
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely hike with varied landscapes, the superb Autoire waterfall and the very pretty villages of Loubressac and Autoire. The views over the valley are stunning.
Please note that during the high season, there is a charge for parking at the Gouffre de Padirac (starting point of the hike). We parked a little further away.
Please note that there are two drinking water points with toilets and small cafés and restaurants (in season) in Loubressac and then Autoire.
Feel free to leave the trail for a few minutes to stroll through the narrow streets of the two villages.
The route does not take you exactly to the foot of the waterfall or to the Château des Anglais, but don't hesitate to continue on to both. It is very well signposted and only adds a few hundred metres to the walk, which is well worth the detour.
Please note that the waterfall site is currently undergoing renaturation, so you will not be able to swim in the waterfall or the stream.
three difficulties if you are not experienced hikers:
. A steep descent of several hundred metres on a stony path towards Autoire
. A steep climb of about 600 metres on stony and rocky paths, in the sun in the early part of the day
. Passages, particularly uphill and downhill, along the cliff edge with a drop below, 2 metal staircases above the drop to cross, be careful if you suffer from vertigo.
If you stick to the route, the walking time indicated is generous; it took us about 3 hours and 45 minutes, not including stops. But allow a whole day so you can enjoy the waterfall, the view from the Château des Anglais, the two villages and, why not, visit the Siran farm on the way.
The first 3 kilometres from Padirac to Loubressac are along pretty limestone paths lined with dry stone walls.
However, the last 4 kilometres, after the Siran farm to Padirac, are of no interest. They are on a flat, almost straight, stony track in full sun, running alongside a field of solar panels for much of the way. It's neither beautiful nor ugly, this part is just there to complete the loop.

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Elo1733
Elo1733
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thanks for the great route!
I did the hike as described and luckily I couldn't have done the section between the Château des Anglais and the Autoire waterfall on the way down (I'm afraid of heights).
A very nice discovery of the villages of Loubressac and Autoire, with lovely views at several points along the route.
Perhaps it would be worth mentioning that the waterfall is easily accessible by following the route rather than the signs?
The last section is a bit long (and not very shaded) but overall, this route is very pleasant!

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FLOCH
FLOCH ★

Hello,

You clearly didn't enjoy the hike, which is not in line with previous reviews.
You seem to know the area well.
Why not suggest a hike that you find more interesting?
Best regards

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sagnouss
sagnouss

Overall rating : 2.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Very busy route : Yes

Sorry for those who posted this route, but out of the 16 km, 12 are completely uninteresting!
Skip Padirac/Loubressac, get off the route at Autoire and enjoy it to the fullest. Siran/Padirac is long, flat, straight and boring!
In short, leave Loubressac, go down to Autoire, do all the things to see (waterfall, ridges, English castle) and then head back!

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stchat
stchat

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We parked at the Siren car park to admire the waterfall and the magnificent landscape overlooking Autoire from the top of the cliff. We did the circuit backwards, starting at point 10 so that we could visit Autoire first thing in the morning when it's quieter. Follow the GPS route carefully from the start so you don't miss the steps that lead down to the path to Autoire.
After that, there is a steep climb, which is best done before lunch. After that, the path climbs gently. Loubressac is a beautiful village.
The return journey after Padirac is a bit monotonous, but it's a beautiful ride.

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trantole
trantole

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A wonderful discovery of the villages of Loubressac and Autoire
You can walk to the foot of the waterfall between points 7 and 8, it's well worth the detour
the first panorama overlooks the waterfall and the second overlooks Autoire
The return trip is a bit long on a rocky trail.
A very beautiful hike

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jean michel Bzdzinck
jean michel Bzdzinck

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A wonderful discovery of the villages of Loubressac and Autoire + the Château des Anglais, superb panoramic views, although the return journey is a little monotonous on the track. No problems with the route using the GPS on my phone.

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Adeloumi
Adeloumi

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 16, 2022
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 with magnificent views. The crossings at Autoire and Loubressac quickly make you forget the two monotonous tracks.

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Celineetfrederic
Celineetfrederic
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 05, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very few people visit in winter, but it must be very different in summer.
Please note that GPS will not take you to the starting point at the Padirac chasm car park, but to the village of Padirac.
A magnificent walk from Loubressac to the viewpoint above the waterfall at Siran.
We had difficulty following the route up the cliff from the waterfall to the castle and had to deviate a little, which made our climb a bit steep (not recommended if you are afraid of heights)
Then, from the second staircase, we took the wrong direction and turned right, following the cliff. The view is magnificent, but we had to turn back and find the path that continued after the staircase towards Siran.
In short, a few thrills but a beautiful sunny winter day.
We recommend this hike.

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