From Tarascon-sur-Ariège to Junac and back

de fr

A walk starting from Tarascon-sur-Ariège that will take you to Junac, passing through the small village of Alliat and overlooking the village of Niaux.

Details

n°46580692
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.60 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 912 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 935 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,985 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,578 ft
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Photos

Path
Pacerelle
Grotte de la Vache

Description of the walk

Park at the Church of Notre-Dame-de-Sabart.

(S/E) Head back down towards the roundabout, then cross the bridge. Head due west, then follow the Vicdessos stream to reach the junction with the Chemin de Sakanie.

(1) Turn left and follow a well-marked path, signposted in yellow. Cross a small wooden bridge and walk above the Sabart factory. Continue on to reach a crossroads at the foot of a slope.

(2) Continue slightly to the right along the yellow-marked path. Follow an easy climb past the climbing site to reach the group of caves.

(4) Carry on straight ahead to reach the point above the village of Alliat. Walk through the village and, on the other side, you’ll come to a crossroads of paths.

(5) Turn right here, running parallel to the road. Continue along this path until you rejoin the D608.

(6) Turn right onto the D608 to reach another junction of footpaths.

(7) Leave the road here and take the path on the left. Reach the left bank of the Ruisseau de Vicdessos and follow it along. Pass the footbridge on your left which links the villages of Capoulet and Junac. Continue along the left bank until you reach the entrance to Junac.

(8) Retrace your steps along this path to return to the car park at the Church of Notre-Dame-de-Sabart (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 1,608 ft - Car park at the Church of Notre-Dame-de-Sabart - Vicdessos (rivière) - Affluent de l'Ariège
  2. 1 : mi 0.34 - alt. 1,673 ft - Junction. A/R
  3. 2 : mi 1.04 - alt. 1,759 ft - Slope. Fork in the path
  4. 3 : mi 1.89 - alt. 1,893 ft - Grotte de la Vache (Génat)
  5. 4 : mi 2.05 - alt. 1,985 ft - Junction. A/R
  6. 5 : mi 2.25 - alt. 1,913 ft - Junction. A/R
  7. 6 : mi 2.73 - alt. 1,811 ft - Crossing the D608
  8. 7 : mi 3.11 - alt. 1,896 ft - Path junction
  9. 8 : mi 3.8 - alt. 1,909 ft - Junac
  10. S/E : mi 7.6 - alt. 1,604 ft - Car park at the Church of Notre-Dame-de-Sabart

Worth a visit

Before reaching (4) the Alliat Caves along the route, you can take a short break at the Grotte de la Vache, which is currently closed, and catch a glimpse of the Niaux Cave opposite you on the other mountain.

Reviews and comments

3.9 / 5
Based on 5 reviews
Reliability of the description
3.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
3.8 / 5
User 2422936

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 12, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, flat walk through the woodland.
If possible, combine this with a visit to the Grotte de la Vache.

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Roroboubou
Roroboubou

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A lovely, unpretentious but enjoyable walk. It’s worth noting that there’s an ideal spot for a picnic, practically at the turning point: a large, clean grassy area in the shade of tall trees, beside the Vic-Dessos stream...

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Dominique Gente
Dominique Gente

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

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

A nice little walk

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netphi@sfr.fr
netphi@sfr.fr

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

A pleasant walk with no particular difficulties.

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luckybt
luckybt

OK, THANKS. This walk is really lovely and we’ll do it again...

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24loloblash
24loloblash

Hello
That’s right about the start – I’d said it was on the left just after the bridge; my description has been amended. As for the markings (yellow), they’re clearly visible all along the route, except perhaps in a few places, but the path is well marked so you can’t go wrong.

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luckybt
luckybt

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

At the start (car park at the Church of Notre-Dame de Sabart), the instructions say to head due WEST! However, you actually need to head due EAST to reach the real starting point, which is at the end of the bridge: Please correct this and specify the starting point clearly.
We wasted an hour!
Otherwise, the route is very poorly signposted. It’s a shame, as the walk itself is very pleasant.

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