From Voulon to the Fontou fountain

A pleasant walk alternating between riverbanks, shaded paths and open trails.

Details

21003495
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 16.65 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 80 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 74 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 134 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 97 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Voulon (86700)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 46.355876° / E 0.245707°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 1728SB
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the square in front of Voulon Town Hall.

(S/E) Turn right towards the church. At the first crossroads, continue straight ahead and then immediately turn right onto a path, cross the two footbridges and continue straight ahead along the path.

(1) When a path comes up on the right, turn left and continue straight ahead.

(2) When you reach a road, turn left and, after crossing a bridge, turn right onto a path.

(3) About 1 km further on, turn right onto the footbridge over the river and go up the road. At the exit of the village of Brioux, turn right at the three-way junction.

(4) At the next crossroads, cross and immediately take the path that branches off to the right.

(5) When you reach a road, follow it downhill and, after the first house on the left, turn left onto the path. After a short climb, after about 1.8 km, turn right.

(6) Turn right again immediately afterwards to pass in front of a wooden hut (leaving it on your left). Go down to a footbridge and cross the Dive. Take the small path on the right until you reach a road. Turn right.

(7) At the first bend on the left, take the path that branches off to the left. After an uphill stretch, you will come to a road (D97), which you follow to the left.

(8) After passing several houses on the right, turn onto the first path on the right. At the next crossroads, continue straight ahead and then quickly turn right onto a grassy path.

(9) At the next intersection, turn left, continue until you pass the Grande Métairie dairy farm buildings on your left, and turn left with the road.

(10) Then, at the next right-hand bend, take the path that goes straight ahead and follow this white path until you reach the D19. Cross it and, at the next road, turn left and then take the hairpin bend on the right.

(11) Walk along the quarry on your left. At the next crossroads, turn left then immediately right, passing the first path on your left.

(12) After a tin building, turn onto the path on the left. Continue, passing a path that climbs up to the right. At the next junction, turn right, then right again into the hollow.

(13) At the road, turn right and then quickly left. When you reach the next road, turn right and return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 100 m - Voulon Town Hall car park
  2. 1 : km 0.38 - alt. 100 m - Fork in the road to the left
  3. 2 : km 1.28 - alt. 102 m - Small road
  4. 3 : km 2.53 - alt. 105 m - Footbridge over the - Bouleure (rivière) - Affluent de la Dive du Sud
  5. 4 : km 3.51 - alt. 134 m - Crossroads
  6. 5 : km 4.68 - alt. 113 m - Road junction
  7. 6 : km 6.42 - alt. 107 m - Cabana - Dive du Sud (rivière)
  8. 7 : km 7.02 - alt. 109 m - Fork in the road on the left-hand bend
  9. 8 : km 8.46 - alt. 132 m - Fork in the road after the houses
  10. 9 : km 9.81 - alt. 126 m - Fork in the road
  11. 10 : km 10.93 - alt. 113 m - Chemin Blanc
  12. 11 : km 12.41 - alt. 121 m - Quarry
  13. 12 : km 13.44 - alt. 118 m - Fork in the road
  14. 13 : km 14.77 - alt. 103 m - Road junction
  15. S/E : km 16.65 - alt. 100 m - Voulon Town Hall car park

Notes

There are numerous picnic areas between points (6) and (7).

Worth a visit

After (7), you can explore the Fontou wetland (a Sensitive Natural Area).
Covering an area of 3.5 hectares, the site is a small wetland through which the Fontou stream meanders. The stream flows through a sedge marsh, a reed bed and a marshy wood composed of alders, willows and ash trees, which it floods in winter. This mosaic of wetland habitats is home to a wide variety of marsh species, both animal and plant. The marsh fern, a rare and endangered plant species, is the highlight of this site.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 7 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
User 3981382

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 03, 2025
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 varied landscapes. Lovely picnic areas. When the weather is fine, you can take a dip in the river.

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nicole.l
nicole.l

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The first part of the route is superb, with beautiful paths often lined with trees along the banks of La Dive and La Bouleure. The route then continues through farmland along grassy paths, which are rather monotonous, before returning to La Dive at the end.
We encountered very few walkers except when we arrived at the Fontaine de Fontou.

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Bernarddec
Bernarddec

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

There is a problem with the description. The quarry has expanded and it is now forbidden to pass through it. You should no longer turn left onto the small road before point 11 and then right, but instead turn right and then left at the first road. The signage after point 12 is faulty.

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Juto
Juto

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike that allows you to discover wetland scenery where nature prevails and areas where man has left his mark.

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FRANCOIS Gérard
FRANCOIS Gérard

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike, of course with complete knowledge of all the locations, but never done according to the given itinerary. The map is accurate, and I must admit that just consulting it at the start was enough to avoid getting lost.
For someone discovering the area, there are a few passages where you need to be sure of your bearings. For me, I consider it an easy hike.

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philouis
philouis

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk on this summer's day with ideal temperatures. Lots of easy trails, very little tarmac. A wonderful discovery: the Fontou fountain.

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Lapin17
Lapin17

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 03, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

THANK YOU FOR THIS WONDERFUL DISCOVERY
Route to do in the morning in summer

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