Country:
District:
Access: from Tours, take the D943 towards Loches, then, shortly after the Chambray exit, turn right towards Esvres. Drive through the village and, after passing the church, turn right at the three-way junction. Take the first road on the right, which crosses the Indre river, then turn left just before crossing the railway line. Continue along this road, which crosses the railway line again further on. Leave your car in a parking space just on the other side of the railway line.
This route is not signposted
(S/E) On foot, continue along this road towards the south, following theGR®®46(red and white markings). Pass the first road on the left and continue.
(1) Turn left towards Moulin de Sauquet and cross the Échandon. Further on (elevation 79), turn right onto a path that enters the woods. Continue straight ahead on theGR®® until you reach a road.
(2) Leave theGR®®46, which turns right, and continue straight ahead to the Château de Montchenain and its 14th-century gate. Retrace your steps.
(2) Turn left onto theGR®®46towards Azay-le-Rideau. Descend quickly to the Échandon stream.
(3) Cross a Gallo-Roman bridge (Pont Girault on the map). Take a path on the right a few metres after crossing to the other bank. Continue along the left bank of the stream. Further on, the path veers to the left and joins a crossroads.
(4) Leave a path on the left and continue on the trail, which itself veers left shortly afterwards. Cross a stream, the Mouru, before reaching a road.
(5) Take the road on the right and continue along it. Pass a cottage and, shortly afterwards, you will see some tufa springs on the left. You will reach a crossroads.
(6) Take a path on the left that leads to fields on the hillside. Continue straight ahead. At the intersection with a road (elevation 92), take the road opposite and continue straight ahead until you reach another intersection at a place called La Brosse.
(7) Take the road opposite to Château de Taffoneau. Shortly before reaching the château, take the road on the left at the cross. Then take the first road on the right. Cross over a stream below.
(8) Cross a larger stream, the Becquet, over a bridge (on the map, this stream is called the Taffoneau stream). Continue along the road until you reach a path on the right that leads to a farm, Touchemarie.
(9) Take this path (leaving theGR®®46, which continues along the road). Turn left in front of the farm entrance. Continue to the entrance of the next hamlet.
(10) Take a path on the right, before the first house. Turn left at the fork and continue along this narrow path that winds between the trees on the left bank of the Becquet, which remains visible. Reach a bridge and continue for a few metres.
(11) Take a path that climbs to the left. You will come to a road. Turn right, then take the second street on the right at the next intersection. Continue straight ahead for about 800 metres until you reach an intersection.
(12) Follow the signs for La Cathelinière on the left. At the next intersection, turn left. Pass close to the Moulin de Port Joie mill, then walk along the Indre river. Further on, walk along the railway line until you reach an intersection.
(13) Cross to the left for a short round trip to the bridges that span the Échandon and Indre rivers at their confluence.
On the way back, take the road on the left before crossing the railway line and continue along this road to return to the car park (S/E), passing close to the wind turbine on the left and the Château de Vilaine on the right, on the heights.
Visorando member
Easy 
Local authority
