La Couvertoirade walks

This is a short walk for the whole family, which also allows you to spot several starting points for longer hikes. You can enjoy a pleasant path, cross a meadow, and on the way back, climb a small hill to admire the restored mill. Final destination: a visit to the fortified village of La Couvertoirade, which is entirely pedestrianised.

From the charming little Causse village of Caylar and its legendary carved tree, a beautiful detour onto the Causse du Larzarc takes us to the medieval village of La Couvertoirade. The vegetation, typical of the great Causses, alternates between meadows, fields, and groves of pine and white oak trees. The paths are lined with box trees. From the top of the hills, at an altitude of around 800 m, the view stretches eastwards towards the Aigoual massif. A visit to the village of La Couvertoirade, founded by the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller, is a must.

A walk starting from Caylar and leading to La Couvertoirade. Cross the Larzac limestone plateaus to reach La Couvertoirade, a Templar town with its ramparts, and a village listed among the most beautiful villages in France.

For lovers of Larzac who want to limit the endless distances.

This trail was created by the RPI (Inter-municipal Educational Group) of Saint-Jean-du-Bruel and Sauclières. It is usually walked in the opposite direction to the one suggested here, so as to tackle the route’s only difficulty (a short, stony climb to reach the realigned D7) at the start of the walk. A torch is required to cross the Bousquillous tunnel before returning to Sauclières, a small village well worth spending a little time exploring.

A pleasant hike in three stages. The first part crosses vast areas of pastureland, the second allows you to wander through a "lunar" landscape amid dolomitic rocks, and the third, in the undergrowth, runs alongside streams that you have to cross. This diversity of landscapes makes this hike easy and interesting.

Important: access to the Canalettes is prohibited from 1 October to 30 November 2025. This is a very interesting route, particularly in relation to the Canalettes site. These are two canoles, faults carved into the limestone of the causses due to erosion. These fractures are particularly deep at this location.This hike also takes you to the source of the Durzon, which takes the form of a resurgence. Similarly, the steep Pas de la Mule pass, although short, is another special feature of this circular.

Starting from Larzac, crossing the Domaine de la Maison des Forestiers, visiting a prehistoric shelter, you will descend to the source of the Durzon, then climb back up through the Pas de la Mule forest. ⚠️20/10/2025: The Canalettes fault site is closed annually from 1 October to 30 November by municipal decree.

A beautiful and very varied hike. On the agenda are three caves, including the "illuminated" cave, a lavogne, a beautiful natural arch and the famous canalettes (or canoles). ⚠️20/10/2025: The Canalettes fault site is closed annually from 1 October to 30 November by municipal decree.

A very beautiful spring walk (May, if possible) to enjoy the flowers on the Causse, but it is best to avoid days that are too hot. Beautiful green landscapes. The paths are varied, sometimes through woodland, sometimes open. The elevation gain does not seem significant but is spread over two or three steep sections, with the rest following the contour lines more or less.

This loop around the village of Alzon is ideal for families, allowing you to hike along an old railway line through tunnels and over viaducts. Bring a torch for certain sections.

A short walk of around ten kilometres through the fields and the Larzac. With a bit of luck, you’ll be able to watch aerobatic displays, admire a menhir and walk through a pretty deciduous woodland dotted with daffodils in the right season. To round off the walk, enjoy a free visit to the Archaeology Museum in L’Hospitalet-du-Larzac.

A hike in a pleasant valley with plenty of water and the Pas de l'Escalette, a spot steeped in history. The return via the plateau offers a wide view of the surrounding area. Moderator update on 27/01/2021: some of the paths used in this itinerary have disappeared. However, there is a yellow-marked trail on site. See the reviews from January 2021.

Hike along the old railway line with its engineering structures and the picturesque village of Sauclières.

The hike combines sections of well-known routes (Haute Vallée de la Lergue, Corniches de Lauroux, Forêt de l'Escandorgue) with unmarked paths. A GPS is highly recommended. In clear weather, the views are superb, overlooking the Cirque de Labeil. There is a wide variety of landscapes and environments.

Several paths connect Saint-Jean-du-Bruel to Algues, the former stronghold of the Roquefeuil family overlooking the Dourbie valley. This is an easy 7km route with a moderate incline, ideal for a leisurely stroll.

A short hike takes you to an ancient place of procession where you can enjoy the view over Saint-Jean-du-Bruel.

From schist to sandstone, through chestnut trees and the remains of old calamine furnaces.

Former calamine furnaces, the Œil de Bœuf and the Tombeau du Géant on the Causse Bégon. Step back in time from the industrial era to prehistory.

From one side of the Dourbie to the other via the Tayrac footbridge.

A spectacular cirque with breathtaking views.

Starting from the Causse du Larzac, you will discover the colossal rocks that dominate the Cernon valley, while approaching the old railway line several times, which today is used for tourist activities thanks to the rail bikes of Sainte-Eulalie-de-Cernon. You can explore the fortified Templar village of Sainte-Eulalie-de-Cernon and climb back up the other side of the valley.

This hike starts in Roqueredonde and takes you to the Orb river and the Tibetan Buddhist temple Lerab Ling, where you can take a short meditation break. The route then enters the Escandorgue National Forest, where the charm of the forest paths contrasts with the chaotic dolomitic landscape of the Causse. Finally, the route follows ancient paths worn by passing flocks of sheep.

A beautiful walk, without major difficulty and well marked, that takes you through scrubland and forests, cliffs and limestone plateaus.

Return to Saint Guilhem le Désert from Les Besses.

In a limestone circus setting, this circuit climbs to the foot of the cliffs, offering views of the Lodève countryside. After a refreshing stop in the hamlet of Labeil and its converted cave, it continues on the plateau, enters a dark forest, then crosses the limestone plateau amid a chaotic rock formation.

This hike will take you to the foothills of the Larzac plateau overlooking the Cirque du Bout du Monde and the village of Gourgas, returning via a magnificent forest trail. (!) The Tourist Office, Avenue des Moulins, 34184 Montpellier, has reported a problem on this hike (20 November 2025). A small temporary warning about this proposed route! A fairly significant collapse occurred in early November 2025 in the cliffs of the Cirque du Bout du Monde.The route described in this Visorando file will no longer be safe to use in the coming months...However, the official PR® route remains open, as it was not affected by the landslide.For your safety and the comfort of all, please use the official route, available on our website. Happy hiking, everyone! Gilles and Théo Nature Tourism & Protected Areas Division

To the south of the Causse du Larzac, the trail runs along a ledge overlooking the hamlet of Gourgas. Halfway up the cirque, a trail enters between woods and rocks and crosses the beds of the small tributaries of the Brèze stream: the karstic cave, the Figaret and the Rieussec. Below, the valley opens up to reveal varied landscapes: dark ravines here, bright meadows watered by numerous springs there. The route reaches the Pioch Blanc and then joins the hamlet via the Doumergarie bridge.

The objectives of this hike are to reach Stream on foot from Cantobre as easily as possible, using as many paths as possible, to visit the village of Stream, and to return to Cantobre via the hills, in particular Roc Stream.

In Soubès, follow the signs to the hikers' car park near the Impasse des Garennes retirement home. Then simply follow the yellow markings, passing through the botanical trail and then the old salt road, which leads to the foothills of the Larzac. This walk offers breathtaking views of the Cirque du Bout du Monde before returning to our starting point via the Camin Farrat.

This hike will take you to the Larzac plateau to discover its characteristic landscapes, two of its many chasms and the Mas de Rouquet, a testament to 19th-century agricultural activity.

A superb hike starting from the Aérium de Peyraube. The view over the Arre valley is well worth the climb. Please read the section on practical information regarding herds and Patou dogs carefully.

Surrounded by Austrian black pines and often offering panoramic views, this route invites you to climb higher with every step. You will be able to see the Caroux and Escandorgue mountains and even the Mediterranean Sea. Most of the route is on forest tracks.

A lovely, short and easy walk through the Parlatges forest, amongst the tall Austrian black pines. Most of the route is shaded and the car park at the start has picnic tables.

A magnificent circular route in the southern Cévennes for experienced hikers, offering a wide variety of biotopes and panoramic views. Gorse, beech forests, pine forests and grassy plains await you, dotted with streams and lakes. Discover Pic Saint-Guiral, a pyramid-shaped rock on the grass, as well as Lac des Pises and its astronomical observatory. There are no particular difficulties on this route apart from its length.

Hike in the Notre-Dame de Parlatges National Forest, located on the southern edge of the Causse du Larzac plateau between 300 and 800 metres above sea level. Partly reforested with Austrian black pines, maples and deciduous oaks, it is home to golden eagles and griffon vultures and shelters several protected species such as the spotted salamander. In spring, there is an explosion of scents, particularly with the flowering of broom, coronilla and a large number of aromatic herbs.

Saint-Guiral, the legendary rock of the Aigoual massif, can be reached from the Col de l'Homme Mort. The first part overlooks the upper Vis valley. The view stretches from Pic d'Anjau to the whole of Séranne. From the summit of Saint-Guiral, you can enjoy a 360° view. But you'll need to climb with your hands! In the second part, the trail is off the beaten track and runs alongside the charming Crouzoulous stream. It will take you to the beautiful abandoned farm of Grandesc Haute, lost in the forest.

On the southern edge of the Larzac Plateau, this walk offers magnificent views of the landscapes below the plateau, stretching almost as far as the sea. Part of the route is shaded (pine forest), but generally the vegetation is typical of southern Larzac (dry, open grasslands with a rich and varied flora). Very flower-filled in spring.

An easy and very pleasant walk in spring in a setting typical of southern Larzac. Magnificent views around the Cantercel area. It allows you to discover several unusual spots: the “Aven de Vitalis” karstic cave, the Goutal spring and a boat perched on the mountain...