Las Costes in Castelnau-d'Arbieu

A very pleasant circular route, beautiful views of the valleys and, halfway along the route, a wide panorama of the Pyrenees on a clear day. Castelnau-d'Arbieu, a picturesque little village where silence reigns supreme when the boules court is still deserted.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.69 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 163 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 163 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 211 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 87 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure from the village square in front of the town hall.

(S/E) Take the street to the left of the town hall, pass in front of the boules court and follow the road to the cemetery below. Go around the cemetery and take the dirt track.

(1) At the first three-way junction, turn right, then at the second three-way junction, turn right again onto the downhill path to the Verger farm.

(2) Go around the farm on the left, then turn right, continue for a few dozen metres and turn left. The path (not shown on the IGN map) climbs between the fields, then branches off to the right and then left again. Go down the path towards the Berry farm, then continue along the gravel path to the tarmac road.

(3) Turn right and stay on this road until you reach the junction with another road of the same type. Turn left and ignore the path that branches off to the right. Continue until you reach the bridge over a stream.

(4) Take the tree-lined path on the right a few metres before the bridge. Stay on this shaded path and walk alongside the hamlet of La Balère. Just after the hamlet, keep going and continue on this path until you reach the tarmac road.

(5) Turn left, cross the hamlet of Aurenque, pass in front of the church and take the road on the right uphill to the crossroads at the Barthère farm.

(6) Ignore the road that branches off to the left and continue straight ahead. Pass in front of the Barthère farm and take the path opposite. Stay on this path, which runs between the fields, keeping to the same direction. It is a little difficult to find your way, as farm machinery has opened up other paths and there are almost no markings. Continue along this path until you reach the small tarmac road that leads to Château les Canères.

(7) Take the path opposite. Please note that there are no markings.
Continue along this mostly shaded path until you reach the junction with a tarmac road between the hamlet of Arnaud and the Mouné farm. Turn right and cross the hamlet of Arnaud.

(8) Take the path that branches off to the left after the hamlet at the right-angle bend in the road. Continue along this path (not shown on the IGN map), which is not very well maintained and poorly marked, until you reach the junction with the tarmac road leading to the village of Castelnau d'Arbieu. Turn right, continue straight on to the village and arrive at the central square in front of the town hall (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 201 m - Central square of the village
  2. 1 : km 0.47 - alt. 185 m - Crossroads of paths at the cemetery.
  3. 2 : km 1.53 - alt. 139 m - Ferme le Verger
  4. 3 : km 2.79 - alt. 126 m - Crossroads before Arriouau
  5. 4 : km 4.09 - alt. 88 m - Path on the right before the bridge.
  6. 5 : km 5.42 - alt. 92 m - Turn left towards the hamlet of Aurenque.
  7. 6 : km 7.51 - alt. 180 m - Crossroads at Ferme Barthère
  8. 7 : km 8.57 - alt. 202 m - Crossroads of the road to Les Canères castle.
  9. 8 : km 9.94 - alt. 176 m - Path on the left after the hamlet of Arnaud.
  10. S/E : km 11.69 - alt. 201 m - Arrival at the village's central square.

Notes

- Lack of signage on the route in several places. A map of the route is essential.

Worth a visit

- Picnic area at the wash house in the village of Aurenque.

- Before (6) and until (7): wide panorama of the Pyrenees.

- Hamlet of Aurenque with its wash house, mill and dam on the Gers river.

- Village of Castelnau-d'Arbieu.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 9 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
pierreb04
pierreb04

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We started the route from Aurenque (point 5) for ease of access and parking from Fleurance. The route is straightforward, just follow the map, but recent signposting also helps. From point 5, you cross the main elevation gain of the route and then let yourself be guided gently by the terrain through the Gers countryside. The village of Catelnau d'Arbieu is pleasant with its well-restored old houses and was very lively when we passed through around midday. It is a perfect route in early spring or late autumn as there is no shade.

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leloclefregimont47
leloclefregimont47

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello!
We did this route on a beautiful day in May (avoid doing it in very hot weather or after heavy rain). Magnificent nature, beautiful landscapes, reliable description (but GPS is still useful).
The only downside: at point 8, we had a lot of trouble on the recommended trail because it was not maintained (walking through tall grass, with the fear of ticks in particular). In our opinion, it would have been better to return via the small road between the hamlet of Arnaud and the Mouné farm.
But overall, our impression remains very positive! Thank you!

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JMJ31
JMJ31

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Took this route yesterday on a beautiful January day. Not too muddy, but I don't think it would have been a good idea to do it earlier after the rains in December and January. The end of the route between Aurenque and Castelnau was magical.
Beautiful sunset with the Pyrenees in the background. However, in Aurenque, the climb after the convent on the GR Coeur de Gascogne is really tough! The signposting is very good... no worries, and the GPS is very useful nonetheless.

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Marc corbeels
Marc corbeels

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike offering superb scenery. Start early in the morning to avoid the midday sun. Poor signposting.

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gielbe
gielbe

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 21, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A minor issue with the signposting near the hamlet of La Balère. A sign is clearly missing.

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simann
simann

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 25, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

An easy walk with beautiful scenery and lovely views of the Gers hillsides, but with a lot of tarmac roads. Do not rely on the local signposting, which is very unreliable, as is the case with many walks in the Gers, unlike in Lot-et-Garonne.

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Speedy Gonzales
Speedy Gonzales

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 17, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike but with little shade, so it's best to do it in the morning. However, it is very poorly signposted. Fortunately, we had the app to follow the route.

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masquerecathy
masquerecathy

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 04, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk on the hillsides of the Gers.

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Puzac
Puzac

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 08, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

The route is not busy, but see the date of the hike...

Poorly marked on the ground, but very reliable and well laid out on the GPX, thank you and well done!

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