The Païolive Woods

Discover a particularly interesting wood above the town of Les Vans.
Comments about this route: I did this route in 2013, and it turns out that some signs have been added since then (signposts and probably markings), which is to be expected. Hikers can then explore other trails but will always find something unique and interesting in this remarkable wood, with no chance of getting lost.

Details

42580
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.69 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 509 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 499 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 827 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 489 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the square by the church in Chassagnes.

(S/E) Head due east down the narrow streets and join the main road to Chassagnes, the D259A. Turn right onto it heading due south, pass the town hall, cross the village and join a wide, very stony track.

(1) Continue heading due south up a short climb until you reach another track, which runs level.
Turn left onto it and head towards the Saint Eugène hermitage.

(2) Carry on for about 200 metres to reach a wide clearing overlooking Chassagnes. Retrace your steps and turn left onto a well-marked blue trail which leads to a point of interest: La Gleysasse, a viewpoint and cave

(3) Stay on the path which, running along a ledge, majestically overlooks the meandering Chassezac; this is theGR®®4. You will then reach a crossroads.

(4) Ignore theGR®®4straight ahead and turn right onto the path marked J (Yellow). Take care here: do not pay attention to the Yellow Cross on the right. You’ll reach a place called Les Trois Seigneurs, a major crossroads of paths (where you’ll rejoin theGR®®4).

(5) Ignore this junction again and turn left, cross the road, and head for the Les Clairières car park. Follow the green markings – this is the ‘Sentier de la Vierge’

(6). This path forms a circular route that returns to the car park.
Cross the road again to return to the Trois Seigneurs junction.

(5). Then turn left onto theGR®®4. Stay on this for about 1 km, leaving the uphill track on your right, until you reach a good path just before the D901.

(7) Take this path to the right and, following the yellow markings, head towards the clearly visible Chapel of Sainte Philomène.
At the chapel below, the path joins the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 627 ft - Car park at Chassagnes Church
  2. 1 : mi 0.26 - alt. 515 ft - Chassagnes crossroads
  3. 2 : mi 0.98 - alt. 745 ft - Ermitage Saint-Eugène (Les Vans)
  4. 3 : mi 1.88 - alt. 748 ft - La Gleysasse. View of the gorges of the - Chassezac (rivière)
  5. 4 : mi 2.35 - alt. 666 ft - Crossroads
  6. 5 : mi 2.94 - alt. 676 ft - Carrefour des Trois Seigneurs
  7. 6 : mi 3.54 - alt. 728 ft - The Virgin
  8. 7 : mi 5.02 - alt. 804 ft - Crossroads for Sainte Philomène
  9. S/E : mi 5.69 - alt. 627 ft - Car park at Chassagnes Church

Notes

No water source.
Caution: The cliffside section requires particular vigilance if you are hiking with children.

Worth a visit

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 166 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
Martine Desicy
Martine Desicy

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A walk along the cliff top, with splendid views. The terrain is very uneven, so watch your step – and stay well clear of the edge!

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MickaelB
MickaelB

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 05, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely little walk (scenery, views)

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User 30050273

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk through the forest, with magnificent views of the river and an undulating route.
You’ll need to be in good physical condition and wear suitable footwear.

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User 15165909

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk with beautiful views of the Chassezac and the route through the labyrinth of limestone formations.
Absolutely stunning.

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chrislaut
chrislaut

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Whilst the highlight is the view over the Chassezac Gorges – a spot that’s sure to be busy – the rest of the walk is very pleasant, particularly through the karst landscapes of the Bois de Païolive. (Access to the hermitage is private.)

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User 15165909

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Do not use in very hot weather.

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mifa38320
mifa38320

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 01, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike taken in early May. The paths were wet due to heavy rain. An interesting hike thanks to the varied scenery. A hike with little elevation gain

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ferrari174
ferrari174

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 15, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A truly lovely walk

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AgnèsDess73
AgnèsDess73
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 24, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk.
This woodland is really lovely, with a beautiful view of the Chassezac halfway along the route.
No difficulty at all, but the app is very useful for staying on the right path in places...

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Perdigal
Perdigal

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 02, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike, but be aware that once you load the GPX file onto the app, you will notice that it draws quite a few straight lines.
As a result, your route will be closer to 12 km than the advertised 9 km.

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nicoprad
nicoprad

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

A magical route!
Lots of stones on the ground, so slippery when wet. No one else around at this time of year... perfect!

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VirginieLax
VirginieLax

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hiking in an enchanted forest with magnificent views along the way, especially along the cliff edge.
Simply superb, with each section offering its own charm.
The Virgin's Circular requires a little more time to savour this extraordinary place.
We took longer than the time indicated.
Not very busy considering the time of year.
Thank you for this beautiful hike 🤩👍🏻

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Chavezdominguez
Chavezdominguez

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A big thank you to the author. We enjoyed ourselves from start to finish... A magnificent hike with autumn colours to enjoy again and again. Everything was perfect. An easy hike. Just a word of caution for those who want to do it with children: there are places where there are holes and cliff edges, so be careful. And the Païolive section is child's play, which children will love, but be careful not to lose them. Lol.

A real treat!!!!! Recommended in spring or autumn and even in summer as it is shaded...

Many thanks and well done to the author....

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BernardPCT
BernardPCT

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Stunning and very varied. The view of the Chassezac Gorges is breathtaking

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BernardPCT
BernardPCT

Absolutely splendid and incredibly varied. The passage above the Chassezac Gorges is truly beautiful

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