Rain water reservoirs carved into rock

A magnificent hike that will take you to several magical sites in the Gard department. This hike is best done in spring, when water is still flowing in the Aiguières waterfalls, where the colour of the water will amaze you and make you forget the difficulty of the route.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 15.26 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 448 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 446 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 318 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 126 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the public car park at Hameau de Cal. If possible, park on the right-hand side of the trees so that your vehicle will be in the shade when you return in the afternoon.

(S/E) Head to the back of the car park where a sign indicates that it is not possible to reach Les Aiguières by car. Continue along this path to the dry river bed.

(1) Cross the dry riverbed and take the path on the right. Follow it until it rejoins the dry riverbed, cross the river and take the path that climbs to the right. Follow this path as it climbs, always taking the right-hand fork at each junction. You will reach a crossroads at the foot of Mont Lansac.

(2) This time, turn left onto a quieter path that offers some beautiful views. Follow it until you reach a small clearing.

(3) Look for the small path that disappears into the bushes at the bottom on the left. This will lead you to a trail that descends towards Les Petites Aiguières. Be careful, as this trail is quite steep until you reach the Cascades des Petites Aiguières waterfalls.

(4) After carefully admiring the view, head back in the opposite direction towards the river, which you will need to follow. Once again, be careful: there is no path here and you will have to jump from stone to stone to walk up the river, sometimes risking getting your feet wet. Proceed with the utmost caution so as not to slip down to the bottom of the valley.
Look for a small path that climbs up to the left of the river. This will take you into the woods on a fairly peaceful path between the trees. You will come to a crossroads with several directions.

(5) Take the path on the right between two large trees. Follow the river to reach the Grandes Aiguières.

(6) Return in the opposite direction to the previous crossroads.

(5) Turn right and you will soon reach a wider track.

(7) Turn right onto it, then leave it on the left at the next bend. Continue downhill through the forest until you reach the bridge over the Ruisseau de l'Argensol.

(8) Cross the bridge and turn left to follow the right bank of the stream. At the edge of the woods, you will find a Y-shaped crossroads.

(9) Take the small path on the right that winds its way up to the car park below the Château d'Allègre.

(10) Cross theD37 with caution and take the path opposite to reach Château d'Allègre. Continue on to reach the D37 again and another car park.

(11) Cross the D37 again with caution. Follow the marked path down to the hamlet of La Bégude.

(12) Turn left onto the Défilé d'Argensol path. Follow the gentle climb back to the Y-junction you passed earlier.

(9) Continue along the stream for a few more metres, then turn right and cross the stream. Continue uphill until you reach the highest point.

(13) Continue straight ahead and begin the final descent back to the initial crossroads.

(1) Follow the initial route for a few metres to return to the car park in the hamlet of Cal (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 145 m - Car park at the hamlet of Cal
  2. 1 : km 0.16 - alt. 143 m - Crossroads of the circular loop
  3. 2 : km 2.04 - alt. 299 m - Below Mont Lansac
  4. 3 : km 2.9 - alt. 290 m - Clearing
  5. 4 : km 3.29 - alt. 195 m - Petites Aiguières waterfalls
  6. 5 : km 3.98 - alt. 206 m - Grandes Aiguières crossroads
  7. 6 : km 4.45 - alt. 208 m - Grandes Aiguières
  8. 7 : km 5.44 - alt. 226 m - Track junction
  9. 8 : km 6.83 - alt. 155 m - Bridge over the - Argensol (cours d'eau) - Affluent de l'Auzon
  10. 9 : km 7.65 - alt. 147 m - Y-junction
  11. 10 : km 8.84 - alt. 233 m - 1st car park D37 - Château d'Allègre
  12. 11 : km 9.47 - alt. 222 m - 2nd car park D37 - Château d'Allègre
  13. 12 : km 11.16 - alt. 127 m - La Bégude
  14. 13 : km 14.13 - alt. 235 m - High point
  15. S/E : km 15.26 - alt. 144 m - Return to the hamlet of Cal

Notes

Between (10) and (11) at Château d'Allègre: on arrival, a path on the right will also allow the more adventurous to reach the Chapelle Saint-Saturnin. The path leading there is quite steep and exhausting, but the views are remarkable.

Worth a visit

(4) The Petites Aiguières waterfall: admire it, but be very careful because of the drop.
(6) A small, barely visible path allows you to climb up on the left. It is steep but very short and leads to a ledge from where you can admire the Grandes Aiguières and their magical colours.
Shortly afterwards (7), take advantage of the tables at a hut to eat and rest.
Between (10) and (11) Le Château d'Allègre, enjoy the beauty of the site.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 21 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.7 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
Ma Mie
Ma Mie

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A lovely, enjoyable walk. Don’t forget to bring a spare pair of shoes.
It’s worth going as far as St Saturnin Chapel.
The Château d’Allègre is a surprising site
Just a quick note: you can’t really say the tables at the hut are in any condition after the 7th!!!!

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BEDOLIS DANIEL
BEDOLIS DANIEL

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 06, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk for the day, but you’d better have the Visorando app or you might end up going the wrong way.

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User 15045168

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 10, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

It’s a shame that the whole section from 9 to 10 has been completely cleared of trees. Take care in hot weather.
For my part, at La Bégude I carried on via Arlende and, at the exit, I took a path on the left which allowed me to avoid part of the track.

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gleyzon
gleyzon

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 26, 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
Lovely scenery

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fidu
fidu

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 01, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely hike, though the descent is a bit stony so take care. A helicopter came to pick up some hikers following a sprain… Very accessible, though, if you’re careful. .I did this on 1 May, so it was quite busy. I agree with the previous reviews. We set off in the morning and, as it was spring, there were no issues with the heat. As ‘boubou’ points out in Les Aiguieres, don’t head up to your left at the start after crossing the riverbed, as it might seem. Stay in the riverbed for a short while, alternating between the left and right sides of the river.

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Sylvie Jz
Sylvie Jz
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

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

The first part of the route to Les Aiguières is very, very busy; there are few signposts, so we had to ask other walkers for directions (!) because, even with the GPS track, it was hard to find our way.
We had a picnic on the table at the hut marked No. 7, which is actually just before No. 8.
At No. 9, there is a clearing, and the path indicated in the description must have disappeared or must be right on the edge. The small path a little further on, which we took by mistake, led us right through the middle of private property.

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Seve1972
Seve1972

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 27, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk. The waterfalls are stunning in spring, with a rich variety of wildlife (lots of butterflies, birds, fish, frogs, and more).
The route is challenging at the start, so many people do it in reverse. Half the route is in full sun, so it’s best to set off early in the morning. We recommend sturdy footwear as there are plenty of stones, even on the forest path.
We didn’t complete the circular route to the Château as there was still a steep climb in full sun.
Highly recommended!

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PIERRE MONNIER
PIERRE MONNIER

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 05, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely spring walk on a warm, sunny day. The route is superb. The river and waterfalls are well worth the trip. Don’t hesitate to follow the river to find the way back. Perhaps a bit of a workout for us older folk, but not really difficult.
A must-do.
PP and MM

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boubbou.com
boubbou.com

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

A magnificent route with those two unmissable viewpoints at Les Aiguières, it’s a shame to start with the most beautiful part, but I’m not sure the sun will be in the right spot if you do the circular route in reverse; although there are very few signposts along the route, the path is fairly well marked by itself, except just after point 4 where, if you believe the map, you might think you need to climb the scree to the left – this is certainly a GPS approximation, you mustn’t go up there under any circumstances as it’s a dead end leading to a rather dangerous rock face; stay in the riverbed and you’ll find the path on the left a little further on. It’s best to wear water shoes so you can stay in the river; superb view of the castle with a very detailed orientation table

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pp34
pp34
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 31, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

There were few people on the trail, with strong winds and a cloudless sky. The water in the Aiguiéres was incredibly clear.
Doing this hike in such conditions is a unique experience.

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User 4421368

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 02, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, you have to follow the instructions on the map carefully, but it's really worth it! Beautiful scenery and so peaceful. To get to Château Allègre, you have to cross private property. There are dogs there, they're not vicious but they might surprise you!

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jcg30vers
jcg30vers

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 05, 2026
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Hike done with GPS, getting your feet wet (in winter) isn't very appealing, the rain water reservoirs carved into rock are worth seeing, but too many firebreaks... I wouldn't recommend it...

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jeani84
jeani84

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great hike, we shortened it a bit because I don't walk as fast as the other hiker.
We did it this weekend, and I'd like to do it again in the spring.
have a nice day

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Claucl
Claucl

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

poorly marked route, with numerous paths leading off in all directions, GPS essential

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ROSES
ROSES

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 31, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A superb hike with beautiful sights along the way. A GPS is essential to avoid getting lost.
Avoid this route in hot weather, or bring your swimming costume! It also gets busier when the weather is nice and warm.

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