The Costeplane Waterfalls

Site classified by decree of 9 January 1939.
Facing the Pas-de-la-Tour ravine, in the heart of a magnificent mountain environment, this natural curiosity is clearly visible from the road at the bottom of the valley. These waterfalls are a popular spot for panoramic views. They can also be explored from the village of Lauzet, along pleasant country trails.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 3.73 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,017 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,010 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 3,586 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 2,776 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

The walk starts in the village of Le Lauzet. Park in the car park on Place de la Mairie, behind the church.

(S/E) Leave the car park by walking up Rue du Pied du Village in the opposite direction to the village square, which you’ll leave behind you. Follow this street out of the village towards the cemetery, which you’ll reach continuing in the same direction (west) after passing a stable on your right. As you pass, take a moment to note the encouraging motto inscribed on the lintel above the cemetery gate.
Continue along this road. At the crossroads, turn right and join the old railway line (which has never seen a train) that runs alongside the road to the left.

(1) Take the left-hand track (signposted ‘tunnels’), which is well shaded, running alongside these impressive railway embankments. When you reach a wider clearing, leave the track (at a ‘dead end’ sign; do not go as far as the tunnel you can see) and head down to your left to pass through a small tunnel beneath the track, thus rejoining the road you left earlier. This road naturally leads you to the bridge crossing the Ubaye at a place called Le Moulin. Follow this road, which passes between the two mill houses (recognisable by their millstones).

(2) Just above the upper house, take the path that branches off to the left from the tarmac road. This path rejoins the road further up; follow it uphill to the left until you reach a ford just below the waterfalls.

(3) From the ford, walk back up along the stream to see the waterfalls – a tricky section if you’re with children. The path sometimes runs very close to the waterfalls. A lovely spot for a picnic! Continue uphill along the right-hand bank of the waterfalls to join the road leading from Costeplane to Champcontier. Walk through some old, abandoned meadows (no longer farmed due to the slope) to reach the tarmac road above.

(4) Turn right onto the road leading down to the hamlet of Costeplane.

(5) At the entrance to the hamlet, the path passes beneath the houses. Go round the small shed on the right as you enter the hamlet, then rejoin the path a little further on, past the caravans, heading towards the wash house. Walk alongside the village; on the left you’ll see the old school, then the wash house and the chapel. Join the road further down, which leads down to the medieval bridge known as the “Roman” bridge.

(6) Cross the Ubaye canyon via the Roman bridge and head back up towards the village along the path on your right.

(7) Return to the entrance to the village and head for the car park via Rue d’en Haut on the left, crossing through one of the three cobbled alleyways. Return to the street you set off along to reach the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 3,002 ft - Car park: Place de la Mairie, behind the church
  2. 1 : mi 0.4 - alt. 2,913 ft - Turn left at the junction
  3. 2 : mi 0.84 - alt. 2,825 ft - Path on the left - Ubaye (rivière)
  4. 3 : mi 1.18 - alt. 3,058 ft - Ford
  5. 4 : mi 1.59 - alt. 3,586 ft - Turn right at the road
  6. 5 : mi 2.22 - alt. 3,504 ft - Costeplane
  7. 6 : mi 3.44 - alt. 2,818 ft - Pont Romain sur l'Ubaye.
  8. 7 : mi 3.63 - alt. 3,015 ft - Rue d’en Haut
  9. S/E : mi 3.73 - alt. 3,002 ft - Car park: Place de la Mairie, behind the church

Notes

Drinking water points: fountains and wash houses in the village.
Shelters in the village and hamlets.
No special equipment required apart from your camera!
Do not go into the meadows if there are horses.

Worth a visit

The Costeplane Waterfalls:

Their distinctive feature is the system of groundwater flow on a slope of limestone concretions. Limestone tufa (travertine) is a stratified concretion deposited by an encrusting spring, also known as a petrifying spring. The tufa formation sometimes encloses residual voids (caves). It can also enclose vegetation debris (leaves, branches, trunks) as it progresses, leaving visible traces once the vegetation has decomposed.
At the top of the village of Lauzet, you can see a donkey tether, sealed into the wall of a house, made of travertine.
The Costeplane Waterfalls are located in the Blache ravine and are a remarkable and very popular canyoning site.

The Roman Bridge: Listed site since 1938

Listed as a Historic Monument by decree of 3 November 1987.
The so-called Roman bridge crosses the Ubaye on the road from Lauzet to Costeplane. 22.7 m long and 3.5 m wide, it is supported by a 9 m span ogival arch, which is 40 m above the torrent, making it one of the highest bridges of its time. Of rustic construction, it must be medieval (14th century, but the DIREN gives a broader date range, between the 12th and 15th centuries). It underwent repairs in 1881 and partially collapsed in 1902. Further repairs were carried out in 1975.
It is listed as a historic monument, along with its surroundings, as Roman by mistake. The bridge and its surroundings have been a listed site since 1938.

Its history:
Although known as Roman, this bridge is in fact Romanesque. It provided a link between Boscodon Abbey and Laverq. These two places of worship were part of the Chalaisian abbey complex. According to the Rule of Saint Benedict, the Chalaisian monks lived apart from the world and did not integrate into parish life. Thefirst monks were hermits who settled in Chalais (Voreppe, foothills of the Grande Chartreuse, Isère) in 1101 by the Bishop of Grenoble. They devoted themselves to forestry work and sheep farming.
To consolidate a small community that had settled in Boscodon in 1132, the Bishop of Embrun decided to build an abbey there in 1142 and to join forces with the monks of Chalais. This marked the birth of the Chalaisian order.
Sheep farming forced the monks to practise transhumance, and so several abbeys and priories joined the order in order to establish places of residence no more than a (long) day's walk apart.
There were 10 abbeys: Albeval, Almeval, Notre-Dame de Boscodon, Notre-Dame de Chalais, Clairecombe, Clausonne, Notre-Dame de Lure, Prads, Pierredon, and Valbonne, and 3 priories: Laverq, Paillerol, and Valserres.
The Order of Chalais was eventually absorbed by the Carthusian Order at the beginning of the 13th century.
So we can imagine the herds of the Chalais monks migrating between Boscodon and Laverq, crossing the "Roman" bridge at Lauzet 900 years ago!

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 35 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
User 14162235

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 20, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello, We did this route as a family with our 9-year-old daughter, who isn’t a big fan of walking. No particular difficulties. The signposting stops at point 4, where you need to follow the directions and not the yellow markings. At point 5, it might be better to stick to the road, as it feels like you’re walking across someone’s private terrace. There’s even a short stretch with brambles (luckily we had walking poles). There is indeed quite a lot of road walking.

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User 25078271

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 12, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely route, which can be done in either direction...
You’ll need to ask for directions if you park in the centre of Le Lauzet, but you’ll find your way quickly, and the climb is pleasant, offering lovely views of the waterfalls.... Unless it’s very hot, I’d recommend starting the climb through the forest and past the waterfalls, even if that means the descent is along a tarmac path to the Roman bridge and the village....You’ll emerge in front of the little lake at Lauzet, which is perfect for a picnic, a swim or simply relaxing....
The GPX track from Visorando is sometimes very useful given the number of small side paths that appear here and there, even though the route is well signposted.
A pleasant walk with lovely views!

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Delasu
Delasu

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 18, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk.
We enjoyed it.
Thanks for the route

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User 14521233

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

Very interesting first part, second part, descent by road, asphalt for half of the route

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Chantal la Randonneuse
Chantal la Randonneuse
• Edited:

Change in route between points 3 and 4. New GR signposting.

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bellou45
bellou45

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike, even if the return journey is along a road that is very quiet at this time of year.

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Chantal la Randonneuse
Chantal la Randonneuse

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike, superb views of the waterfall.

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Gigi 25
Gigi 25

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very pretty waterfalls. The only downside is the rather long stretch along the road

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User 5337578

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant little walk, fairly shaded on the way up. However, the descent is almost entirely on a small, quiet tarmac road (we didn't see any cars).
Beautiful view of the waterfall on the way up.

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cecileetgilles
cecileetgilles

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Pretty waterfalls provide welcome stops on the way up, followed by a return trip along a quiet little road.

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michel5020
michel5020
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Once you've passed the waterfalls, there are no signposts, which is a shame. We had to search around to find a way to a beautiful picnic spot above the waterfall, where children can swim. Then the climb back up to the 'normal' route and the return loop was a bit tough. I found this hike quite difficult in places, so I would recommend taking walking sticks.

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patricebeaufort
patricebeaufort

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

hike completed the day after heavy rain, breathtaking route on the way up, quite technical for those lacking flexibility, superb waterfalls, the descent by road is relaxing and offers beautiful views, highly recommended and to be repeated as soon as possible

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MireilleMichel
MireilleMichel

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

The loop is only interesting in its first part, after the beautiful waterfalls and the climb back up to the road. The return trip is uninteresting, consisting of road after road until you reach the Roman bridge.

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Bâton
Bâton

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We lost our way and found the trail again thanks to other hikers who had a connection and could use the app. They were also lost. We had climbed too high along the stream. The intersection to rejoin the road was not signposted.

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marrirando
marrirando

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike that is not to be missed.
Don't hesitate to get your feet wet to admire the waterfall. (Be careful, the water is extremely cold, even in August, but it's refreshing.)
Follow the stream upstream, but be careful, as crossing the abandoned meadows can be a bit tricky. This mistake led us to discover an unexpected waterfall (a little gem) and a welcome dip in the hot weather (31°C)
Take the small road back down to Costeplane and then YACA, following the directions on VISORANDO.

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