The Chapels and Vineyards of Estaing

An interesting hike overlooking the Lot valley, the village and the Estaing valley, discovering two authentic chapels.

Details

52844
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.10 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 232 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 222 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 411 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 315 m

Photos

Description of the walk

(S/E) From the car park, take Rue Principale to the Tourist Office. Continue to the mini-market. Turn right onto Rue Saint Fleuret, then Rue d'Oultre for 150 metres. Turn left up Impasse Lesieur. Continue climbing up a grassy path (beautiful views of the medieval town of Estaing and the Lot Valley). At the first crossroads (the ridge path is on the right), turn left onto Chemin de l'Ouradou. Continue along the hillside through the woods towards the chapel.

(1) At the fork before the chapel, turn left onto a dirt track leading down to Carmarans (an old medieval hermitage and Renaissance residences) and continue to the hamlet.

(2) Before the hamlet, climb 50 metres to the right, then follow the "Rocher des Croix" path. Pass a second rocky outcrop and descend towards the D920 after leaving the stream on your right. You will reach the Chapelle del Dol (Chapel of Mourning) at the bridge.

(3) Continue along the road towards Estaing for about 300 metres (be very careful, walk inside the metal guardrails).

(4) Cross carefully and turn left to climb back up to Camarans via a grassy path lined with box trees.

(2) Head back up to L'Ouradou via the same path you took on the way there. Pass in front of the chapel (which you can visit; ask at the Tourist Office for details). Continue to the D97 at the first crossroads you took on the way there.

(1) Cross carefully and take the grassy path opposite to Mal Pas.

(5) After the housing estate, continue to the right until you reach the D167. Follow it to the right towards Estaing and the car park where you started (S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 318 m - Car park
  2. 1 : km 1.95 - alt. 386 m - Chapel of Ouradou
  3. 2 : km 3.36 - alt. 339 m - Carmarans
  4. 3 : km 4.21 - alt. 318 m - Del Dol Chapel
  5. 4 : km 4.58 - alt. 315 m - D920 Carmarans crossroads
  6. 5 : km 7.02 - alt. 348 m - Mal Pas
  7. S/E : km 8.1 - alt. 319 m - Car park

Notes

Markings: Yellow.

Worth a visit

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 16 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.1 / 5
Merillon
Merillon

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Closed circuit starting from the Chapel of Dol. Locally, information is unclear. We returned via the same route we took on the way there. This also meant we avoided taking the road.

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Marc40
Marc40

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

I found this hike rather uninteresting. The almost incessant noise of road traffic along much of the route is unpleasant and prevents you from feeling like you are in nature. The 400 or 500 metres back along the road are frankly unpleasant and unsafe.

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DL71
DL71
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Please note that on the day we did this route, 26/6/2024, part of the return route from the Chapel del Dol was closed (closed since January 2024 and no information available at the visitor centre).
To return, we opted to go back to Carmarans via the path we had taken to get to the chapel. Walking along the road behind the safety barrier is difficult due to lack of maintenance.

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randobambi
randobambi
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

A magnificent and easy hike with superb scenery. It's a shame that a municipal by-law prohibits the ascent to Camarans (point 4) and that we had to finish the hike along the busy road to Estaing for several kilometres.

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Aubrac 273
Aubrac 273

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Lovely panoramic view of the village of Estaing; Continue through the Lot valley with glimpses
of old wine terraces.

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Bonhomme08
Bonhomme08

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A varied hike offering beautiful views of the Lot and Estaing. There is also a lovely section through the forest.

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mesangère
mesangère

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lovely view of Estaing on the first climb. Overall, a pleasant, shaded walk with two beautiful chapels along the route and a lovely view of the Lot. The end of the route is not particularly interesting.

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sergev
sergev

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant, shaded walk. Lovely views of Estaing at the start, then of the Lot valley (not really any vineyards, except to remember the days when they used to cover the slopes). A very nice break near the Dol chapel. Take care with the traffic when crossing the road before leaving the Lot and continuing the circular route

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Blacaïn
Blacaïn

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 04, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great view for those who aren't afraid of a bit of a climb.
I did the hike in January and the terrain was very passable (not too muddy!). The village of Estaing itself is worth a visit!

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Liseron
Liseron

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The first part to the chapel is fine. But the last stage on the way back is uninteresting: you cross a housing estate and then finish the route along the road. It seems more pleasant to do the return trip along the same route.

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hmduperray
hmduperray

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 21, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

Easy hike. After the second chapel, we turned back to avoid the section on the road.

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marayney
marayney

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 24, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A lovely walk with a bird's-eye view of the Lot valley.
Very reliable route
3½ hours including a picnic break!
To start, leave the town hall and tourist office behind you and walk down the street towards the Lot.
The street is on the right, 100 metres opposite the grocery shop!
If anyone is doing this walk in the next few days, I lost a pair of glasses on the route.
Just in case!
Thanks in advance!

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Helene102
Helene102

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 13, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very pleasant hike. The trail is clearly marked. Much of the route is shaded, which is welcome when it's hot.
The only downside is that the box tree moth has ravaged everything: in mid-August, we had to slalom between the caterpillars hanging from the trees on threads. As for the dead box trees, it's a sight of desolation.
We took 4 hours at a leisurely pace.

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jp4662
jp4662

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 13, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very pleasant hike with several lovely viewpoints.
Mostly shaded and well signposted overall.
The only slight hesitation was at the first chapel, which we didn't see at first.
Additional information: goose paste: on the left, towards the campsite; on the right, the path to take.
On the way back, when we passed this chapel again, we took the same path as on the way there, as the planned return route looked mostly tarmac.

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Gerard  Droin 06
Gerard Droin 06

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 21, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Departure opposite the Vival mini-market; Rue Saint Fleuret (the old pharmacy is no longer exciting).

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