The Cirque de Navacelles

This walk takes place entirely within the "Les Causses et les Cévennes" site, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From Navacelles, you climb up the Gorges de la Vis to its resurgence. After visiting the Moulins de la Foux, the return journey halfway up the southern slope of the Causse de Blandas offers spectacular views of the Gorges de la Vis and the Cirque de Navacelles.
You have to walk in the Cirque de Navacelles at least once in your life, that's all there is to it! Don't think twice: just go!

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.33 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 242 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 245 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 493 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 323 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Moderator's warning on 08/02/2021: See reviews for this date. The bridge over the Vis seems to have disappeared.
Author's note: Since March 2021, numerous reviews have confirmed the existence of this bridge made of natural rocks and slabs; see in particular the review dated 13 July 2024: For those who have doubts given the moderator's comment, there are indeed bridges on either side to cross the river, and they have never disappeared in 800 years. It's an original idea to go for a walk in the gorges on a day when the river is high!

Yellow and red signposts

(S/E) In Navacelles, follow the right bank of the Vis towards the west. Leave the old stone bridge on your right. Continue on a track along the riverbank until you reach the D130E7.

(1) Take it on the left and reach the Truque crossroads (signposted "Croisement de la Foux 4 km").

(2) Take the path on the right. Descend to the right bank of the Vis and continue in the shade of the willows and alders of the riparian forest. After several bends, climb up and reach a fork (signpost "Moulins de la Foux 0.1 km").

Yellow markings

(3) Go down to the right and reach the Moulins de la Foux (signpost for "Navacelles 4 km"). Cross the Vis river on a bridge and take the path on the right. At the fork, go left through the woods and come out on a bend in the D713 on the slopes of Navacelles (signpost "Navacelles 2.9 km").

(4) Take this road to the right and descend for 300 m. You will reach a fork at a place called Les Bayrades.

(5) Turn left onto a path on the hillside. After a right-hand bend, continue along the Combe du Four. You will reach the fork at Mas de Guillou.

White and red markings

(6) Descend to the right. After two hairpin bends, you will reach some houses. Turn right, cross an old stone bridge over the Vis and reach Navacelles (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 326 m - Navacelles - Cirque de Navacelles
  2. 1 : km 1.24 - alt. 335 m - Junction with the D130E7 - Vis (rivière)
  3. 2 : km 1.59 - alt. 370 m - Carrefour de la Truque
  4. 3 : km 5.49 - alt. 390 m - Crossroads at La Foux - Vis (rivière)
  5. 4 : km 6.65 - alt. 493 m - Slopes of Navacelles
  6. 5 : km 7.05 - alt. 455 m - Les Bayrades
  7. 6 : km 8.82 - alt. 377 m - Mas de Guillou
  8. S/E : km 9.33 - alt. 326 m - Navacelles - Cirque de Navacelles

Notes

Hike completed by the author on 29/08/2020.

Warning: In the description of this route, Hérault Tourisme specifies that it is a route that is prone to flooding during heavy rain.

This route follows the GRP® Tour du Larzac Méridional and thePR® Cirque de Navacelles. Its description can be found in the TopoGuide "Le Languedoc et le Roussillon à pied" published by the Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre under reference RE13.

Shortly after the Croisement de la Foux (3): a slippery slope is equipped with a rope.

Navacelles: (S/E) picnic area, toilets, stopover lodge, hotel, cafés, restaurants, guest rooms.

Moulins de la Foux, shortly after (3): shelter, table.

BE A GOOD CITIZEN: Be vigilant about fire safety and eco-friendly behaviour.

Special mention for autumn, which offers optimal conditions in terms of colours, temperatures and visitor numbers.

Worth a visit

The Causses and the Cévennes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

All along the route, panoramic views of the gorges and meanders of the Vis.

Shortly after the Croisement de la Foux (3):
- La Foux, resurgence of the Vis: the river abandons its aerial course after the village of Alzon, reappearing here in a spectacular waterfall after a 13 km underground journey. A siphon, which remains intact to this day, prevents the exploration of the underground waters for just over a kilometre.
- Moulins de la Foux (in Occitan: le grand trou): built in the 17th century, they ceased to operate after damage sustained during the floods of 1907. They have been partially restored and house a permanent exhibition that is free to visit, which the author invites you to explore.

Dry stone shelters between (5) and (6): vineyards and orchards once occupied these south-facing slopes. The "Chemin des Vignes" is lined with old vineyard huts built of dry stone or limestone rubble (masets). Each maset houses a water tank.

From (5) to (E): panoramic views of the Cirque de Navacelles.

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

4.8 / 5
Based on 81 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
ClocloRa
ClocloRa

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A lovely walk.
Beautiful views, a wide variety of flora.
Easy to do with the family.

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PH84
PH84

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 : No

A very beautiful spot, an easy route to follow, thanks to both the Visorando instructions and the on-ground markings; pleasant even in summer thanks to the shaded areas and the nearby stream; not very busy when we were there but much busier in summer; suitable for pets; the ford was poorly signposted but was the only way forward after trying several unsuccessful routes. Plenty of places to have a picnic; a truly lovely walk

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Rurustl
Rurustl

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A lovely family walk: the first section follows the River Vis. When we reached the Moulin de la Foux, we really enjoyed seeing the millstones... it was very informative. The climb that follows isn’t very difficult, and the descent towards the hamlet of Navacelles offers a lovely view of the cirque. The path down is very stony. Thank you for sharing this walk; it was really lovely.

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Elise974
Elise974

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 21, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

I really enjoyed this walk, the scenery and the fascinating history of the mill, which you can learn about on site thanks to the information boards.
My only regret is that the stated elevation gain wasn’t accurate; I covered 130m instead of the 240m advertised, so the hike—or rather, long walk—was quicker than expected (2 hours 15 minutes at a leisurely pace). In my opinion, it should be classified as ‘easy’ rather than ‘moderate’.
If I’d known, I would have chosen a more substantial one; as it was, I spent too little time in this magnificent cirque...

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jean laure
jean laure

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 16, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk

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User 21210841

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 16, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with stunning scenery and a very interesting visit to the mill. There were very few people on this route due to it being winter; it’s likely to be very busy in the summer months. Please note that those prone to vertigo should take precautions, as the return journey over the scree slopes may pose difficulties for those not used to the mountains. One option, however, is to take the return route in the opposite direction to the outward journey, via the path running alongside the river.

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User 14766681

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Great

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User 28061856

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike on a lovely, sunny November day.

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User 28057233

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant walk along a gentle river, through varied landscapes and with visits to some particularly interesting mills.
The atmosphere is beautiful in autumn, and one can imagine that the site must be very popular in spring and summer.

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nono61
nono61

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A magnificent site to see, one of the most beautiful sites in France.

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User 11199574

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, with the first part through the woods along the Vis River. This section is pleasant and very relaxing.
The climb after Moulin de la Foux is quite steep, but not very long.
Numerous views of the Cirque de Navacelles.

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User 19574898

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike, rounded off with a view from the lookout points (for example in Blandas)

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User 27566729

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb hike in the Cirque de Moureze. The trail is very well marked, the scenery is magnificent, and the circuit is a good length, taking 3 to 3½ hours

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User 14933478

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Beautiful hike around the Navacelles cirque.
Beware of the heat...

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tcanler
tcanler

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Short, shaded hike on a large hillside with a slight incline after the mill, following the route recommended by Visorando.

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