Puy des Gouttes, Beauregard and SHHH!

At the Vulcania roundabout, take the D559 towards Chanat-la-Mouteyre and you will find the hikers' car park 200 metres further on, on the left.

Red and white^GR®® trail markers

(DA) With your back to the road, take the wide path at the end of the car park, passing an information panel about the Volcanoes Natural Park, then go through a gate. Ignore a path on the right. You will come to a crossroads at the Puy de Chaumont signpost

(1), continue straight ahead towards Puy des Gouttes. Shortly afterwards, ignore a path on the right.

(2) Immediately afterwards, leave the wide path and take a trail on the left. Cross a footbridge, then climb through the beech forest, following the markings. Reach the summit of Puy des Gouttes.

(3) Continue along the single path to descend, passing a small bog and then a footbridge. You will arrive at an intersection at the Puy Chopine signpost.

^PR®® Green markings

Leave the^GR®® and turn left, following the direction indicated by a small green^PR®® sign. Further down, leave the forest and arrive at a T-junction.

^GR®® red and whitemarkings

(4) Find the^GR®® markings and leave the green ones by turning right. At the fork in the path, keep left, then at the next fork, keep right. Ignore three paths leading off to the left and reach the hamlet of Beauregard, at the signpost of the same name, with a fountain and an old shepherd's caravan.

(5) To visit the hamlet, turn left, walk a short distance to the first street on the left and back, to see a collection of watering cans, then take the next street on the left. Turn left at the intersection, pass a spring, reach the exit of the hamlet, opposite a drinking fountain and an old farm building, and turn right. You will arrive at the wash house and fountain. Turn right and walk a few metres back and forth on Rue des Ravas on the right to see a pretty façade. Back in front of the wash house, continue to the right to reach the Beauregard marker. Note the communal oven, a beautiful house and a wash house on the left.

There are no signposts, but there are a few directional markers

(5) Go straight ahead on the small road, Rue du Puy de Jumes, towards Puy de Louchadière. Ignore a path on the left, then one on the right. At the end of the tarmac road, continue along the path and ignore another path on the left. You will arrive at a crossroads with four paths, next to Thierry Courtadon's sculpture CHUT !

(6) Turn right towards Bois de Clermont. Ignore a path on the left and another further on, at the directional signs. Continue towards Bois de Clermont until you reach the next path on the left.

Mountain bike markings

(7) Take this path, between a wood on your left and a small field on your right. It is marked MTB no. 15 and 7. Ignore a path on the left and continue straight ahead, following the MTB markings no. 19 and 7. At the next path on the left, continue straight ahead towards Bois de Clermont. Ignore another path on the left and you will arrive at a T-junction.

Green^PR®® signposting

(8) Turn left, following the direction indicated by a small green^PR®® sign. When you reach a large crossroads, ignore a path on the left, then two paths on the right, and continue straight ahead on the wide path. Ignore another path on the left further on. You will arrive at an intersection you already passed on the way there.

^GR®® Red and WhiteMarkings

(2) Continue straight ahead on the reverse route of the outward journey, ignoring the path on the left. Reach the Puy de Chaumont marker.

No markings

(1) Follow the signs to Chabanne-Vieille on the left. Continue straight ahead on this path, ignoring all side paths, until you reach the D559.

(9) Cross over and continue along the wide path opposite, passing through a barrier. At the intersection, turn right. Ignore a path on the left, then another on the right. At the next intersection, turn right at the corner of forest plot no. 1. Join the D559, cross over and follow the path opposite that branches off to the left. Shortly afterwards, you will arrive at the hikers' car park (S/E).

Difficulty: Moderate to easy. Standard hiking equipment.

Discover more hikes in this area with a description or the Visorando app here

Photo album here

From the top of Puy des Gouttes, views over much of the Chaîne des Puys, the Combraille, further away the Monts Dore, and closer by the Lemptégy geomuseum.
The Puy Chopine and Puy des Gouttes are two volcanoes in the Chaîne des Puys, in the Massif Central. These two structures are intertwined, with the Puy Chopine located inside the Puy des Gouttes. The highest point is 1,181 metres above sea level at the Puy Chopine. Source: Wikipedia