Saint-Laurent-sous-Coiron: the learning path

A route starting at a hilltop village, Saint-Laurent-sous-Coiron, with a wonderful, panoramic 180° view over the Ardèche mountains and plains, from Villeneuve de Berg to the Col de l'Escrinet (the Cham du Cros, Rocher d’Abraham, Montagne Sainte-Marguerite, Mont Lozère). In addition, educational panels depicting the history, geology and life on the Coiron adorn this hike.

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.45 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 305 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 301 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 689 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 445 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the viewpoint car park, near the war memorial (S).

Markings: White-Yellow, Yellow arrow, wooden pole with a descriptive drawing of two pedestrians.

Initially, follow the White-Yellow markings.
Walk along the wall, facing the plain of Lussas. Go towards the Romanesque chapel (from the tenth century). Go up to the houses. We pass a house built in 1834 (inscribed on its front) and then to the main section of the course. Turn right. Pass the cemetery, a place that serves as an amphitheatre-shaped car park.

At the “Impasse” sign, turn left just behind the house in front of this panel. Go up the path: follow it to visit the castle ruins and then return by the same path. Head back to the main track.
Continue straight until the end of the village. Pas through a door through an ancient city wall (east door).

Turn immediately left; head up by the road with large stones as far as a cemented path. Turn right and follow it. At the end of the cemented part, continue straight passing between two hedges. Pass a water tank. Approximately 500 m further on at (1), just before a gate, turn left (yellow arrow marker post).

Now, follow these Yellow arrow markings.
Cross the small cleared area, go up the red dirt road. At the top of this road after about 200 m turn obliquely to the left.
This is the trickiest part of the journey to reach the road. The new track has not been very popular with hikers. It is discreet, travels between the bushes. It is therefore necessary to be very careful on the trails left by previous hikers, Yellow arrows painted on rocks, sometimes red and white plastic ribbons hanging from the branches.

Arrive on the road (2) and turn left and walk on this road to educational sign No. 5 on the theme of the local flora.
You have to take the track right behind this panel. To achieve this, either switch between the barbed wire installed on the roadside or back a few metres to the house and go through the meadow along the barbed wire.
This shady path between the black stone walls facing north and Leads as far as Aven de la Combe Rajeau (3).

Continue west and join a nice track (4); then turn left.
100 m after educational sign No. 8, look for a small cairntheon the left, an arrow composed of stones and a small wooden sign that reads “Mehnir": take the left path and after about fifty metres, reach the Peyregrosse standing stone (5). Retrace your steps and turn left to continue on the main track, south and then south-west. Passage in front of two other educational signs.

After a loop on the left and the path turns south-east, reach a fork. The left trail is marked with yellow arrows; on the right, a small sign with the word “Tombe” (tomb) hangs from a branch. Momentarily abandon leave the marked path and take the right path to reach the dolmen of Devès de Serre located approximately 100 m away (6).

Retrace your steps and turn right at the yellow arrow marked trail. The path loops back and forth until it reaches a road on a hairpin bend (7). Turn left and follow the road through the locality of Perret, until the main access road into Saint-Laurent-sous-Coiron (8). Turn left, go up this street as far as an electrical transformer, located just outside a farm.
Turn right and take the alley between two walls; reach the Yellow-White markings that lead to the car park.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 556 m - Belvedere car park
  2. 1 : km 0.27 - alt. 584 m - Ruins
  3. 2 : km 0.61 - alt. 587 m - Cemented track
  4. 3 : km 2.01 - alt. 662 m - Beacon post
  5. 4 : km 2.86 - alt. 605 m - Small road
  6. 5 : km 4.71 - alt. 572 m - Combe Rajeau karstic cave
  7. 6 : km 4.92 - alt. 569 m - Track
  8. 7 : km 5.56 - alt. 529 m - Menhir of Peyregrosse
  9. 8 : km 7.31 - alt. 475 m - Dolmen at Devès de Serre
  10. 9 : km 8.87 - alt. 464 m - Road - Hairpin bend
  11. 10 : km 9.94 - alt. 519 m - D324 road
  12. S/E : km 10.44 - alt. 558 m - Belvedere car park

Practical information

Make sure to close the pasture gates properly.
No drinking water refill point.

In the nearby area

Mirabel, another hilltop village opposite, equivalent to Saint-Laurent-sous-Coiron. Visit these two villages by car, via Darbres making for a nice half-day trip. Note that these two villages are located close to 500 m above sea level and still enjoy the fresh air, especially refreshing in the summer.
Lussas, with its documentary film festival week in August.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 97 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
Sébastien Lacombe
Sébastien Lacombe

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

A very nice, fairly easy hike with some superb sections and nice views ...

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Shalva
Shalva

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

An easy walk, very well signposted as it is an educational trail. Little difference in altitude. Beautiful views. However, during this period of frequent rain, some of the paths turned into streams, but with 3 good shoes it was fine.

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BRISIM
BRISIM

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A magnificent itinerary with many viewpoints and "historic traces".
It is probably best to park at the bottom of the village (visitor car park) so that you can walk through the village.

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La Barunle
La Barunle

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

The tour is interesting for its many viewpoints and its interest in local life.

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cevennes30
cevennes30

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Dec 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Pleasant route, without difficulties.
Signs explaining the geology of the Coiron.
One small drawback is that the end of the route is partly on the road.

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JP-Miro
JP-Miro

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very nice tour. Beautiful views. Only slight problem: after point 4, it's hard to understand the signposting: when you want to leave the road on the right, to reach the signpost you have to pass through a gate and a property that seem to be private. And the only signpost in sight seems to indicate that you should continue along the road.

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jpvls
jpvls

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

St Laurent sous Coiron is a village not to be missed in the Ardèche des Coirons.
This route takes us through contrasting landscapes between the mountainous Ardèche (the Col de l'Escrinet
is not far away) and the southern Ardèche (thyme, rosemary and lavender dot the southern slopes).

The thematic panels, which are very well explained, enhance the walk.

Thank you for a great time in this part of the Ardèche.

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Mich0726
Mich0726

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Not bad, not bad, not bad. Nice little hike, very instructive, my only regret is not having found the karstic cave, but that's only a postponement, even if it means I'll have to travel just for that!

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Noko74
Noko74
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

An easy walk with plenty of shade in the morning.

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Marc Vandevelde
Marc Vandevelde

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

An interesting and varied career

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Rodger0è
Rodger0è

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

A hike made by a group of 11 hikers.
The group really enjoyed the route, the geological curiosities, the gates demarcating the animal pens, etc.
The village of Saint-Laurent-sous-Coiron is also full of surprises and authenticity.
Many thanks to the author for this beautiful route.
roger

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mnc
mnc
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very interesting walk, with highly detailed educational panels. There are audio guide terminals at St Laurent, available to hikers. To be planned if, in addition to the timetable.
The time is fairly accurate: we took 3 hours 46 minutes (according to the Visorando application) compared with the announced time of 3 hours 40 minutes.
Now you mustn't waste too much time looking at the signs if you want to keep to the timetable.
A menhir and a dolmen are well signposted just off the path and are a must-see.
The view of the mountains from St Laurent is particularly fabulous, so take your time to admire it before starting the hike. Afterwards, there is a passage through the meadows and a 2 km return along the road heading due south. So avoid hot weather. Remember to bring water as there is nothing to drink.
An absolutely recommended hike. Park in the car park just after the finish, 5 minutes to reach the village.

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Dorovnjb
Dorovnjb

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 31, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A parish specific to Brittany with a narrow access by car. But what a compensation once we arrived! An autenthic perched village from which we had a beautiful view and a wide field of vision. Very relaxing environment during the hike.

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oscar b.
oscar b.

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very nice walk, varied and pleasant, superb scenery, well signposted, not too difficult or too easy.
Done in the middle of a heatwave, the many shaded sections are appreciated.
A small note about the signposting: I think the yellow and white stripes work well throughout the route, including in the village. When the author talks about a "yellow arrow", I only saw it once, always with the yellow and white stripes.
When you arrive in the village by car, it's best to park in the "recommended" car park upstream; it provides access via a short 5-minute path to the village above. Parking in the village is not easy.

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Dorovnjb
Dorovnjb

A very beautiful village, with narrow access by car. But what a compensation once you arrive. An authentic hilltop village from which we had a beautiful viewpoint and a wide field of vision. Very relaxing environment during the hike.

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