Paouet trail in Sainte-Croix-Volvestre

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Pleasant forest walk.

Details

n°25807
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Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.37 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 189 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 188 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 455 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 297 m
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Photos

Fountain
Stone engraved with the coat of arms of Sainte-Croix

Description of the walk

Parking at Place du Marché (sports grounds). Follow the yellow signs.

(S/E) At the start, cross the bridge over the Volp and turn right towards Salet.

(1) After about 800 metres, leave the road and continue straight ahead along the path that runs alongside the Volp below. At the Y-junction, take the left-hand path that climbs into the Estadens woods.

(2) At the four-way intersection, turn left and follow the signs for "Les Bazis et Labidaousse". On the right is a stone engraved with the coat of arms of the commune of Sainte-Croix-Volvestre.
Continue uphill, the path passes by some ruins, crosses meadows, then turns right and continues to a forest road.

(3) Take this road on the right until you reach the hamlet of Les Bazis. Just after a beautiful fountain, turn left. The road leaves the woods and runs alongside meadows until it reaches a T-junction.

(4) Ignore the path on the right that leads to the hamlet of Labidaousse and turn left. The path crosses an oak forest and comes out onto a paved road. Take this road to the right, which descends towards Sainte Croix.

(5) At the first houses, turn left, continue straight ahead along the grassy path and then down the steps to reach the road. Turn left and then right onto the bridge to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 299 m - Parking at Place du Marché. Cross the - Volp (rivière) - Affluent de la Garonne
  2. 1 : km 0.9 - alt. 302 m - Continue straight ahead on the path
  3. 2 : km 1.94 - alt. 362 m - On the left
  4. 3 : km 2.89 - alt. 419 m - Forest road, on the right
  5. 4 : km 4.29 - alt. 455 m - Labidaouse, on the left
  6. 5 : km 5.94 - alt. 332 m - Turn left at the houses
  7. S/E : km 6.37 - alt. 299 m - Parking: Place du Marché

Notes

Public toilets at the car park.

Worth a visit

Fontaine des Bazis.
Sainte-Croix-Volvestre lake, swimming possible in July and August.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 42 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
Michel Doret
Michel Doret

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant country route that takes you through secluded villages. There is a bit of road at the end, but it's only about 15% of the route. I'll do it again when the weather is nice.

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User 9550378
• Edited:

A very pleasant, shaded walk with few people. I recommend it for those who enjoy leisurely walks without too many hills. A pleasant village with easy parking and toilets. And for shopping, there is a small grocery shop well stocked with local products.

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bsolrol
bsolrol

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
This route seemed a little short to us. So, when we arrived at Labidaouse, we turned right towards Coulomat and then Brie before heading back down and taking the clearly visible path across the fields towards Rieucla. We then returned to Labidaouse and took the original route back to St-Croix. This extended loop is about 13 km long and the ridge before Coulomat offers a magnificent view of the Couserans mountains. And then lunch at the Le Poulpe du Lac restaurant is the highlight of the day, with excellent service and food!

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Muretain
Muretain

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant route with no difficulties and some nice surprises, especially in autumn

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Shrando31410
Shrando31410

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Well shaded, woodland trail, a change of scenery. Can be easily combined with the Peyre trail. Perfect description.

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LiVide
LiVide

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant family hike in the forest

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bigfoot
bigfoot

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk, but be careful of slippery paths after rain (mud on the climb after point 2).
Return option: cross the village of Labidaousse (artisans and sculptors display their work) and descend following the sign for "Saint Croix", a forest path, until you reach the D235 road. Turn left and follow the road for 300 m, then take a path that descends to the right (marked with a yellow sign) and takes you back to the wooden steps and the entrance to the village.

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rasier
rasier

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 18, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Easy walk with plenty of shade. A bit too much tarmac towards the end of the route

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LeKrik
LeKrik

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, well shaded, where you can see some beautiful isolated houses that sell dreams We didn't meet anyone, it was easy to follow and very peaceful

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grandpirate
grandpirate

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a very pleasant short hike, pretty shaded trails, beautiful undergrowth, lush green countryside and the foothills of the Pyrenees...
and no one else around! Orchids galore...

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Ccil Loup
Ccil Loup

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 05, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk in this sunny month of April. Beautiful varied landscapes, alternating between forest, meadows and views of the Volvestre and its charming mountains and hills. In spring, the flowers, butterflies, birdsong and budding trees are magnificent.

It's not wild enough for my taste: there are lots of electricity poles, farms, hamlets and villages, but this also has its charm (the hamlets are very pretty) and it's the trade-off for a walk that's not too far away and easily accessible by car.
The toilets in the car park are very welcome!

Not very busy as I only came across four or five groups, which meant we had plenty of peace and quiet. It was the Easter weekend, just before the 10 km travel restriction (Covid-19 lockdown) and the weather was magnificent. I think it must be even less crowded at other times of the year.

The path is very well marked, but I can confirm that at point 4, a yellow sign tells you to go towards Labidaousse and you are tempted to go there instead of turning left to return to Ste-Croix. Thanks to a comment I had read beforehand and the very clear directions on the route map, I was able to follow the planned route without any difficulty. I didn't have much time (curfew at 7 p.m.), but it's true that on my own, without children, and stopping to take photos, it took me about two hours, so don't hesitate to make a detour to Labidaousse if you have the time and energy, because according to other comments, it's pretty. i'll go again next time and allow more time.

Best regards,
Ccil Loup

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Hazed
Hazed

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A great family outing! Worth doing again and again.

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cdeveze
cdeveze
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 25, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello,

we completed this loop this morning. There were no difficulties and the signposting was adequate for this beautiful forest walk.
At point 4, we continued on La Bidaousse, followed the Chemin des Peyres to Rieuclas and turned right at the hamlet of Peyres, where we rejoined the Chemin des Peyres to return to point 4. The views of the Pyrenees are well worth the extra half hour (we regret not having done these 2 km in the other direction).

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Roel964
Roel964

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice walk. Due to the rain in recent weeks, the road was partially muddy and slippery.

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tonbast
tonbast

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 01, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant short walk.

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