Tour of Carcès via the lake

Tour of Carcès via the lake, passing by the Notre-Dame de Caramy chapel, the waterfalls, the lake, the heights of Brauch and back through the village.

Route modified.

Moderator's addition on 14/06/2021: Please note! Crossing the village of Lac is prohibited (private property). See alternative in the description (and notice dated 14/06/2021)

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.84 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 228 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 222 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 326 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 127 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park at the Parking du Coude car park on the banks of the Caramy.

(S/E) Return to the D13 and cross the bridge over the Caramy. Turn left at the end of the bridge, then immediately right and follow the small tarmac road called Chemin Notre-Dame. At the fork, turn right to reach the Notre-Dame de Carami Chapel on the left.

(1) Turn left, then right onto Chemin des Prés Neufs, which further on bends sharply to the left.

(2) Leave the road and take a path on the left that runs alongside a stream and leads to the Caramy waterfalls.

(3) Continue along the Caramy then turn right onto the path to rejoin Chemin des Prés Neufs, which you left earlier. Follow this path to the left to reach the banks of Lac de Carcès.

(4) Private road! Alternative: A path that starts at the dam and comes out above the hamlet at point 7, clearly visible on the IGN map. Follow this path.

(5) Leave the riverside path and turn right, climbing up to the Village du Lac.

(6) Continue along the Lac trail.

(7) Take the tarmac road and turn back.

(7) Take the sharp left turn onto the path that leads to the summit of Brauch and its panoramic views.

(9) Retrace your steps.

(7) Do not take the road, but turn left onto a path that first heads north-west and then north, and descend through the undergrowth to the dirt road. Follow the dirt road, reach the top of the climb and continue through the small undergrowth that leads to the road.

(10) Follow the road to the right and arrive at a crossroads where you will find yellow markings.

(11) Turn left, following the markings.

(12) Turn right to follow the canal to the next crossroads. Turn right into Rue Florentin Giraud and join the main street of Carcès, Avenue Ferrandin.

Turn right again and continue for 100 metres, then turn left to cross the small park and the bridge over the Caramy. Then turn right to reach the Parking du Coude car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 127 m - Parking du Coude car park. - Caramy (rivière)
  2. 1 : km 0.86 - alt. 150 m - To the left after the chapel
  3. 2 : km 1.66 - alt. 153 m - Path on the left
  4. 3 : km 2.77 - alt. 150 m - Waterfalls - Caramy (rivière)
  5. 4 : km 3.58 - alt. 172 m - Carcès Lake
  6. 5 : km 4.57 - alt. 171 m - Path on the right
  7. 6 : km 5.36 - alt. 173 m - Lac trail.
  8. 7 : km 6.36 - alt. 189 m - Crossroads to take the tarmac road.
  9. 8 : km 7.57 - alt. 281 m - Lake viewpoint.
  10. 9 : km 8.22 - alt. 325 m - Summit of Brauch.
  11. 10 : km 10.19 - alt. 189 m - Crossroads, on the right
  12. 11 : km 10.89 - alt. 154 m - Crossroads, on the left
  13. 12 : km 11.17 - alt. 152 m - Fork to the right towards the canal
  14. S/E : km 12.84 - alt. 127 m - Coude car park

Worth a visit

A superb hike to discover the heights of Carcès.
The chapel, the waterfalls, the lake and a 360° view from the top of Le Brauch.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 21 reviews

Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.2 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
POISSONDAVRIL
POISSONDAVRIL

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We set off from the guardhouse in a light, damp mist and headed for CARCES, where we met up with some of our hiking friends. The weather was superb, already warm for the end of the season. After greeting each other with kisses, we set off on our hike. After a few steps on the tarmac road and then the dirt track, I realised that I knew this route. Indeed, we soon rediscovered the small canal supplying the adjacent land, and we walked along it to the dam structure on Lake CARCES. But first, we admired the CARAMI waterfalls, a superb cascade on the river of the same name.
After the dam structures, we turned off onto a small path leading up to the right towards a road leading to an intersection, where-there we turned left this time to take a track which, after an hour, led us to a flat, wide track where we walked for an hour to finally find the small restaurant where we had eaten in previous years. Once again, we stopped for a bite to eat at this spot, even though it was closedAfter half an hour, we resumed our journey through the forest along a small tree-lined path that provided shelter from the sun, finally reaching our vehicles at 2:35 pm. The club offered us a drink, we said our goodbyes, and we each set off on our way home. It was a lovely walk in good spirits.

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jaimelesmots
jaimelesmots

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Well-marked route. You can avoid parking in the village by parking closer to the start, near point 1.
Then follow the route as indicated.

- After point 6, after the lake, from the fishermen's house, you can take the shortcut marked with a black dotted line on the map, on your right, before the car park. The path is more suitable for hikers and is part of a mountain bike route, so be careful with reckless drivers. The gradient is easy.
- At the crossroads between points 8 and 9, to find the start of point 10, look in the bend on your left. It is slightly hidden by the grass and the bend, slightly in the first third on your left. It is impossible to see it clearly. Follow the GPS carefully.
- At point 11, you can avoid the village by taking the path on the right at the chapel, towards the starting track.

Enjoy your hike!

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Mv's
Mv's

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant, easy route, completed after a period of rain, so the waterfalls were magnificent.
The GPS track is good and easy to follow; it's a shame there are sections on tarmac.
You can park just before the start, in a car park in the town centre, which allows you to visit Carces.
There is a fairly large picnic area at the end of the lake.

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Nicole13330
Nicole13330

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for this very pleasant, easy route with varied landscapes.

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cordoba
cordoba

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike,

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jacber83
jacber83
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike in glorious sunshine, with lots of water and beautiful waterfalls. We had a bit of trouble finding the start of point 9 because the route doesn't follow the right path, but after two attempts we finally found it. It's a bit steep at the beginning (be careful at this time of year as the rocks are wet and slippery, especially on the way back). We followed the GPS.

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nefertilou13
nefertilou13

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

you should rely on your GPS rather than the description. Between the starting point and point 1, there is a small path on the right that passes between the houses and allows you to make a small circular route and pass in front of the St Jaume chapel before passing the Notre Dame du Carami chapel and the apiary and returning to the route. The walk around the lake is beautiful and pleasant, but very busy! the waterfall is magnificent and the dam is interesting; there is a lot of water and it is a popular spot for fishermen. After the car park (fishing and hunting lodge) (lots of picnic tables), take the small path on the right (PR) rather than walking along the road. After point 8, the path leading to point 10 is not marked and is overgrown with grass, so you have to use your GPS to find it!

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Indiana1
Indiana1
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful scenery, mostly shaded route. We were lucky because there was plenty of water and the waterfalls were roaring. One member of the group had previously seen the lake empty. To be verified.
The route and description between 6 and 10 are confusing, to say the least. In the description, 7 appears three times, including once with "take the road and turn back"??. 8 is missing from the description.

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danielle2a
danielle2a

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We had a little trouble finding our way after point 7 (when we turned back), but the GPS was there to help us.
The hike is magnificent and there was plenty of water

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kiki83130
kiki83130

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike with stunning waterfalls and a lake full to the brim thanks to recent rainfall. It was a real pleasure to do this hike in April.

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Alain Revello
Alain Revello

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

It's always a pleasure to explore Carcès, and this January 2024 hike gave us the opportunity to see the lake drained for construction work.

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Kacet nadine
Kacet nadine

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very well described and interesting route. Bring walking sticks

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Sandrinalessio
Sandrinalessio

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We did the hike with the change indicated, turning off at point 4, but we arrived directly at point 8 and not at 7. It's a shame we missed the beautiful walk along the lake. That said, the waterfalls were magnificent, but there was a lot of tarmac road, which was a pity

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Roland1fois
Roland1fois

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

In fact, we took a route closer to No. 57480, starting from Saint-Siméon Stadium, but from point 4 we did the circular in the other direction and then, on the way back after point 4, we climbed a little higher, but instead of taking the yellow trail to the left towards point 3, we took the red trail to the right, which passes under the Notre-Dame-de-Caramy chapel, then further on to the left, the short stretch that joins the canal at elevation 149 to then reach the car park.
A beautiful hike. Downsides: high temperatures, quite a lot of tarmac.

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gagou13
gagou13

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Nothing to report

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