Circular route around Saint-Quentin-sur-Charente and the Lavaud Dam

de fr

A circular route around the village of Saint-Quentin-sur-Charente, which mostly follows wide paths and small grassy tracks suitable for mountain biking, with very few tarmac roads.

Details

n°1325920
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.44 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 96 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 91 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 261 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 198 m
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

Lavaud Lake

Description of the walk

Start from the Lavaud Dam car park. Free parking spaces also available for motorhomes.

(S/E) Head towards Saint-Quentin-sur-Charente (D214) and leave the road at thefirst bend to take the path opposite on the left. Stay on this path until you reach the hamlet of Le Moulin. Walk through the village until you find a road on the left that descends to join the D162. Once you reach it, take the road on the right for a few metres.

(1) Take a path on the left below. Follow it uphill to a farm, turn right and continue to the hamlet of La Chauvetie.

(2) When you reach the road, turn left towards the village of Saint-Quentin-sur-Charente and walk through it.
(3) Take thefirst road on the left after the church, then turn immediately left onto a mountain bike trail.
Stay on this track.

(4) Cross the Charente via the small footbridge and stay on the path. 400m further on, veer right then left and continue straight on to the water tower.

(5) At the crossroads by the water tower, turn left, ignoring the road on the right heading towards Linars, and continue for about 200m.

(6) When you reach the next road leading to the Landes de Contie, take the path on the left and stay on it for 600m until you reach a road. When you reach the road, turn right towards the village of Maubayou.

(7) Walk through the village and take thefirst road on the left, which descends to the D162. At the bottom (altitude 228m), turn right and immediately take a path that climbs up to the left. Continue straight on for 600m, passing small vineyards on the right.

(8) When you reach the road, head down to the left towards the village of Lavaud.

(9) At the tarmac road, turn right and then left to cross the Lavaud Dam and reach the car park (S/E.)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 227 m - Lavaud Dam car park
  2. 1 : km 0.92 - alt. 208 m - The Mill
  3. 2 : km 1.64 - alt. 220 m - La Chauvetie
  4. 3 : km 2.38 - alt. 221 m - Return via a mountain bike route
  5. 4 : km 2.82 - alt. 199 m - Crossing the Charente - Charente (fleuve)
  6. 5 : km 4.1 - alt. 258 m - Water tower
  7. 6 : km 5.18 - alt. 261 m - Sharp left-hand bend
  8. 7 : km 6.29 - alt. 238 m - Village of Maubayou
  9. 8 : km 7.22 - alt. 252 m - To the left
  10. 9 : km 7.86 - alt. 232 m - Lavaud
  11. S/E : km 8.44 - alt. 227 m - Lavaud Dam car park

Notes

Water point and toilet in the car park at the starting point, with parking available for motorhomes.

Caution: road crossings, traffic.

Worth a visit

Lavaud Dam
At the Linars road, there is access to the Mas Chaban dam.

Reviews and comments

3.8 / 5
Based on 4 reviews
Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.5 / 5
Route interest
4 / 5
User 26537126

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

some passages not maintained

Machine-translated

jean-louis phlippoteau
jean-louis phlippoteau

That's for later

Machine-translated

caty.ha
caty.ha

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

There are no signs on site, so keep a close eye on the map. There are many sections far from the lake. Clearly, there is no intention of turning this into a tourist route, apart from the water sports centre, which has a beach. You’re better off taking the walk around Lake Mas Chaban.

Machine-translated

jean.martine
jean.martine

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 08, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant route, but someone unfamiliar with the area would struggle to find their way as there are no signposts for most of the route, particularly in the STQUENTIN SUR CHARENTE section—, the water tower—and it’s not easy to find the path opposite the Landes de Contie.
Needs reviewing and perhaps updating.

Machine-translated

jean-louis phlippoteau
jean-louis phlippoteau

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 17, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A pleasant walk, with a slight hesitation at point 6

Machine-translated

Gis2416
Gis2416

Hello,

I haven’t done this hike yet; I’m saving it for later.

Thank you

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

Walking Around Lake Lavaud

Visorando Member
Autour du lac de Lavaud
↔13.99 km ↗+74 m ↘-71 m ◔4h 10 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Saint-Quentin-sur-Charente (Charente)
A very pleasant route, especially the last part where you walk along the lake.

Walking Tour of Lake Mas Chaban starting from Massignac

Visorando Member
Tour du Lac de Mas Chaban au départ de Massignac
↔13.46 km ↗+58 m ↘-57 m ◔4h 00 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Massignac (Charente)
This hike will take you around Lake Mas Chaban and offer beautiful views of Lake Chaban and a passage through the small village of Lésignac-Durand, where there is a church worth seeing. The difficulty lies mainly in the length of the walk. In very wet weather, the path can be very muddy or even impassable. The route can also be done in the opposite direction. Please note that the view is not clear between Valette and the starting/finishing point.

Walking Circular route starting from Chabanais

Visorando Member
↔13.28 km ↗+114 m ↘-116 m ◔4h 05 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Chabanais (Charente)
This walk will introduce you to the Chabanoise countryside and take you up to the heights of Chabanais via the small surrounding villages such as La Séchère and La Guéranchie, along varied paths alternating between woodland and plateau, allowing you to discover the beautiful landscapes of Charente Limousine.

Walking Assit Mill Trail

Tourist office
↔8.27 km ↗+86 m ↘-85 m ◔2h 35 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Manot (Charente)
This trail refers to the water mill built in the Middle Ages on the banks of the Vienne. You will follow the Vienne for much of the route. This gives you plenty of time to fully appreciate this river! If you see tourists in canoes or kayaks, don't be surprised! The Vienne is used for water sports.

Walking The ponds and forest of Étagnac

Association / Club / Walk leader
↔12.80 km ↗+142 m ↘-138 m ◔4h 05 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Étagnac (Charente)
Étagnac, its ponds and forest. Hike in the heart of nature and tranquillity on an unmarked route.

Walking Le Clos du Boeuf in Laudonnie

Visorando Member
Le Clos du Boeuf à Laudonnie
↔5.28 km ↗+77 m ↘-79 m ◔1h 45 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Vayres (Haute-Vienne) (Haute-Vienne)
You will walk along sunken paths, discover numerous viewpoints and pass small ponds teeming with wildlife. Herons, ducks, moorhens and teals have made their home in this peaceful spot. Heading back towards Laudonnie, after the last pond, on your left, you’ll pass the “Clos du Boeuf”, a small meadow where the farmer used to lead his animal – or, at best, his pair of oxen – for a well-deserved rest after long hours of walking.

Walking Tour of Navière island (Île de Chaillac)

Visorando Member
Tour de l'Île de Navière (Île de Chaillac)
↔5.20 km ↗+4 m ↘-4 m ◔1h 30 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Saint-Junien (Haute-Vienne)
Discover an island in the middle of the Vienne River, offering a diversity of landscapes between meadows and woodlands, and an interesting heritage.A connection to nature with explanatory signs along the way.

Walking A circular route starting from La Guérillerie

Association / Club / Walk leader
↔11.36 km ↗+161 m ↘-155 m ◔3h 40 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Chaillac-sur-Vienne (Haute-Vienne)
Walk around La Guérillerie. Few roads and magnificent paths, but be careful: the route is unmarked (there are two or three traces here and there; this route would benefit from being re-marked).

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.