Camino Le Puy Way: Stage 2
- Walk Stage 2 of the Camino Le Puy Way from Nasbinals to Conques
- Discover the luxuriant Lot Valley with its ever-changing landscapes
- The charming towns of Estaing and St Côme d’Olt
- Finding inner peace and tranquility as you walk
- Walking through the stark, high plateau of Aubrec
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Nasbinals and overnightArrive in Nasbinals and settle in to your comfortable hotel. Explore this charming town where there is a superb 14th century Romanesque church built of brown basalt.
A delightful family run hotel in the centre of Nasbinals.
Begin your walk by making your way down the Boraldes Valley and then pass through the village of Aubrac, which was founded in 1120 by a Flemish knight, Adelard de Flandres. Then pass a large wooden cross and head along a grassy track which becomes a walled lane and walk into the hamlet of Belvezet. Cross the Aude and descend steadily into St Chely d’Aubrec, your final destination for today.
Ascent: +226m (741ft) / Descent: -584m (1916ft)
Set in a verdant valley, St Chely d’Aubrac has been welcoming pilgrims for a very long time. For four generations, this family-run hotel has built up its reputation for its warm welcome & gastronomic specialities.
At the heart of the village of St Chely d’Aubrec is the church, extended in the 19th century and which holds two incredible altar pieces, a copy of the painting The Descent from the Cross by Rubens and a 14th century bas-relief representing Christ and his Apostles, exhibited at the Musée du Louvre in 2009. See these exquisite pieces of art before crossing the old bridge over the Boraldes River and continuing into the the heart of the Lot Valley.
Ascent: +232m (761ft) / Descent: -674m (2211ft)
The Garden of Eliane is a 19th-century Aveyronnaise house located in the entrance of Saint-Come d’Olt, one of the most beautiful villages of France. It has a private garden and a swimming pool with six superb bedrooms. Each of the six rooms- wonderfully restored in 2002- has its own personality with private bathroom and from 2 to 4 beds. A generous breakfast is included each morning.
Today’s incredible walk between St Côme d’Olt and Estaing in the upper valley, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Pitched roofs of hand-hewn tiles called lauzes blend in harmony with bejeweled Romanesque churches along this pilgrim route to Compostela. Ancient vineyards here are spread out along terraces and on arrival in Estaing you cross the famous Pont Gothique and see the wrought iron cross and the statue of Francois d’Estaing.
Ascent: +420m (1378ft) / Descent: -486m (1594ft)
The hotel was remodelled to provide each and every guest with a pleasant and comfortable stay at the heart of the village.
This morning includes a 350 m ascent to Golinhac were you will find the Church of St Martin set on the site of a 9th century Benedictine abbey.
Ascent: +505m (1656ft) / Descent: -129m 423ft)
This accommodation is in a renovated presbytery, with beautiful views of the surroundings, and delicious menus.
From Golinhac pass through small hamlets and spot wooden balconies of old riverside tanneries, window boxes full of colourful geraniums and prosperous bourgeois town houses.Walk through woods climbing quite steeply and then veer off on a lane that directs you alongside the woods and which undulates between fields. Pass Fontromieu and the Church of Saint-Marcel before arriving in Conques, a village that rises steeply from a conch-shaped valley.
Ascent: +345m (1132ft) / Descent: -727m (2385ft)
In the heart of the medieval village of Conques, the Auberge St-Jacques welcomes you to a peaceful and comfortable spot, across from the abbey church of Sainte-Foy. We offer you rooms with bath, telephone and TV, a small lounge, bar and restaurant, where you will enjoy the gastronomic delights of Aveyron cuisine.
Bid farewell to the Camino Le Puy today. After breakfast check out of your hotel and make your onward journey.
This trip has a carbon score of 7kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 7kg is equivalent to 1 single running shoe (not even a pair!). Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information on how we've carbon counted our trips.
Other Information
Is it for me?You can either complete Stage 2 of this pilgrimage route as a self-guided walking tour in its own right, or you may complete more or all of the sections at the same time. This particular section is graded as easy to moderate. If you like staying in comfortable hotels whilst enjoying the camaraderie of fellow pilgrims and travellers then this tour is for you.
Pilgrimages | For those looking to follow a path of self-discovery. Our Pilgrimage and Camino routes take you on a journey through diverse landscapes and local flavours, while meeting like-minded adventurers along the way.
Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.
Solo Travellers, Families with Teens
The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years
This walk is graded easy-moderate and includes daily walks between 12 and 21km. The walk is extremely well way-marked and you will also be supplied with turn by turn route notes and detailed maps so you will have no problem following the route each day. On the Le Puy Camino you will follow a mixture of farm/dirt tracks, minor roads and footpaths.
On this self-guided walk in France you will stay in comfortable 1 or 2* hotels.
Please note that on occasion you may not have en suite rooms.
Alternate accommodation
You might be booked into alternative accommodations which are not listed in the description. If those listed are unavailable the alternative accommodation will be of the same or better standard as those described.
Single Rooms & Solo Walkers
If you require single rooms within your party we would be happy to accommodate you although there is a single room supplement payable. Solo walkers are also welcome, and again, a supplement is payable.
Meals
Daily breakfasts and dinners at your hotels are included. Breakfasts are buffet-style and dinners will be the “meal of the day” at the hotel. If you want a choice for dinner you can pay a supplement. You can order packed lunches at your hotel the evening before (ranging from €7 to €10) or you can buy lunch in grocery stores, cafes and restaurants en route.
The route is well waymarked with white and red painted arrows but please take care at intersections. There will always be other walkers around in case you are looking for help. A detailed information pack including route notes, local information and maps will be waiting for you at your first accommodation. You will also have access to the Macs Adventure Smartphone App enabling you to follow the route using your phone's GPS so you will have no problems finding the way. You can simply download the GPX tracks to your phone for offline use and off you go!
- 6 Nights in either 1 or 2* hotels
- 6 Breakfasts
- 6 Dinners
- Baggage transfers
- Daily route information and access to mapped GPX tracks within the Macs Adventure App
- 24/7 Emergency telephone support from our partner in France and our UK office
- Travel to Nasbinals and from Conques
- Lunches, drinks and snacks
- Personal equipment
- Travel insurance
- Mountain rescue / emergency assistance
- Additional nights before or after the holiday
This tour can be started on any day between the beginning of April and the end of October, offering flexibility to suit your travel plans. For bookings from October onwards, a supplementary charge might apply due to the out-of-season bag transfer service required.
Snow is possible in early April, particularly at higher elevations on the Camino Le Puy, especially in the Aubrac region. If you plan to begin your journey during this time, be well-prepared for wintry conditions. The weather along the Camino Le Puy varies greatly, reflecting the changing seasons and regional differences.
The best way of getting to Nasbinals is by taking a train to Aumont Aubrec and then a taxi from here to Nasbinals. There are also direct trains from Paris via Clermont Ferrand to Aumont Aubrec and more information can be found on the SNCF website. You could also fly into Lyon Airport, then take a train from Lyon to Aumont Aubrec, again via Clermont Ferrand.
From Conques you can either take a bus or a taxi to Rodez Airport (this is an unofficial website). This airport has flights on Ryanair from the UK and Air France also fly here from Paris.
Baggage transfers are included in the Camino Le Puy trip. Your bags should be left in the reception of your accommodation every morning. Your bags will then be transferred onto your next nights’ accommodation.
Please note that the luggage transfer company have placed a limit of 13kg per person (1 piece of luggage) to be transported from accommodation to accommodation. So please pack accordingly. Please choose a soft bag rather than a hard suitcase as these can be damaged when transported. If you wish to increase the amount of luggage you want to bring the cost per transfer from accommodation to accommodation will be an additional €8.50 per person, per bag. This must be paid for locally.
At Macs Adventure, we work in partnership with many luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer per person, and also the weight of the bag/suitcase. Your booking includes transfer of 1 bag per person and the weight of your luggage allowed is specific to the destination you will be travelling to. This is why it is very important that you read the luggage information specific to your tour before departure. If you do not adhere to these limits, there is a great possibility that you will be charged locally both for extra bags and/or if they are too heavy. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits (usually due to the Health and Safety of their employees), which we must respect.
It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable Travel Insurance which covers you for the activity, emergency evacuation and hospital care.
This tour is suitable for most people that are in good physical condition. It is rated easy to moderate as the daily mileages are not that significant.
The path takes you over plateaus and over volcanic landscapes which may be rocky at times. The areas you walk through are often quite remote although you will pass small hamlets and villages from time to time. As you are following the GR25 there will be way markers and also Camino pilgrimage signs.
Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 13kg per person.
We suggest you book as far in advance as possible as the Camino le Puy Way is extremely popular. We will always try and accommodate late bookings but realistically you need to book at least 6 weeks prior to departure.
Your detailed information pack will be sent to you after you book. This has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking/cycling/trekking gear such as good walking/cycling boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes and a day pack.
The tour operates between May and October although we recommend travelling in May or June when spring wild flowers are at their peak, or in September/October when the autumn colours are stunning. July and August can be very hot if you are not used to walking in the heat.
You can use public transport or local taxis to continue to your next overnight stop.
Lyon Airport is the closest international airport which is accessible to Le-Puy-en-Velay and from there by taxi to Nasbinals. You can also fly into Paris and take a train from there to Aumont Aubrec (via Clermont Ferrand) and then a taxi from here to Nasbinals. On return flyong Rodez Airport is a good option as it is served by Ryanair and is a bus or taxi ride away from Conques. For train schedules please visit the SNCF website.
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