Camino Le Puy Way: Stage 3
- Exploring the natural landscapes of the Causses du Quercy, a protected environment
- L’Aiguilles de Cingle, an unusual octagonal column of rock, a beacon for pilgrims
- Appreciate the tranquility and remoteness of the landscapes
- Sample the delicacies of the region such as saffron, truffles, and farm-raised Quercy lamb
- The picturesque villages of Figeac, Cajarc and Cahors, capital of the Lot region
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive in ConquesArrive in Conques and settle in to your comfortable hotel. Spend some time looking around this town, a major monument of architectural heritage. It’s Abbey Church of St Foy houses an incomparable treasure of Romanesque sculptures and a large number of relics covered in gold, silver and precious stones.
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.
Today begins with a gradual climb to the Chapel St. Foy, built next to a spring whose natural water was supposed to cure eye complaints. Set out on the next part of the trail to St. Roch Chapel, where the statue of this saint carries a pilgrimage staff and from where, a mile or so later, you reach the village of Noaillhac. After Roumegoux, you leave the GR65 to follow the Chemin des Cretes, for a more direct route to Livinhac.
Ascent: +617m (2024ft) / Descent: -683m (2240ft)
Our 4 spacious rooms are adapted to the wishes and needs of pilgrims and hikers. Each room has a private bathroom (shower, sink and toilet).
This Chambres d'Hotes is charming and has 3 bedrooms in total. Breakfast can be eaten on the terrace which is surrounded by rose bushes.
You will be warmly to this Chambre d'Hotes in the countryside.
En route to Figeac a place full of rich history you will pass through the picturesque hilltop village of Montredon, in which stands the Church of St Michael where you can view 14th century mural paintings. You can also see the 11th century Church of St Felix where there is a tympanum of Adam and Eve with a serpent and a tree.
Continue on through the countryside (you are now in the Lot region) before arriving into the historic town of Figeac, founded in 830 around a Benedictine abbey and for the past 20 years recognised as one of France’s historic towns by the Ministry of Culture.
Ascent: +552m (1181ft) / Descent: -569m (1866ft)
This hotel is located in a former Public Baths dating from the end of the 19th century, in a protected area, near the historic town centre The Hôtel des Bains has 19 recently refurbished rooms, most of them air-conditioned, all equipped with direct line telephone, ADSL and WiFi connections.
You will have to begin walking early today as this is the longest walk of your tour at 30km. Have a big breakfast as sustenance, then begin by taking a path uphill to the L’Aiguille du Cingle. This unusual obelisk-type structure is said to have been built as a beacon guiding pilgrims. However another story relates that they were used as boundaries between abbot’s territories. There is one other structure such as this in France and it is to the west of Figeac.
Continue walking past Faycelles and into Béduer. It is here where the landscape changes and you will come across many dolmens (megalithic tombs from the Neolithic period), plus dry-stoned walls and stone shepherds huts. The landscape here is quite wild and depending on the season, you will encounter carpets of orchids and the scent of herbs and wild strawberries.
Later arrive into Cajarc, a village that sits on the edge of the River Lot and that rose to fame due to barges that took spices, wine, wood and saffron along the river.
Ascent: +480m (1574ft) / Descent: -531m (1742ft)
La Peyrade is located in the village of Cajarc, on the River Lot. Offering comfortable guest rooms with views of the village, a balcony or terrace and free Wi-Fi in each.
After yesterday’s long walk today is much easier and you enjoy walking at your own pace through this lovely rural area of France. First follow the meandering River Lot before arriving on the lush plain of Gaillac. Today you will cross the Quercy de Limogne. This area becomes very remote, so remember to take plenty of water and a packed lunch with you! After a lovely day of walking past dry stone walls and huts and fields of purple orchids that are grown to produce saffron (these flowers bloom in the autumn) arrive in Limogne-en-Quercy and check in to your welcoming accommodation.
Ascent: +330m (1082ft) / Descent: -181m (593ft)
You will be welcomed warmly to this small chambre d'hote, situated in the countryside.
This particular stage of the walk takes us off the GR65 for a while so that we can spend an overnight in Lalbenque. First head through the hamlets of La Plane, Mas de Dégot and Mas de Vers. En route you will also see many more dolmen, dry-stone walls and shepherds huts, which are very typical of this area. Lalbenque itself has a church which was built in 1090 and is famed for its 17th century gilded wooden alterpiece. They also hold has a weekly black truffle market (every Tuesday) and a farmer’s market on a Saturday.
Ascent: +151m (495ft) / Descent: -179m (587ft)
A small family-run gite where the owners take great pride in treating their guests with the utmost attention.
Today begin walking down walled and shady trails, but pay particular attention to the waymarks and signs on this section. Your first destination is La Marchande you will walk downhill from here into Cahors, which is surrounded on three sides by the River Lot and an important stop on this pilgrimage route.
Take time on arrival to discover the varying sights here such as Cathedral of St-Etienne with its amazing cloisters, several interesting churches and the Pont Valentré, the finest fortified medieval bridge in Europe.
Ascent: +205m (672ft) / Descent: -362m (1187ft)
This 2* hotel is situated in the town centre, near the train station and the famous bridge Valentré. The hotel holds recently renovated rooms, equipped with TV and free WiFi.
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 3 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 moderate as the average mileage per day is 23km. However the ascends and descends are not that significant, so as long as you have a good fitness level you can complete this tour. You will stay in comfortable hotels whilst enjoying the camaraderie of fellow pilgrims and travellers.
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 moderate and includes daily walks of 15-33km. 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!
- 7 Nights in either 1 or 2* hotels
- 7 Breakfasts
- 7 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 Conques
- Travel from Cahors
- 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 Conques is by taking a bus or a taxi from Rodez Airport. This airport has flights on Ryanair from the UK and Air France also fly here from Paris. It is also possible to drive to Conques and park your car in the village where there are paying car parks.
Cahors Train Station is on the SNCF Toulouse to Paris line. You can take a train to Toulouse and fly home from here, or you could even take a train to Paris and fly home from there.
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 moderate as the average daily mileages are quite significant.
The path takes you over limestone plateaux 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 waymarkers and also Camino pilgrimage signs.
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.
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.
The best way of getting to Conques is by taking a bus or a taxi from Rodez Airport (this is an unofficial website). This airport has flights on Ryanair from the UK and Air France also fly here from Paris.
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.
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