Lo Camin d'Olt, the regional trail that starts in Entraygues

The finest thing about La Pause Rivière comes down to one sentence: the regional GR trail Lo Camin d’Olt does not pass near the cottage, it starts in Entraygues. You pack your rucksack in the bedroom and you are on the path twenty minutes later, with no car, no shuttle, no logistics.

Two loops answer each other, waymarked in yellow and red, maintained by the national forestry office and the departmental walking committee.

The Lot valley loop, 55 km, 2 to 3 days

Entraygues, Golinhac, Espeyrac, Vieillevie, Le Fel, then back to Entraygues. This is the loop of sun-facing slopes: chestnut trees, vine terraces clinging to the hillside, schist hamlets and long views down onto the river. Passing through Le Fel connects it to the Entraygues-Le Fel vineyard.

The Truyère gorges loop, 62 km, 3 days

Entraygues, Couesques, Saint-Hippolyte, the Truyère gorges as far as Valon, Campouriez, and back. Wilder, deeper, lonelier too: this is where the Truyère shows the face that earned it Natura 2000 protection.

Planning your walk

The French Ramblers’ Federation guidebook, Le Pays d’Entraygues, entre Lot et Truyère, describes both loops and adds a selection of ten shorter circuits, half-day or full-day walks that suit anyone not wanting a multi-day trek. It is sold at the Entraygues tourist office, thirteen minutes on foot from the cottage.

For a short outing, the PR10 climbs into the hillsides over 12 km before dropping back down to the Lot valley. And for legs that want to suffer, the Trail d’Aqui offers a vertical kilometre: 3.6 km for 460 m of ascent.