Camino Le Puy Way: Stages 1 & 2
- Walk Stages 1 and 2 of the Camino Le Puy Way from Le Puy to Conques
- The charming towns of Estaing and St Côme d’Olt
- Walking through the stark, high plateau of Aubrec
- Climbing the 267 steps up to the Chapel of St Michael d’Aiguilhe
- Having dinner on a café terrace looking out over the River Lot
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive in Le Puy-en-VelayArrive in the historic city of Le Puy-en-Velay which has been a pilgrimage centre since the Middle Ages. Spend time here exploring the sites within this city that is set in a volcanic plateau and is famed for its rocky peaks which rise out of the valley.
![Hotel Bristol](https://d1hirb55zrpywb.cloudfront.net/macs-adventure-tours/hotel/YDJBN/hotelimagegallery/Screenshot2021-01-28161742-rsz-28012021161742076.png)
Situated close to the old town in Le Puy-en-Velay, this hotel offers 45 modern rooms and an on-site bar. It is a 10-minute walk from the train station. A buffet breakfast is available each morning and includes pastries, marmalade, ham and cheese.
The walk today begins at the cathedral and from here, and as you follow the trail, you will see wonderful views over the whole area. This morning you will cross the Velay, an area famous for its lentils and black sheep. Later this afternoon arrive in St Privat d'Allier where you will spend the night.
This is a small, family run hotel just outside of St Privat. An authentic little hotel, you will have a relaxing evening after your days walk.
![La-Cabourne](https://d1hirb55zrpywb.cloudfront.net/macs-adventure-tours/hotel/KWKRZ/hotelimagegallery/La-Cabourne---La-Private-dallier-village-rsz-26032024144647403.jpg)
This comfortable Gite-Hotel is a popular stop over choice on the Camino Le Puy. Clean comfortable rooms and a welcoming reception make for a lovely stay in St. Privat d'Allier.
During today’s walk you will pass through widely differing countryside, such as the Allier gorges and a volcanic plateau of great natural beauty. Climb a tiny chapel dedicated to St James perched atop a rocky belvedere and past the Madeleine Chapel, which was carved out of the rock in the 17th century.
This stylish building is a converted Eighteenth century hostellerie, with all modern comforts but still decorated in the traditional style.
Today you discover the Margeride Plateau with its characteristic villages, secluded hamlets, ancient stone crosses and pastures hemmed in by stone walls. Each village has charming features such as granite houses with carved doorways and cottage gardens. 1 km off the main track, you will come to the village of Les Faux and your accommodation for the night.
Experience the peace and authenticity of the region in the hamlets of Faux.In this natural setting choose your room, cozy and comfortable with bathroom and toilet, television and telephone.
This morning continue across the plateau of the Margeride as far as Aumont, which is the gateway to the Aubrac. Between Le Rouget, which takes its name from the typical red-roofed houses of the area. See pretty hamlets, and churches with ‘comb-style’ belfries, before arriving in Aumont Aubrac, a small town and where you can see the former Benedictine priory and Romaneque church of Saint Etienne.
Hotel Prunieres is a family run hotel with a great atmosphere.
Today is long day of walking once more but it is worth it as you leave behind the Margeride Plateau and begin to cross the Aubrac Plateau, a wide expanse of pastures, old barns, drystone walls, and swathes of wildflowers, depending on the season. Later arrive in Nasbinals, 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. Cross the Aude and descend steadily into St Chely d’Aubrec, your final destination for today.
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. See these exquisite pieces of art before crossing the old bridge over the Boraldes River and continuing into the heart of the Lot Valley.
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. On arrival in Estaing you cross the famous Pont Gothique and see the wrought iron cross and the statue of Francois d’Estaing.
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.
This accommodation is in a renovated presbytery, with beautiful views of the surroundings, and delicious menus.
From here pass through small hamlets and spot wooden balconies of old riverside tanneries, window boxes full of colourful geraniums and prosperous bourgeois town houses. Then walk through woods 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.
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 6kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 6kg is equivalent to 4.5 ham and cheese sandwiches from the store. 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 Stages 1 & 2 of this pilgrimage route as a self-guided walking tour in its own right, or you may complete one or more of the sections at the same time. This particular section is graded as moderate because on Stage 1 two days of the walk are 26km, so quite long days of walking. However Stage 2 is definitely more towards the easy to moderate rating. If you like staying in comfortable hotels whilst enjoying the camaraderie of fellow pilgrims and travellers then this tour will suit 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 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!
- 11 Nights in either 1 or 2* hotels
- 11 Breakfasts
- 11 Dinners
- Baggage transfers
- Detailed maps, a guide book and information pack.
- Organisational assistance and backup from our partner in France and our UK office
- Travel to the starting point and from the finish
- Lunches, drinks and snacks
- Personal equipment
- Travel insurance
- Mountain rescue / emergency assistance
- Additional nights before or after the holiday
The Camino Le Puy is best enjoyed from May to October but you can walk at any time of year. You can start on any date that suits your travel plans. Bookings from October onwards are subject to a supplementary charge as an out-of-season bag transfer service is required.
The closest international airport to Le-Puy-en-Velay is Lyon Airport which is approximately 150km away. Many flights from the UK and other gateways in Europe fly into Lyon. From here you can take a train to Le-Puy-en-Velay which takes approximately 2 and a half hours. Up to date schedule and fare information can be found on the SNCF website. You can also drive to Le-Puy-en-Velay. Parking is available in an underground car park and costs approximately €17.50 per week.
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.
You can use public transport or local taxis to continue to your next overnight stop.
This tour is suitable for most people that are in good physical condition. It is rated moderate as there are some elevation gains and losses and on a couple of days there is significant mileages to be walked. However Stage 2 is definitely less mileage per day than Stage 1.
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 waymarkers and also Camino pilgrimage signs from time to time.
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.
Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved to your next nights accommodation. All baggage transfers are included in the package price. We request that you have only one piece of luggage per person and it should weigh only 13kg.
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.
Lyon Airport is the closest international airport which is accessible to Le-Puy-en-Velay by train. For train schedules please visit the SNCF website.
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