Stage 3: Figeac to Cahors (Chemin de Saint-Jacques)

Between Figeac and Cahors, long-distance walkers following the Chemin de Saint-Jacques from le-Puy-en-Velay to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port have a choice of two quite different routes—the traditional pilgrims’ trail along the GR 65 or the northerly, and somewhat longer, Célé variante.

Each path offers a different experience and caters to different needs.

(Published August 2013, updated May 2020)

If your journey along the Chemin de Saint-Jacques and perhaps on to Santiago de Compostelle in Spain is guided by a desire to follow in the footsteps of religious and spiritual ancestors, you may be more drawn to the traditional path taken by early pilgrims along the GR 65.

If, like me, you’re more interested in picturesque villages, painted caves and the crumbling remains of an ancient abbey, then the Célé variante offers some real gems.

Let’s compare the two…

Where is the Chemin de Saint-Jacques in France?

Map of the Chemin de Saint-Jacques from Figeac to Cahors

Highlights of the traditional pilgrims’ trail following the GR 65

Five days of walking—87 kilometres (54.5 miles)

This route offers a glimpse into life in rural France as the locals experience it, passing through tiny hamlets and bustling market towns.  What it lacks in wow factor, it makes up for in convenience with both Cajarc and Limogne-en-Quercy offering a full range of supermarkets, pharmacies and ATMs.

Aside from other walkers, tourists are not as common in the towns along this path and English is less likely to be spoken. If you choose this route, keep your Useful French Phrases page handy (from the I Love Walking in France guidebook), smile a lot and give it your best shot. I have always found that any attempt to speak French is most appreciated and the locals are more than happy to help.

Cajarc

If you choose to follow the traditional GR 65 path, I recommend allowing a couple of hours to explore Cajarc. A map of the town available from the Tourist Office, will guide you through the quaint side streets, past a twelfth-century home and its more modern thirteenth- and fourteenth-century neighbours.  

The seventeenth-century church, dedicated to Saint-Etienne, stands proudly on the square in the centre of town. If you look closely, you’ll notice much older stones at the base of the bell tower—all that remains of the original thirteenth-century church which was almost completely destroyed during the Wars of Religion.

Highlights of the Célé variante following the GR 651 and GR 36—46

Six days of walking—108 kilometres (67.5 miles)

The Célé variante uses the GR 651 which follows, more or less, along the Célé River west to Conduché. From here, the path switches to the GR 36 and loosely follows the River Lot into Cahors. It is a hillier, more strenuous route than the GR 65 but I believe the rewards are worth it! What will you see?

The ruins of the abbey at Marcilhac-sur-Célé

In the tenth century, Benedictine monks built an abbey—dedicated to Saint-Pierre—on the banks of the River Célé. All that remains intact of that abbey is the Chapter House where the monks met, but you’ll see glimpses of the original splendour in the ancient columns and the tympanum above the entrance. Marcilhac-sur-Célé, the village that grew around the abbey, is my recommended stop for the second night on this section of the walk, giving you ample time to immerse yourself in the medieval ruins.

The underground caves at Pech Merle

Located just outside the village of Cabrerets is Pech Merle—widely considered to include the most beautifully preserved historic rock paintings and natural rock formations in France. To gain entrance, take the one-hour-long guided tour (conducted in French but free booklets are available in several other languages). Visitor numbers are limited to 700 per day and advance bookings are recommended. (If you are taking each day as it comes, a booking the day before should suffice.)

The ‘most beautiful village’ of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie

Saint-Cirq-Lapopie is a jewel among France’s ‘most beautiful villages’ and offers a bewildering array of cafés, gift shops and impossibly pretty houses. I think it requires a full-day visit to do it justice (preferably on a Wednesday when the summer market is in full swing), otherwise you’ll be planning a return visit as you walk out of town.

This stunning village is the main reason I recommend taking the Célé variante rather than the traditional pilgrims’ trail but take a sneak peek from the link above and decide for yourself.

Highlights common to both routes

If you do not need to finish your walk in Cahors, then a loop of 147 kilometres (91.9 miles), starting and finishing in Figeac, can incorporate all the highlights. This route follows the Chemin de Saint-Jacques along the GR 65 almost as far as Bach, then cuts north along the GR 36-46 to Saint-Cirq-Lapopie and returns to Figeac along the GR 651.

The loop does not venture as far west as Cahors but the town is easily reached on the bus service which runs daily between the two towns and also stops at Faycelles, Cajarc, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, Bouziès and Vers.

Figeac

Classified a ville d’art et d’histoire, Figeac is a beautiful town of almost 10,000 people spanning the River Lot. Filled with medieval stone and timbered houses, the backstreets and crooked alleys are a delight to wander through.

Figeac was the birthplace of Jean-François Champollion, the nineteenth-century French scholar who spent more than a decade deciphering the hieroglyphics of the Rosetta Stone. His home is now a museum where you can explore the history of writing.

If you have been walking since Le-Puy-en-Velay and have not yet stopped for a rest day, Figeac is the perfect place to take a break. The town boasts a full range of services—dozens of cafés, patisseries, chocolateries as well as the ever-useful banks, doctors, dentists and ATMs!

Within an hour’s drive from Figeac, you can visit the village of Rocamadour whose ancient buildings cling to the side of the cliff above the River Lot. Venture north for a further one-hour drive and stop to explore one of six of France’s ‘most beautiful villages’. My pick would be Collonges-la-Rouge but you can discover them all here.  For something completely different, visit the underground lakes and caves, 103 metres below the surface at Gouffre de Padirac. 

Cahors

Cahors has occupied its position on a loop of the River Lot since Roman settlers arrived in the first century BC. Today, Boulevard Gambetta divides the town neatly down the middle—modern (nineteenth century) civic buildings to the west, and medieval splendour to the east. 

Allow some time to explore the town, including the Cathedral dedicated to Saint-Etienne with its tranquil sixteenth-century cloister and the famous Pont-Valentré, built with the help of the devil (learn more at the link above).

Cahors is famous for its red wine, made primarily from Malbec grapes and supplemented with Merlot and Tannat. Production of the wine is governed by the AOC (Appellation d’Origine Controlée) which sets strict guidelines on care of the vines, soil and harvesting times and methods. Wines produced under these regulations depend greatly on the mercy of the sunshine and local rainfall and result in vintages which vary from year to year. But they all contain a large dose of love (and none of the chemicals which usually give me a headache!). If you have an afternoon to spare, ask at the Tourist Office about winery tours.

Stock up on trail mix at the local markets

No matter which route you follow, you’ll find fresh food markets along the way. Some operate only during the summer months, so make the most of the plentiful seasonal produce and pack a picnic lunch for the day’s walk.

Figeac—Saturday morning

Cajarc—Saturday afternoon

Limogne-en-Quercy—Sunday morning

Varaire—Friday evening

Brengues—Thursday evening in July and August

Marcilhac-sur-Célé—Tuesday evening in July and August

Cabarets—Friday morning from May to October

Saint-Cirq-Lapopie—Wednesday evening in July and August

Vers—Thursday morning from May to September

Arcambal—Sunday morning

Cahors—Wednesday and Saturday mornings

Chemin de Saint-Jacques itinerary from Figeac to Cahors

The two paths from Figeac to Cahors offer quite different experiences and, if you are not continuing on to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, it is possible to enjoy both on a nine-day loop starting and ending in Figeac (I provide a suggested itinerary for this loop in the I Love Walking in France guidebook).

Of course, if you are walking from Le-Puy-en-Velay to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (perhaps over several holidays), then a loop is of no use to you!

Since only a dedicated pilgrim could be this close to Saint-Cirq-Lapopie and not call in, my suggested itinerary follows the Célé variante along the GR 651 and GR 36-46 paths. It includes a mixture of long and short days and allows plenty of time to visit all the sights.

I suggest leaving Figeac on a Saturday afternoon after visiting the morning market which will also bring you to Saint-Cirq-Lapopie in time for the Wednesday evening market.

If you prefer to spend the first morning exploring Figeac and make a late start, then the first day can be broken in two with an overnight stop in Faycelles.

Day 1 Figeac to Espagnac-Sainte-Eulalie (25 km/15.6 mi)

Day 2 Espagnac-Sainte-Eulalie to Marcilhac-sur-Célé (15 km/9.4 mi)

Day 3 Marcilhac-sur-Célé to Cabrerets (19 km/11.9 mi)

Day 4 Cabrerets to Saint-Cirq-Lapopie (11 km/6.9 mi)

Day 5 Saint-Cirq-Lapopie to Vers (20 km/12.5 mi)

Day 6 Vers to Cahors (18 km/11.3 mi)

Accommodation along the Chemin de Saint-Jacques from Figeac to Cahors

If you prefer to stay in larger towns with a full range of services, your choices for accommodation between Figeac and Cahors are quite limited. But if you are happy to stay in a gîte or chambre d’hôte in one of the many tiny hamlets (and I find this the best way to experience rural France), then it is possible to keep all days under 15 kilometres (9 miles).

Accommodation is available in the following villages (click on each link for a comprehensive list).

Distances are given from the starting point of Figeac.

(H—hotel; C—chambre d’hôte; G—gîte; T—camping)

Figeac to Cahors via the GR 65 Chemin de Saint-Jacques

0 km            (0 mi)             Figeac (H,C,G,T)

5 km            (3.1 mi)          La Cassagnole (C,G)

7 km            (4.4 mi)          La Croix Blanche (C )

8 km            (5 mi)             Faycelles (C )

11.5 km       (7.2 mi)          Mas de la Croix (G)

12.5 km       (7.8 mi)          Pech Rougié (G)

13.5 km       (8.4 mi)          Pech Ibert (T)

19.5 km       (12.2 mi)        Puy Clavel (C,G)

20.5 km       (12.8 mi)        Gréalou (G)

24.5 km       (15.3 mi)        Le Verdier (C,G)

26 km          (16.3 mi)        Pech Granat (C )

27 km          (16.9 mi)        Semberot (C,G)

30.5 km       (19.1 mi)        Cajarc (H,C,G,T)

40.5 km       (25.3 mi)        Mas de Jantille (G)

41.5 km       (25.9 mi)        Mas Delpech (C)

45.5 km       (28.4 mi)        Mas de Dalat (C,G)

46 km          (28.8 mi)        Mas de Games (C )

48.5 km       (30.3 mi)        Limogne-en-Quercy (C,G)

55 km          (34.4 mi)        Varaire (C )

61 km          (38.1 mi)        Bach (C )

63.5 km       (39.6 mi)        Vaylats (G)

70 km          (43.8 mi)        Mas de Vers (G)

75 km          (46.9 mi)        Mas de Graniou (G)

87 km          (54.4 mi)        Cahors (H,C,G,T)

Figeac to Cahors via the Célé variante

0 km            (0 mi)             Figeac (H,C,G,T)

5 km            (3.1 mi)          La Cassagnole (C,G)

7 km            (4.4 mi)          La Croix Blanche (C )

8 km            (5 mi)             Faycelles (C )

11.5 km       (7.2 mi)          Mas de la Croix (G)

12 km          (7.5 mi)          Béduer (C )

18 km          (11.3 mi)        Corn (C )

21.5 km       (13.4 mi)        Sainte-Eulalie (C )

25 km          (15.6 mi)        Espagnac-Sainte-Eulalie (C,G)

27 km          (16.9 mi)        Le Moulin Vieux (T)

29 km          (18.1 mi)        Brengues (C,T)

33 km          (20.6 mi)        Saint-Sulpice (T)

40 km          (25 mi)           Marcilhac-sur-Célé (C,G,T)

42 km          (26.3 mi)        Mas de Picarel (C )

49 km          (30.6 mi)        Sauliac-sur-Célé (C )

59 km          (36.9 mi)        Cabrerets (H,C,G,T)

65 km          (40.6 mi)        Conduché (G)

66 km          (41.3 mi)        Bouziès (H,C)

70 km          (43.8 mi)        Saint-Cirq-Lapopie (H,C,G,T)

85 km          (53.1 mi)        Pasturat (C,G)

90 km          (56.3 mi)        Vers (H,C,G,T)

95 km          (59.4 mi)        Les Mazuts (G)

98 km          (61.3 mi)        Arcambal (C )

108 km        (67.5 mi)        Cahors (H,C,G,T)

How to book accommodation in French

Explore each stage in more depth –

Stage 1: Le-Puy-en-Velay to Aumont-Aubrac

Stage 2: Aumont-Aubrac to Figeac

Stage 3: Figeac to Cahors

Stage 4: Cahors to Eauze

Stage 5: Eauze to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

Ready to plan your walk along the Chemin de Saint-Jacques du-Puy?