Languedoc 8-day guided hiking tour, Occitanie

Arrival on Saturday  afternoon at the train station of Montpellier.  Transfer to Oleatherm Center. After everyone has settled in, Raphaël Colicci will present his universe, the care center: a labyrinth of scents, a place for relaxation and communion, a reserve of trees, path of cultures and other secrets. He will also introduce his friends, olive trees and bees. We will finish this day by tasting some local products.

Walking time: 2 hours. Difficulty: none.

The Cirque du Bout du Monde is the least known of the foothills of the Larzac plateau. Formerly covered with vines, it is the example of Larzac terraces reforestation, due to agricultural decolonization. We will travel to the pine forest to climb its crest, in the soil of the barren and juniper and then we will cross the rough and mineral plateau, in a pastoral walk, to a unique point of view over the Cirque and much further.

Distance: 13,5 km. Walking time: 7 hours. Altitude difference: 1000 meters. Altitude max: 702m. Intermediate level.

A far-west landscape made of wadis and a canyon, and red land as far as the eye can see. This is a paradise for geologists and paleontologists. The Ruffles is a carmine ocean hammered by centuries of erosion that offers an open-air cinema setting. Arid lands and plant life adapted to this drought. The wreaths of yellow flowers of the Spanish broom are sharp in this mineral blood universe. We will sail between past and present, the most attentive will be able to observe footprints and traces from another time, the most contemplative will be able to imagine walking alongside animals of another age. At the end of the hike, still under the shock of this amazing landscapes and scorching smells, we will taste another flavor of this terroir: biodynamic wine. On the way back, we will meet a village made of sandstone, ruff and basalt on the shores of Lake Salagou.

Distance: 11 km. Walking time: 4 hours. Altitude difference: 370 m. Altitude max: 430 m. Level: beginner to intermediate

We will start our walk by a pagnolesque road. We will be in the limestone scrubland with thyme and rosemary, where aridity is palpable, it is the environment of aromatics. A beautiful walk awaits us and will lead us to the village of Saint Guilhem, passing in and above the circque of hell. In Saint Guilhem, we will admire an authentic village, a Mediterranean pearl near the gorges of the Hérault. The return will offer us a view over the wild immensity of the Mediterranean oak grove.

Distance: 12 km. Walking time: 7 hours. Altitude difference: 950 m. Altitude max: 540 m. Intermediate level.

The Cirque of Mourèze is a zone of mineral chaos, where dolomotic monsters (the Lappiaz) compete in engineering to offer us the most beautiful natural sculptures. A remnant of ancient times irradiated with UV where the pines defy the stone. This world is Mediterranean, almost African. Ecology is a mixture of plateaus, alpine, Mediterranean and sandy areas, together with rocks and wadis. It is the homeland of rosemary. At the top, the look towards the North dominates the red landscape of Lake Salagou, in the South, the whiteness of dolomitic limestones. We will idly finish our walk to meet the beautiful village of Mourèze nestled at the bottom of the cirque, between these colossal limestone.

Distance: 7 km. Walking time: 3,30 hours. Altitude difference: 430 meters. Altitude max: 535 m. Level: Beginner to intermediate.

Between limestone and basalt, on the western part of the Larzac, there is the cirque of the Abeil and the plateau of the Escandorgue. Beech trees torn by the harshness of the environment, wild boxwood gardens, and remarkable flora. The view is breathtaking. It comes from the Cevennes to the sea. Up there, on the plateau, it is a world of silence, austere, authentic, rough and true. We will discover all the beauty and  treasures of this amazing region.

Distance: 8 km. Walking time: 4 hours. Altitude difference: 200 m. Altitude max: 770 m. Beginner level.

The terraces of Larzac are my sacred place. This is a hike through  my stronghold, on the limestone escarpments of the large plateau. It is the territory of wild lavender on the dry and stony lawns of limestone slopes. We will admire the panorama view over  Sète, city of Brassens and the Pyrenees. Without transition, we will continue our journey in the scrubland made arbutus and heather arborescent. We are in the acidic, ascetic lands, where the wastelands of sarsaparilla and green oaks. We will stop in an Occitan village, perched in the bush, where time no longer exists.

Distance: 11 km. Walking time: 5 hours. Altitude difference: 400 m. Altitude max: 702 m. Level: Beginner to intermediate.

How leaving this region without discovering Lodève and its Saturday morning market? This traditional market is a showcase of this  country flavors, between plateaus and Mediterranean plains. Moreover, it brings together the people of this land, meeting at  terrace cafe around the halls. This is an opportunity to greet each other, to stroll around. We will walk to Lodève, charming city at the gates of the Mediterranean, and then we will also stroll through the stands between olives and sheep’s cheese. At noon, we will taste some oysters from the Thau basin with a glass of white Languedoc. For those who want to leave, I will drop you at Montpellier station, with the sun in the eyes and a smile on your face.