Top 4 family walks in the Puy-de-Dôme volcanoes

When the sun is shining and the birds are singing, what could be more enjoyable than a family hike?
As we like to share our favourites, we’re going to give you 4 good reasons to choose Terra Volcana for your 100% natural spring getaway! Your budding adventurers are sure to love putting on their hiking boots. And you’ll be able to discover the best of nature as a family, with your rucksack firmly on your back!

1. L'Étang grand de Pulvérières The early bird hike

TheÉtang grand de Pulvérières can be enjoyed at any time of the day… but what a delight it is to discover it in the early hours of the morning! After a hearty breakfast, grab your binoculars and off you go on the 2.4km Crested Grebe Trail.

When is the best time to see these strange birds? From late March or early April, at the start of the spring migrations. Observatories have been set up along the trail, along with interpretation panels to tell you everything you need to know about this wetland, a veritable haven of biodiversity. You’ll find 102 species of birds, including around fifty breeders, as well as 200 plants, 29 species of dragonfly and 8 amphibians. Marsh snipe, grey heron, coot, great crested grebe, natterjack… keep your eyes peeled!

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2. The sculpture trail

The Châtel-Guyon fitness trail is perfectly suited to younger visitors, thanks to its woodcarving trail. More than 40 sculptures can be found in the spa’s forest, some of them quite hidden! The sculptures are the work of Loïc Bertrand, a local authority employee: in 2015, this nature lover set out to poetically extend the life of trees that were ill or becoming dangerous.

Allow around an hour’s walk to find the owl, the marmot, the bear, the Moaï statue or the squirrel. It’s a great challenge for all the family.

As a bonus for the more adventurous, the well-named Vallée de Sans-Souci and its squirrel waterfall are just a stone’s throw away. And the tree-climbing courses at Parc Écureuil are waiting for you too!

Find out more about this trail

3. Puys Chopine and des Gouttes hike The volcanic beauty

Now that the whole family has had a breath of fresh air, it’s time to get down to business with this splendid and widely accessible 6km hike!

Here, the north face of the Chaîne des Puys is revealed from the summit of Puy des Gouttes, at an altitude of 1,134 metres. Allow 2 hours’ walk to admire a majestic panorama of the Puy Pariou, the Puy de Dôme and the Lemptégy volcano.

As an added bonus, you’ll pass through a fantastic beech forest, with its strangely shaped trees sure to spark your imagination. As you approach the crater, make sure you don’t get too close to the Rava ewes, who often loll about on the summit, to avoid disturbing their peace and quiet.

Bonus: enjoy this hike in the company of a mountain guide. You’ll learn all about the unique geological history of these volcanoes and your children will shine in class!

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4. Tournoël Castle The valiant knights' walk

Oyez Oyez adventurous families! Do your knights in shorts dream of fortified castles and have ants in their legs? Terra Volcana has just what you need!

Head for the Château de Tournoël, on the heights of Volvic, to give them a real treat on a route just 3.5km long. The view of the Limagne plain from this historic Auvergne landmark is breathtaking. It’s easy to see why this impregnable fortress could only have been taken by cunning!

Before coming back down to earth, you can also take in the splendid panorama of Volvic from the monumental statue of Notre-Dame de la Garde. This has been protecting the town of Volvic since 1861 and rises to 733 metres from the heights of the Puy de la Bannière.