Cycling loops around L'Etoile Guest-House

At L'Etoile, you will find a secure bicycle garage, charging stations for electric bikes, and a workshop equipped for minor repairs. You can download GPX route files directly to your smartphone and print the itineraries from our website.

Around La Bastide-Puylaurent, a multitude of small, picturesque, and peaceful roads provide an ideal setting for cycling—whether you prefer an electric bike or a classic one for a more athletic ride. Located just 300 meters from L'Etoile, the local train station offers connections in three directions (East, South, and North), opening up even more possibilities for your cycling excursions.

The Ardèche Side
The gradients here are steeper and the scenery more spectacular. The rivers, with their natural granite basins, are veritable havens for swimming. The typical small villages, either perched on mountainsides like Loubaresse and Thines or situated at high altitudes like Montselgues, are well worth a visit.

The small town of Les Vans is a popular destination for cycling trips, particularly for its vibrant Saturday morning market, where local mountain producers sell goat cheese, artisanal goods, fruits, and vegetables. Further north, toward Mount Mézenc on the border between Haute-Loire and Ardèche, the landscape becomes more rugged and wild.

The Lozère Side
The slopes here are gentler as you remain on the high plateaus. The undulating landscapes are covered in vast forests and lush pastures, intersected by gently flowing trout rivers. You will find plenty of idyllic spots perfect for a picnic or a peaceful afternoon nap.

Small, bucolic villages like Le Cheylard-l'Évêque evoke fairytale settings. The vast Mercoire forest is a favorite among mushroom foragers. The quiet, well-maintained roads winding through it lead to the Mercoire Abbey and to pristine corners completely untouched by pollution.

Mount Lozère, with its arid, boulder-strewn summit, offers grandiose panoramic views of the Cévennes. Along the way, you will come across flocks of grazing sheep and can watch birds of prey soaring high above the Cévennes National Park.

The Haute-Loire Side
Further north, the Haute-Loire plateau is home to Lake Bouchet, surrounded by small farms growing legumes and cereals alongside grazing herds of cows. The Haute-Loire landscape is bounded to the west by the Allier Valley, which flows toward the northwest.

To the west of the Allier River lies the Margeride mountains, while to the east is the Velay region, intersected by several valleys including those of the Loire and the Lignon du Velay. Certain areas of the department take their names from their mountain ranges, such as the Mount Mézenc and Meygal massifs.

The Allier Gorges offer a dramatic change of scenery. Leaving the high plateau behind, you plunge into a wild territory crossed only by the railway and a few isolated roads. Renowned for its excellent fly fishing, the area is also home to remarkable historical sites, including the castle and chapel at Saint-Ilpize, the Benedictine abbey in Lavoûte-Chilhac, and the Sainte-Marie-des-Chazes chapel in Chanteuges, which majestically overlooks the gorges.

Brioude and Le Puy-en-Velay are also fantastic destinations for cycling, provided you avoid the busy N88 highway.