Le Puy Camino by Bike - Cahors to St Jean Pied de Port

Since Celtic times, the town of Cahors has had a rich history. It is known as the centre of AOC ‘black’ wine which has been produced since the Middle Ages and exported via Bordeaux, long before that famous region developed its own viticulture industry. Make sure you purchase your pilgrim passport from the tourist office or cathedral to have it stamped throughout your journey to St Jean Pied de Port.

Leaving Cahors via the Valentré bridge, the route continues to Labastide-Marnhac, and again meet the pilgrim walkers. Continue on small tracks & roads to Lascabannes. After few kilometers, you leave the Lot department and enter the Tarn et Garonne on a road up to Lauzerte. The town of Lauzerte is spectacularly located on a hill overlooking a landscape of vineyards, limestone plateaus and green valleys. Spend some time wandering the upper village with its medieval architecture, ramparts and picturesque town square. Cumulative: 406m/1332ft ascent, 297m/974ft descent

The day begins with a great descent to Moissac, a former major stop on the Camino, before continuing into the Lomagne or "hunchback Gascogne", an area of natural beauty. Straddling the Tarn et Garonne and the Gers, this former dependency of the duchy of Gascony is the land of white garlic, interesting houses and churches. Later you reach Auvillar, built on a promontory and classified as one of the "most beautiful villages in France". With its circular market built in 1824, clock tower and old stone houses, there is much to see around the town. Cumulative: 309m/1014ft ascent, 418m/1371ft descent

Along this stage, you will leave Tarn et Garonne and enter the Gers départment. The route is lined with quaint villages: Flamarens, Miradoux, Lectoure, Marsolan, and La Romieu. Leaving La Romieu, the expansive views of the open countryside of the Gers are inspiring. The area represents the transition between the 'haute' Armagnac around Lectoure (also called White Armagnac due to the limestone found throughout the area) and the 'bas' Armagnac around Eauze, where thick black oak woods are found and more than 50% of the wine crops of Armagnac are located. Condom is one of the principal Armagnac towns and is located on a spur of the rivers Gèle and Baise. A key attraction is the Gothic styled cathedral of St Peter's, the last built in the Languedoc style. Cumulative: 786m/2578ft ascent, 812m/2667ft descent

Today's route has lots of ups and downs and takes you first to Montréal-du-Gers, one of the oldest walled towns of Gascogne (1289). En route we recommend a little detour through Larresingle, another of the 'Most Beautiful Villages in France". Continue to Eauze, the capital of the current Gascogne. Take time to admire the slender steeple of St Luperce and the half-timbered house of Jeanne d’Albret. At the end of the day, you will come out on the Adour plain, a very open and intensively cultivated landscape. Aire sur l'Adour is separated into two parts; the lower section which is by the river and dominated by the cathedral of St Jean Baptiste, and the high town or Mas d'Aire, which is dominated by the Eglise de Sainte Quitterie where a Benedictine monastery once stood. Accommodation this evening will be in Aire or neighbouring Barcelonne du Gers. Cumulative: 836m/2742ft ascent, 846m/2776ft descent

Today is another challenging ride. You start the day on a small departmental road between farms and cornfields until you reach Troussin, Latrille then Miramont-Sensacq. Further on, you enter the Béarn area, and the terrain gradually changes to make way for chestnut and ferns, announcing your entry into the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Continue to arrive at Arzacq-de-Béarn before reaching the small village of Maslacq. Cumulative: 660m/2165ft ascent, 655m /2148ft descent

Today you will transition between the Béarn area and the Basque country, in the very heart of the Pyrenean foothills. After the ancient fortified village of Navarrenx, you will cross the Gave d’Oloron. Along the way discover the Montgaston and Joantho castles before reaching St Palais, a cultural town which plays host to colourful festivals and markets. Here the street signs are in the Basque language which is typical of the region. This is also the entry point into the Lower Navarre, formerly the Kingdom of Navarre. There are a number of sights to visit including a museum containing historic pilgrim relics and a statue of St James the pilgrim. Cumulative: 581m/1906ft ascent, 612m/2007ft descent