The starting point for two circular hikes is the car park in Bouvante-le-Bas, but they differ considerably in the time required and their destinations. There is also a very difficult cycling loop, the Val Sainte-Marie Integral Biological Reserve and the history of the former monastery. Bouvante therefore offers everything from practical tour planning to landscapes and cultural heritage.

Two circular hikes starting in Bouvante-le-Bas

“Le tour de Bouvante” is a difficult 23.5-kilometre circular hike that takes about seven hours. It starts at the car park in Bouvante-le-Bas, follows the GR 9 towards Bouvante-le-Haut and descends to Lac de Bouvante. Set aside a full, substantial hiking day for this route.

“The Plemiat tour” is a circular hike of moderate difficulty. Covering 8.18 kilometres, it takes about three hours. It also starts at the car park in Bouvante-le-Bas and initially follows the GR 9 towards Les Sables. The route passes through the wild Lyonne gorges and reaches the riverbank below limestone cliffs and mountain forests.

By comparison, “The Plemiat tour,” of moderate difficulty and taking around three hours, is the more compact option compared with the difficult “Le tour de Bouvante,” which takes about seven hours. Check local trail updates before setting out, as conditions may change.

Cycling route: Tour de la forêt de Lente

“Tour de la forêt de Lente” is a very difficult circular cycling route: it is 40.9 kilometres long and takes about four hours. Along the way, it reaches the edge of the area classified as an “Espace Naturel Sensible” (sensitive natural area), Font d’Urle–Ambel. At around four hours, its duration falls between those of the two hiking routes; it is also explicitly classified as very difficult.

Protected area and karst

The Val Sainte-Marie Integral Biological Reserve is located in the Lente state forest and in Bouvante. It covers 160 hectares and belongs to IUCN protected-area category 1a. The karst discovery trail is intended to help visitors understand the plateau’s landforms and stories.

Val Sainte-Marie: Monastic history and architecture

Val Sainte-Marie Monastery was founded in 1144. The former monastery is now in ruins and cannot be visited; confirm whether visits are possible before travelling. The complex was arranged around two cloisters: the smaller one contained communal rooms, while the larger one was surrounded by a covered gallery.

The description also identifies the Correrie as the lower house of the Carthusians of Val Sainte-Marie. Its Romanesque church building has three south-facing windows and barrel vaults. The Romanesque sheepfold has five rooms and walls two metres thick. A 12th-century Romanesque chapel at the Correrie was later converted into an ironworking site. In this context, the heritage description mentions a spring-powered saw that set the mill in motion.

Discover more destinations: Mirmande, Ponet-Et-Saint-Auban, Pierrelongue, Châteauneuf-Du-Rhône, Cornillac, Montbrison-Sur-Lez, Bathernay, Anneyron

For the broader travel overview: Drôme.