Le Puy Camino: Cahors to Lectoure

From Cahors to Lectoure on the Le Puy route

This is the fourth section of the Le Puy route of the Camino. It runs from Cahors to Lectoure and crosses both the Lot and Garonne valleys. The country is green and gently rounded, and almost every overnight stop has medieval buildings to see, so this leg suits walkers who want both countryside and history.

Facilities along the way are adequate, but there are some noticeable gaps between them. As a minimum, each person should carry two or three snacks, or a light lunch or sandwich, for the longer stretches. Drink plenty and keep eating between places where you can get food.

Montcuq and Moissac

Montcuq is a key stop on the Le Puy Camino. The Tower of Montcuq was built at the beginning of the 13th century for the Counts of Toulouse, and the town grew up around it. You can visit the tower for views over the town and the countryside around it. The English took Montcuq during the Hundred Years War and left it in ruins, and the town you see today is the result of the rebuilding. The church of Saint-Hilaire has a set of brightly coloured stained-glass windows that tell the lives of Christ and Saint-Hilaire. The church of Saint-Privat has a stained-glass window that shows the First World War.

Moissac Abbey is a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture. Its best-known features are the south door of the Church of Saint-Pierre and the cloister. The door dates from the 12th century, and its finely carved tympanum shows Christ in Majesty and the Apocalypse according to St John. The cloister has 76 carved capitals from the late 11th century, with scenes from the lives of the saints and from the Bible. A cedar tree more than 200 years old stands in the cloister. Many classical music concerts take place there in the summer months.

Arriving in Lectoure

At first sight Lectoure looks much like the other towns you will have walked through. The town centre is where its history shows. It has Gallo-Roman remains from the 2nd and 3rd centuries and the ancient Fountain of Diana, which was restored in the 13th century. Its finest building is the Cathedral of St Gervais and St Protais. Since the 1950s Lectoure has been best known for growing melons, because the local climate and limestone-clay soil suit them well. The town holds its annual Melon Festival on 15 August.

What's included

The holiday includes bed and breakfast in hand-picked accommodation, a holiday or pilgrim pack, 24/7 on-call support and a pre-departure briefing held face to face by video call. Luggage transfers between hotels are not part of the starting price but can be added.