A biking loop in Cheese land
The loop begins with a green lane but don’t you be mistaken, this is a real sportive challenge featuring a steep incline over a short distance. At the Combalou rock, scramblers will have the opportunity to enjoy an extra challenge: the ascent to the summit. An undulating limestone plateau opens its trails in the second half of the course, with a lovely final downhill to Saint-Affrique. Fresh air guaranteed!

Tiergues dolmen

Crassous dolmen
This dolmen which can be seen from the road is one of the dolmens that is worth making a detour to visit. It is nicknamed l’Ercoule owing to an old legend that the demigod Hercules, known for his superhuman strength, must have built this burial chamber.
Description
- The starting point from Saint-Affrique is via the green lane in the direction of the St-Jean d’Alcas battlements.
- Then the ascent towards the Aiguières pass will offer you a magnificent view over the Tournemire amphitheatre before beginning the downhill section that goes to Roquefort (indulge yourself with a small tasting session of Roquefort cheese and a visit to the caves).
- At last, the Combalou trail marks the way back to Saint-Affrique with a passage through the land of Tiergues and Crassous dolmens
Points of interest
- St-Jean d’Alcas (Templar Tower) 14 km
- Aiguières pass (viewing point) 20 km
- Roquefort (Heritage and Food supply) 25 km
59 % of roads, 17 % of bicycle paths and 24 % of tracks
This loop takes 2h 30 to 4h to be completed depending on your physical stamina
Altimetric profile
Access and parking
Saint-Affrique is situated 31 km southwest from Millau via the D992 and D999 roads
Parking :
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What to see
At its entrance, is a 180 million-year-old complete skeleton of an extinct marine dinosaur, the Occitanosaurus tournemirensis which was discovered fossilized in the “grey clay soils.”
The ecologically Sensitive Natural Space (SNS) of the Tournemire amphitheatre which is situated in the village of the same name, stretches over an area of approximately 130 ha and marks the boundary between the frontal causses and the causse du Larzac. This area has a remarkable environmental importance due to the geomorphology of the site and also owing to several natural habitats of European interest that it provides. This natural space shelters numerous noteworthy bird species: the Eagle Owl, the Golden Eagle, the Common Whitethroat, the Wallcreeper, the Red-billed Chough and some inconspicuous bats. A few plant species well-adapted to the topography, the rock and even sometimes to the Mediterranean climate can be observed: Hoppe's Figwort, Hormathophylla macrocarpa...
The House of Plesiosaur displays the skeleton of the marine reptile (it's a copy, the original is at Millau's museum) along with interpretative panels about the geology, Plesiosaur, flora, birds and bats. It is also the starting point of the Tournemire amphitheatre hiking circuit that enables you to immerse yourself in a unique environment and of the point of departure for the amphitheatre interpretive trail.
"Espace Nature Aveyron" is a mobile application which allows to discover the whole range of animal and plant species living in this ecosystem and to enjoy the SNS stroll.