Bouvante: Hotels and accommodations

The challenging “Le tour de Bouvante” circular hike starts in Bouvante. It is 23.5 kilometers long and takes around seven hours. The route starts at the parking lot in Bouvante-le-Bas, follows the GR 9 toward Bouvante-le-Haut, and descends to Lac de Bouvante.

To plan your stay in detail, you can find accommodations in Bouvante.

Routes

The “Tour de la forêt de Lente” cycling route is a very challenging 40.9-kilometer loop that takes around four hours. It leads to the edge of the Font d'Urle–Ambel area, which is classified as an “Espace Naturel Sensible” (sensitive natural area).

The “The Plemiat tour” route is an 8.18-kilometer circular hike of moderate difficulty that takes around three hours. It passes through the wild Lyonne Gorges and reaches the riverbank below limestone cliffs and mountain forests. The starting point is the parking lot in Bouvante-le-Bas; initially, the route follows the GR 9 toward Les Sables. The remains of the Château des Flandaines are located near the route. The site belonged to the defense system of the princes of Royans before it was dismantled at the end of the 16th century.

Nature

The Val Sainte-Marie Integral Biological Reserve is located in the Lente state forest. It is situated in Bouvante, covers 160 hectares, and belongs to IUCN protected area category Ia.

The karst educational trail is designed to help visitors understand the plateau’s relief and stories. The “Randonnée aquatique nature” is a water hike through a gorge focused on biodiversity, featuring jumps, natural slides, cavities, and a short abseiling section.

Culture and history

Val Sainte-Marie Abbey was founded in 1144. The former abbey is now in ruins and cannot be visited.

La Correrie, the lower house of the Carthusians of Val Sainte-Marie, comprises a Romanesque church building with three south-facing windows and barrel vaults. The Romanesque sheepfold at La Correrie preserves five rooms and walls two meters thick.

Val Sainte-Marie Abbey was arranged around two cloisters. The communal rooms were located in the small cloister, while a covered gallery surrounded the large cloister.

The 12th-century Romanesque chapel at La Correrie later became a site for ironworking. A spring-powered saw drove the mill.

More local pages: Lus-La-Croix-Haute, Pierrelongue, Saint-Agnan, Saint-Julien-En-Quint, Plaisians, Léoncel, Mollans-Sur-Ouveze, Omblèze.

To the broader travel overview: Drôme.