Le Puy Mary

Le Claux

Description

Designated a ‘Grand Site de France’, the majestic pyramid-shaped silhouette of Puy Mary (1787 m) offers an exceptional panoramic view even including the distant Mont Blanc. Easy to get to by road, climb the face of the remnants of Europe's largest volcano!

A volcano located in the heart of the Monts du Cantal and the Auvergne Volcanic Region Natural Park, the Cantal Massif is the oldest of the Auvergne giants. Unlike the Chaîne des Puys (a chain of 80 small volcanoes) in the neighbouring department of Puy de Dôme, the Cantal Massif is made up of a single volcano, Europe's largest stratovolcano, covering an area of 2,700 km²...

Puy Mary is one of the peaks of the Monts du Cantal, the result of the erosion of the stratovolcano and the intersection of several glacial cirques. Although it is not the highest peak in the range, the pyramid-shaped silhouette of Puy Mary (1787 m) is instantly recognisable.

This emblematic summit has been developed sustainably, reconciling the preservation of the landscape, the "spirit of the site", the quality of public reception and the participation of local residents and partners in the site’s existence. These years of commitment to the landscape have earned Puy Mary a place among the twenty or so sites of the prestigious ‘Grands Sites de France’ network, the label was first awarded in 2012 and then renewed in 2019.

Did you know? The name Puy Mary is said to come from Marius, a disciple of Saint Austremoine, the Auvergne’s first evangelist.

From the Pas de Peyrol pass, it's a thirty-minute walk (195m ascent)* to the orientation table at the summit of Puy Mary. A path with steps and risers provides access to an extraordinary panoramic view of the stratovolcano: its radiating glacial valleys, roughly triangular-shaped summer pasture plateaux and rocky puys...

On the way back down to the pass, a video at the Maison de site explains the landscape and a range of summer events help you appreciate the site’s riches.

*You're on a mountain site, beware! the weather can change drastically in very little time. Make sure you are both well-equipped and well-informed about the weather.