Auvergne Volcanoes by Motorcycle: Puy Mary, the Sancy and the Chaîne des Puys

The Auvergne is the volcanic heart of the Massif Central: a high, green upland of extinct volcanoes, crater lakes and open pasture in the middle of France. The roads are quiet, the views are huge, and the riding is a mix of fast plateau roads and properly mountainous passes. Most riders cross France on the A75 without stopping. Those who leave it find some of the best and emptiest motorcycle roads in the country.

Planning an Auvergne trip

This loop links the two big volcanic massifs: the Monts Dore around the Puy de Sancy and the Monts du Cantal around the Puy Mary. Le Mont-Dore, Besse and Murol are good bases in the north; Salers, Murat and Le Lioran in the south. The full loop is a long day; split over two days with a night in Salers, it becomes a relaxed tour with time for every viewpoint.

The A71 from Paris and the A89 from Lyon and Bordeaux meet at Clermont-Ferrand, and the A75 runs south toward Millau and the Mediterranean, toll-free for most of its length. From the Channel ports, Clermont-Ferrand is a long day on the motorway.

The route

Clermont-Ferrand and the Chaîne des Puys (about 40km). West of Clermont-Ferrand, a line of around eighty volcanic cones runs north to south, now a UNESCO World Heritage site together with the Limagne fault. The Puy de Dôme is the tallest. Its summit road is closed to private vehicles; you reach the top by the Panoramique des Dômes rack railway from the base station. The small roads around the cones give the first views of the volcanic landscape.

Col de Guéry and Le Mont-Dore (about 35km). Ride south-west over the Col de Guéry (1,268m) on the D983, with the Roches Tuilière and Sanadoire, two volcanic rock towers, beside the road and the Lac de Guéry just beyond. The descent into the Dordogne valley at Le Mont-Dore, under the Puy de Sancy, is a fine run of bends.

Over the Croix Saint-Robert to Besse (about 25km). From Le Mont-Dore, the D36 climbs over the Col de la Croix Saint-Robert (around 1,450m), a high, open pass across the flank of the Sancy massif. Descend toward Besse-en-Chandesse, a medieval village of dark lava stone, and the ski station of Super-Besse.

Lac Chambon and Murol (about 20km). A short detour east takes you to the Lac Chambon, a lake dammed by a volcano, with the ruined castle of Murol on its hill above. Then turn south across the high Cézallier plateau, open, empty grassland with long straights and sweeping bends.

Toward Salers (about 70km). Ride south through Condat and Riom-ès-Montagnes toward Salers, crossing the Cantal plateau. Salers is a beautiful little town of black basalt houses on the edge of the mountains and the home of the red Salers cattle you will have seen all day.

Col de Néronne and the Pas de Peyrol (about 25km). From Salers the D680 climbs east over the Col de Néronne and up to the Pas de Peyrol (1,589m), at the foot of the Puy Mary. It is the highest road pass in the Massif Central, at the crossing of the D680 and the D17, and the views over the glacial valleys of the Cantal are among the best in France. The pass is usually open from early May to late October. In summer, traffic on the access roads is regulated and parking at the top is paid; there is a dedicated motorcycle parking area just below the summit.

Down to Murat or Le Lioran (about 45km). Descend east from the pass through Dienne toward Murat, or ride to Le Lioran and the Plomb du Cantal. From Murat, the A75 or the quieter roads north take you back toward Clermont-Ferrand. Near the A75, the Garabit viaduct, a red iron railway bridge by Gustave Eiffel, is a worthwhile short detour to the south-east.

The roads

Surfaces are generally good, but the passes are narrow, with steep drops in places, and cattle graze freely on the high pastures, sometimes standing in the road. The weather changes fast: fog, wind and cold rain can arrive in minutes on the high tops, even in summer. The Pas de Peyrol climbs are steep and tight near the top and busy with cars in July and August. Fuel is available in the towns, but the high plateau has long empty stretches.

Pack for all four seasons. Even in July, a day that starts warm in Clermont-Ferrand can bring cold rain and fog on the Pas de Peyrol, and the wind across the Cézallier plateau has little to stop it. A warm mid-layer, waterproofs and a spare pair of gloves are worth the space in your luggage.

When to go

June to September for the high passes; May and October can be beautiful but cold, and the Pas de Peyrol and the Croix Saint-Robert may still be closed or snowbound. June brings wild flowers and long days; September brings clear air and quiet roads. Check the Cantal department's road information before riding the Puy Mary out of season.

A two-day plan

Day one: Clermont-Ferrand, the Chaîne des Puys, the Col de Guéry, Le Mont-Dore, the Croix Saint-Robert and Lac Chambon, with a night in Besse or Murol. Day two: across the Cézallier to Salers, over the Pas de Peyrol, and down to Murat, then home or on south toward the Tarn. Starting early on day two means reaching the Puy Mary before the summer traffic.

Food and stops

The Auvergne is cheese country. Saint-Nectaire comes from the villages around the Sancy, Cantal and Salers from the southern massif, and truffade (potatoes with melted fresh Cantal) is the classic mountain dish. Most villages have a café or a farm selling cheese, and the burons, the old stone dairy huts on the high pastures, sometimes serve meals in summer. Fuel is easiest in Clermont-Ferrand, Le Mont-Dore, Besse, Riom-ès-Montagnes and Murat.

Where to stay

Le Mont-Dore, Besse and Murol suit the northern massif; Salers and Murat the Cantal. See our biker-friendly stays in France. The Gorges du Tarn and Millau are a couple of hours south on the A75, and the two rides make a superb week in the Massif Central. Riders heading south-west can carry on to the Pyrenees and the Tourmalet, and the Pyrenees biker hotels make a natural next stop.