Lake Issarlès is one of the jewels of the Ardèche Mountains. It fills an old maar crater and stretches over 97 ha at an altitude of 1000 m with an exceptional depth of 108 metres. Fishing lake. Water sports centre and supervised swimming in summer
Culminating at 1753 m, Mont Mézenc, the highest volcanic peak in the department, marks the divide between the Atlantic and Mediterranean waters. A phonolithic dome formed by the coalescence of several lava flows, it offers a 360° panorama.
Mont Gerbier-de-Jonc, an ancient volcano with a sugarloaf-shaped summit, is famous for being the source of the Loire River. A unique natural site offering breathtaking views in the heart of the UNESCO Global Geopark. At its base, enjoy the Visitor Centre.
A maar-type volcano, the artificial lake is partly nestled in a vast explosion crater whose edges can be seen. It is possible to walk around it (1,5 km). Fishing lake. Water sports centre and supervised swimming in July and August.
Facing West-East in a triangle formed to the South by the Mont Gerbier de Jonc, to the North by the Suc de Sara and to the West the village and the lake of Saint Martial, the Pradal Valley is protected by its unique access.
This source corresponds to the official source indicated on the cadastral plan n° 87. It flows in a natural environment, it comes out of the ground in a meadow, under a stone which bears the inscription "here begins my road to the ocean".
The Roches de Borée are like a set of phonolitic domes exposed by erosion. Similar to the surrounding peaks (the Pialoux rock, the Gouleïou, the Touron peak), they bear witness to volcanism where the craters remain invisible.
The volcanic juice of Gouléïou takes its name from the particular site it occupies. “Gouléïou” actually comes from “goulet”, that is to say “col”. It is a relief formed of phonolite, a clear volcanic rock enriched in silica.
The "authentic source" symbolizes, by the monument erected in 1938 by the Touring Club of France, the source of the Loire. Nearby, a triptych of information on the Gerbier-de-Jonc platform and the Maison de site.
It flows in a stone trough inside an old renovated farmhouse with a Lauze roof. It is possible to drink water directly from the source.
