Massif Central, dormant volcanoes and canyons in the heart of France.

What is the Massif Central?

It is the great block of old mountains, plateaus and volcanoes that occupies the centre and south of France, about 85,000 km², around 15% of mainland France. It covers Auvergne and Limousin entirely and parts of Occitanie, Burgundy and Rhône-Alpes, in départements such as Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal, Haute-Loire, Lozère, Aveyron and Ardèche. Its largest cities are Clermont-Ferrand and Saint-Étienne, but what defines it is the countryside: pastures, forests, stone farmhouses and small villages, with few people.

It is not a range with high-mountain peaks. The highest point, the Puy de Sancy, is 1,886 metres. Very different landscapes fit inside: to the north, the volcanoes of Auvergne, with the Chaîne des Puys and the Sancy and Cantal massifs; in the centre, high granite plateaus such as the Aubrac; and to the south, the limestone plateaus of the Grands Causses, cut by canyons, and the Cévennes mountains, with their national park. There is also a long list of regional natural parks, among them Volcans d'Auvergne, Grands Causses and Livradois-Forez.

How do you get there from Spain?

By car it is easy and cheap. From La Jonquera you follow the A9 to Béziers and then the A75, the motorway that crosses the massif from south to north to Clermont-Ferrand and is free along its whole length except for the Millau viaduct. From La Jonquera to Clermont-Ferrand it is about 470 km. The Tarn Gorges lie halfway, a short distance from the motorway.

By train, Clermont-Ferrand is a little over three hours from Paris, but from Spain there is no convenient connection. Once there, a car is almost essential: the volcanoes, the villages of the causses and the canoe landing stages are in the countryside, with no practical public transport outside summer.

What to see in the Massif Central?

The Chaîne des Puys is a row of about 80 dormant volcanoes over 32 km, west of Clermont-Ferrand, which UNESCO inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2018 together with the Limagne fault. The Puy de Dôme, at 1,465 metres, is reached by the Panoramique des Dômes rack railway, in about 15 minutes, or on foot; at the top are the ruins of a temple of Mercury. Around it are craters you can walk round, a volcano, Lemptégy, that you go down inside, and the Vulcania theme park.

To the south, the Tarn Gorges are a canyon of more than 65 km between the Causse Méjean and the Causse de Sauveterre, within the Causses and Cévennes landscape, a World Heritage Site since 2011. They are descended by canoe on calm water, with family stretches of 7 or 8 km, and on the bank are stone villages such as Sainte-Enimie and La Malène.

Without a page yet on Geocalia, the massif has other names that combine in the same trip: the Millau viaduct, over the Tarn valley; Le Puy-en-Velay, with its cathedral and the chapel of Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe on a volcanic needle, the starting point of one of the French Ways of St James; Conques, in the Aveyron, with its Romanesque abbey; the lakes and resorts of the Sancy; and the Aubrac plateaus.

When is it best to go?

From May to September. In June and September the trails are dry, there are few people and the Tarn canoe companies are already running. In July and August the river water is good for swimming, but the gorge road and the summit of the Puy de Dôme fill up at midday. In October the woods turn red and the light is good, although many places close. In winter, over the volcanoes and plateaus there is fog, wind and snow, and a good part of the tourist offer does not open.

How many days do you need?

For a single part, two or three days: the volcanoes with a base in Clermont-Ferrand or in the plateau villages, or the gorges with a night by the river. To join the volcanoes of Auvergne with the Tarn and the Cévennes, count five to seven days: the A75 links the two areas in a few hours' drive and lets you stop at Millau or the Aubrac.

What is worth knowing before going?

The massif is large and sparsely populated: between villages there are many kilometres of winding road, and petrol stations and shops are not everywhere. Fill the tank and bring water and food on long routes. In summer, book accommodation by the Tarn and in the volcano area, because there are few beds. At altitude the weather changes fast: bring warm clothes and a waterproof even if it is hot below. In the villages dinner is early, at French time.