An 8km or 10km walk (4km there and 4km or 6km back) which is rewarded in the summer with a French bar/restaurant by the lakeside. (There is another restaurant open most days all year round - Le Chalet du Bois.) The lake is also a lovely spot for a picnic and you can also walk all the way around the lake if you want to find your own private spot. (If walking around the lake, you’ll need to add another 2km to the length of the walk.) It’s possible to swim or hire paddle boards at the lake too - and there’s a miniature golf course and beach volleyball court if you’re still feeling energetic.

With the gite behind you, turn right, past the main house and the next door farm. At the junction bear right and follow the lane until you see a small lake (etang) on your left. Directly after the lake, turn left and follow the chemin, bearing left until you have passed the lake and another field.

Just after the field, turn right, to follow the chemin to the road. At the road, cross over and follow the chemin until you reach a farm track. (Be aware, there are four cattle grids to cross on this path with no gates.)

Cross the farm track and continue on the chemin until you reach the main road.

At the road turn right, and follow it for a very short distance before taking the first left, signposted Chez Vignez Vignette. Turn left and follow this lane for about 200m. Before the bend, turn right down a track that becomes a green chemin.

At the end of this chemin, turn left. Follow this path until you see a gravel track on your right. Turn right and follow this track into the forest. Keep your eyes open for a signposted narrow path on your right (before you reach a private property). Turn right down this path and follow it all the way to a crossroads with a gravel track.

Cross the track and continue to follow the footpath past some houses. After passing a house on your left and entering a small hamlet, you will see the lake to your left.

Turn left to follow the path to the lake. Then turn right as though taking an anti-clockwise tour of the lake to reach the beach and bar/restaurant first.

To return, retrace your steps, crossing the first gravel track and continuing to the forest. Turn left at the end of the path to retrace your steps to the grey gravel track. At the junction, turn left.

Now you have a choice,. To retrace your original route, turn right just after the houses on your right. For a slightly longer option, ignore this junction and continue straight to reach the main road.

Cross the main road and follow the small road (D33) through the hamlet of Le Pecher for about 850m. Just after the left hand bend, turn right down a signposted track. (Be aware the sign is only visible if coming from the other direction, so keep glancing back to make sure you don’t miss it and to verify you’re at the right track!)

Follow this track (keeping always to the main path) through the forest and past a small lake on the left and then another on the right. Continue to follow the track until you reach the crossroads with the chemin, where you crossed the gravel track earlier.

Turn left and follow the chemin back over the cattle grids to the road. Cross the road, and then bear left at the junction to follow the path back past the lake on the right. At the road, turn right to retrace your steps to La Porcherie.