Mas de la Croix
The Vía Podiensis
This is a decision point. At Mas de la Croix, the GR651 branches off south into the Cele valley, while the main GR65 continues west across the causse toward Grealou and Cajarc.
The GR651 is the Cele valley variant: roughly 55 km from Beduer to Bouzies, where it rejoins the GR65 near Cahors. It passes through Espagnac-Sainte-Eulalie, Marcilhac-sur-Cele with its ruined Benedictine abbey, and Cabrerets near the Pech Merle cave with its 25,000-year-old paintings. The variant is more demanding, with daily ascents and descents, but quieter and arguably more beautiful than the main route. It adds two to three days.
If you're taking the GR651 Cele valley variant, make your decision before reaching this junction. Signage can be unclear. The variant is more physically demanding but less traveled.