Péone walks

A lesser-known and less-frequented secondary summit of the Mercantour, located above the pretty village of Péone, the Tête de Méric nevertheless offers a magnificent panorama stretching from the Tours du Lac d'Allos to the peaks of the Vallée des Merveilles, via the Val d'Entraunes and the Gorges de Daluis. The final ridge allows you to gradually discover this panorama.

The walk takes place largely through woodland. Personally, I prefer to do it in the morning in spring, as it isn’t too hot yet.

Ideal for learning to ride a mountain bike, this ride, high above the resort, takes you to the hamlet of La Colle, the starting point for the walk to the marmot site, home to the Alps’ iconic animals. The route begins on a tarmac road and continues along a dirt track.

Starting from the Valberg Golf Club car park, a short (1h40) but intense trail marked as a Green Trail. Lac de Beuil invites you to take a break; you’ll enjoy the return via the Sentier Yoga on the balcony path.

A walk starting from Valberg that crosses the resort’s ski area and a wilder section towards the end. From the top of these peaks, a remarkably colourful landscape unfolds below, featuring the characteristic red rocks of the Cians and Daluis. You can also admire the 360° views of the peaks (Mont Saint-Honorat on one side, Le Mounier and the Cime Nègre above Valberg on the other, etc.)

A short, very easy trail, ideal for a family walk, in an area frequented by marmots.

Mont Mounier (2,817m) is one of the must-see peaks in the Alpes Maritimes: magnificent panoramas, 360° views from the summit, a beautiful ridge at the end, a fairly steady and easy 1,100m climb with views of the summit almost all the way.

A beautiful hike through woodland, featuring a monumental arch some fifteen metres high, a testament to a distant geological past, and Sauze, a small, isolated 13th-century mountain village, the outskirts of which are still farmed by a few die-hard farmers. The chapel at Sauze Vieux and its wooden table make a lovely spot for a lunch break, facing Mont Saint-Honorat.

From the Éguilles car park, at the end of the road of the same name, you will descend the Vallon de Challandre and then climb back up to the Plateau Saint-Jean with some beautiful views of the Gorges du Cians and the Tête de Rigaud towering above them. After a short detour to the Chapelle Saint-Jean chapel, you will cross the plateau with Mont Mounier in your sights.

A beautiful hike that will allow you to discover a lovely forest and a superb 360° panorama from the Cime de Raton. The ridge line that follows offers a succession of sweeping views with picture-postcard scenery. The route is not very busy.

A beautiful, long hike overlooking the Var valley, starting from Guillaumes. Difficult due to its length, it includes a very difficult section that is only suitable for experienced hikers who are not afraid to use their hands to climb over rocks. It is possible to avoid this section; see the Practical Information section. I recommend this hike in autumn to enjoy the beautiful colours of the vegetation.

Starting from the hamlet of Les Launes, this circular hike takes you to Lac de Beuil, nestled in a sinkhole at the foot of Tête de l'Ubac, before climbing to Tête du Garnier for a magnificent panorama over the entire Beuil-Valberg area, as far as Mont Mounier and Mercantour in the distance.

This is a very pleasant hike which, after a covered climb, offers breathtaking views of the Daluis Gorges. The landscapes are magnificent, combining red, green vegetation and blue stone. Swimming in the Clue d'Amen is a very pleasant experience in summer. The abandoned hamlet of Amen is a major tourist attraction as it was a completely self-sufficient community for decades, with no other access routes than the hiking trails.

A superb hike offering stunning panoramic views of the Nice region’s ‘Colorado’. This hike can be completed in one or two days, with an overnight stay at the Roua campsite (see practical information).

A short, moderately challenging hike offering beautiful views of the Var, the Gorges du Daluis and the Pont de la Mariée. The route, which is rarely used, passes through a pine forest before reaching the natural arch at La Roche Trouée, a true natural treasure. On your return to Pont des Roberts, visit the village of Guillaumes, a charming village nestled in the heart of the Upper Var Valley.

Starting from Châteauneuf-d'Entraunes (near Valberg), this hike offers plenty to discover: a picturesque village, an old wheat mill (open to visitors in summer), impressive gorges... Sounds good, doesn't it?

A pleasant hike between the River Var and the Rocher de Chanabasse, of moderate difficulty, suitable for all. The route runs through the Terres Noires, named after the marl that makes up the soil. It can be tackled by downhill mountain bikes, particularly the return leg which overlooks a mini-canyon used during the Mercantour Enduro race. Stay alert.

A beautiful forest trail that begins with an ascent up the Vallon de Cante and three river crossings. The views of the gorges and the Alpine massif are countless. The passage beneath the natural arch of La Roche Trouée, a stone monument some fifteen metres high and a testament to a distant geological past, leaves all hikers speechless.The Saint-Joseph Chapel in Sauze-Vieux and its picnic area make for a popular spot for a lunch break, facing Mont Saint-Honorat.

A very beautiful walk/hike that begins with a crossing of the beautiful Couillole valley. The Ibac de Frache is a magnificent coniferous forest. The descent through the mountain pasture areas from Pin Pourri is still used for transhumance.

Starting from Roya, a hike through a wild valley to Mont Riounet, which overlooks the resort of Auron and offers a beautiful panorama of the surrounding area (the Tinée peaks, the Mounier chain, the Mercantour-Argentera massif) and other more distant peaks to the north (Col de la Bonette, Aiguille and Brec de Chambeyron, Tête de Moïse, Pics de la Font Sancte, Mont Viso, etc.). Ideal in autumn, to admire the colours and, with a little luck, to hear and see the deer bellowing.

The military structure built at Col de Crous provided passage between the Tuébi and Péone valley to the south and the Roya (Tinée) valley to the north.The small structure was built between 1932 and 1939 by military labour (MOM), more specifically by a detachment from the27th Algerian Rifle Regiment under the supervision of personnel from the7th Engineer Regiment.The support structures were built underground, dug several metres into the rock, while the combat structures, scattered across the surface in the form of blocks, were protected by thick steel armour plating and layers of reinforced concrete. The underground facilities housed barracks for the crew.High-altitude climatic conditions, a lack of resources and the non-priority nature of the project delayed progress. In June 1940, fighting against the Italians cancelled all work planned for the summer season.

This trail allows you to discover a little-visited valley in the Mercantour: you can see marmots and chamois here. The landscape is very varied, alternating between coniferous forests, meadows and ridges which, in good weather, offer views of the peaks of the Mercantour, Queyras and Écrins.

A very beautiful hike in the little-visited Roya valley, then, as you climb higher, panoramic views of the surrounding high peaks, the northern ridge of Mounier and Mont Rougnous. The first part of the hike allows you to explore the Roya valley as far as Trou de Corneilles, a natural bridge under which the torrent flows and where many corvids nest. At the end of September, you can enjoy the sound of deer bellowing in the nearby forest. The rest of the hike follows the Baudric route, which alternates between passages under the cliffs and paths along former farmland and barns. A final climb takes you to the Croix du Small Pass and its beautiful panorama. On the way back, the return to the village is from marker 13b along a stony path running alongside old barns.

An iconic peak in the Mercantour National Park, the Mounier is accessible from several starting points. From the hamlet of Roya, the hike is quite long with a significant elevation gain, but the panoramic views are well worth the effort, particularly the crossing of the Salevieille valley where you’re likely to come across goats and sheep.

This walk is accessible to most people thanks to the very even gradient along the route. The trail is entirely located within the Mercantour National Park and takes us through the little-visited mountain pastures around the hamlet of Roya.

This hike, starting from the Gorges du Cians road, takes you up Les Cluots, a mountain located in a steppe area above the red pelite of the Cians. Set back from the Mercantour massif, the summit offers a superb 360° panorama of the Alpes-Maritimes.

This eighteenth stage continues the traverse of the Mercantour Massif. From Roya, the GR®5 crosses the Vallon de Roya torrent, follows the Vallon de la Maïris upstream and then the Vallon de Sallevieille, before winding its way up to the Plan des Laces and then the Col de Crousette. From the pass, the path winds its way up the left-hand slope of the Vallon de la Culasse towards the Stèle Vallette, follows the ridge on the Vallon du Démant side, crosses the Baisse du Démant and descends to the Col du Refuge and then to the Col des Moulinés. It drops down to the bottom of the Vallon du Démant, crosses its torrent and, on the slope of the opposite side, meets the Vallon de la Gourgette. Above the hamlet of Vignols, it climbs beneath the ruin-like rocks of Les Chambrettes, where a colony of bearded vultures nests, and passes the small pass of Portes de Longon, then winds its way along a stream to reach the Refuge du Longon or Vacherie de Roure.

A very lovely walk, sometimes through woodland, sometimes across alpine pastures, offering a stunning 360° panorama from the summit of the Tête de Pommier.

A magnificent round-trip hike offering views overlooking the Gorges du Cians and their red schist cliffs. Stunning views throughout the route. Plenty of flowers, including a few martagon lilies in early June. The final section of the route is off-trail but presents no difficulty in finding your way by sight.

A route at the bottom of the superb Daluis Gorges! A water hike to be undertaken only in good weather, ideal in summer during hot weather. A hike accessible to children who can swim. Closed shoes are essential. This hike crosses a protected natural site that is subject to regulations. See practical information.

This mountain hike is accessible to people who are prone to vertigo. As you walk along the Ars ridge, you will have a 360° view of Mont Brussière and the summit of Le Content. In summer, you may be lucky enough to see a golden eagle and a rich variety of mountain flora, with many different butterflies fluttering overhead. You may also encounter cows, sheep and goats, but please take care not to disturb them.

A beautiful climb to the Point Sublime viewpoint for a magnificent view of the Daluis Gorges and their red pelites.

Starting from the Pont de Berthéon, this circular hike in the Gorges de Daluis allows you to discover the superb and characteristic landscape of the Upper Var Valley. After a gentle climb through red pelite, you will reach a sublime spot offering a sensational view over the gorges. You will then climb back up the gorges to complete a loop via the Colla and Saussette plateaus, which offer some beautiful views of the mountains in this valley.

A very beautiful hike where the Col de Roua proves to be a ‘vegetation boundary’: the dominant green of the wooded and alpine areas contrasts with the reddish hues, offering a spectacular display of colours.

A constant play of colours: the reddish hue of the Cians accompanies us all day long on a physically demanding route that ultimately rewards us with a magical and magnificent 360° view.

A pleasant circular route through a quiet valley passing by the Grotte du Chat, a geological curiosity comprising a vast network of galleries, though access is restricted and not unrestricted. The circular route also takes us through the countryside of Le Bez, a vast meadow ideal for a rest in the sun before descending via the other side of the valley where the cave is located.