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In Le Rove, on the D568 road which runs through the village, park in Place de l’Église, Boulevard de la Carrairade.
(S/E) Head left towards the north, going round the church on the right, and follow the Traverse du Baou to the last houses.
(1) Turn right onto a stony path that climbs steeply, heading north-east. You’ll catch a glimpse of the Vierge du Rove. At an H-shaped junction, keep to the right, following the ridge. You’ll reach a multi-path junction, notably featuring the gas pipeline track at elevation 238.
(2) Cross the track, then head east along the wide, straight track. There are stunning views of the Bay of Marseille on one side, and on the other side the Étang de Berre with the Sainte-Victoire massif in the background. Pass elevation 272 (the summit, marked by a large cemented cairn), then elevation 260 at a track junction. Continue eastwards until you reach a fork in the track and a wire fence. Below: La Vérune, a barn used for milking wild goats to produce Brousse du Rove cheese.
(3) Turn right and follow the track that passes by the Puits de l'Escorche. Further on, turnsharply left at a Y-junction and immediately look for a path on the right.
(4) Follow this path as it climbs between two hills. Keep left at a fork and rejoin the track you left earlier.
(5) Turn right onto this track, ignore the track descending to the left (gate), then reach the summit near the 264m mark where it crosses another track (gate). Keep to the right, heading south. Stunning views of Marseille, the islands of Château d’If and Frioul, and in the distance the hills overlooking the calanques. Below, the Pointe de Corbière. Follow this track downwards towards the south. Pass elevation 258. On the right, you can see Le Rove. Reach elevation 263. Look out for a concrete block on the right with a large square base and a conical then cylindrical top.
(6) Turn right towards this concrete block to join a path that descends towards Le Rove. After a few tricky sections descending between rocks, the path levels out through the undergrowth, climbs towards a rock outcrop at the 183-metre mark, then winds down towards the hollow of the Vallon du Gibier. You’ll reach a junction beneath a high-voltage power line.
(7) Head left then immediately turn right towards a fire lookout post. The path heads south then joins a track running alongside the D568 road, which it meets further on at the 191m mark. Cross the road with care towards the DFCI CB230 track (barrier).
(8) Leave the track to the left for a more pleasant route through the valley. Keep right at the first Y-junction, then left at the second junction 80 m further on. Then rejoin the track which, after a right-hand bend (summit), descends westwards. You’ll reach elevation 195 and a Y-junction.
(9) Stay on the track on the right and leave it quickly to follow a path that heads off to the left beside a large rock. Keep left at a fork and continue climbing, making a few small switchbacks to approach a rocky ridge, which you should follow along its base heading west.
(10) As you leave the rocks, veer slightly right for a steep, rocky climb towards the summit of the Baou de l’Œuvre and its Peace and Love cross. Further on to the right, just after the Baou de l’Œuvre sign, you’ll find the Croix des Dames hidden in the vegetation. At the top of the hill, head down to the right until you reach a junction in the hollow of a small valley.
(11) Continue straight ahead up a slope that joins a ridge and a T-junction; follow the path to the right. You’ll reach a fork.
(12) Turn right. The path descends through the trees to join a wide track; follow this to the left until you reach a Y-junction.
(13) Turn right onto the track heading north-east, pass under a high-voltage power line and arrive at a fork.
(14) Turn left, follow the track downwards as it curves to the right, passing some houses. You’ll reach a gate and the tarmac road of Les Esclades. Follow this road down, cross the D568 at the traffic lights and follow Boulevard de la Carrairade to Place de l’Église, the starting point of this walk (S/E).
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