The Petit Calan tour in Eygalières

A short route to explore the surroundings of Petit Calan and the Badon arboretum.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.70 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 443 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 413 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 791 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 354 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

The starting point is the Pont Romain car park on the D24 road between Eygalières and Mouriès, just before Mas de la Vallongue when coming from Eygalières.

Red and whiteGR® markings

(S/E) Cross the road and follow the long-distance hiking trail, which veers to the left. After 200 metres, at an intersection, continue to follow theGR® by turning right for about one kilometre until you reach a red fire hydrant on the right-hand side of the path.

No markings

(1) Leave the path immediately on your right and take a second path, still on the right. Follow it for about 400 metres.

(2) At the three-way junction, take the path on the left. A few dozen metres further on, facing a fence, turn right and then, shortly afterwards, left. Follow the path until you reach a property entrance and join the tarmac road called Chemin de Servières.

(3) Turn right and continue to a star-shaped crossroads between several streets.

Red and whiteGR® markings

(4) Take Chemin Ludovic Souvestre opposite, then, two hundred metres further on, Chemin du Badon on the right. At the next crossroads, turn right and stay on Chemin du Badon: a sign indicates that the path is closed to motorcycles and quad bikes. You will come to a sign indicating danger.

(5) Continue slightly to the right, along an old quarry: be careful, even though there is an embankment and bushes, the precipice is not far from the left edge of the path. Continue to the crossroads where there is a marker with the code AL122, in front of the arboretum.

(6) Turn left and follow it, then take the path that climbs between the two Calan.

(7) Take the path on the left, between the box trees, leaving the wide path on the right. Continue until you reach a wide cross path with a signpost.

(8) Turn right (towards Aureille - 8 km) and follow theGR® marked path until you reach another crossroads with a marker marked AL120 and an underground cistern marked CIT49.

(9) Continue straight ahead (towards Aureille 7.4 km). You are still on theGR®, even though the markings are few and far between. Go past a barrier at the side of the path and you will come to an informal car park.

No markings

(10) Turn right. Yellow signs indicate the presence of an underground gas pipeline. Follow this pipeline until you return to the starting bridge and the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 377 ft - Roman bridge - Gaudre de Romanin (rivière)
  2. 1 : mi 0.71 - alt. 354 ft - Crossroads
  3. 2 : mi 0.99 - alt. 433 ft - Three-way junction
  4. 3 : mi 1.16 - alt. 404 ft - Chemin de Servières
  5. 4 : mi 1.42 - alt. 394 ft - Star-shaped crossroads
  6. 5 : mi 1.84 - alt. 489 ft - Entrance to the old quarry
  7. 6 : mi 1.95 - alt. 512 ft - Arboretum de Badon
  8. 7 : mi 2.24 - alt. 591 ft - Three-way junction / GR°°®°°
  9. 8 : mi 2.61 - alt. 778 ft - Crossroads with signpost
  10. 9 : mi 2.99 - alt. 725 ft - Crossroads - marker AL120 - cistern CIT 49
  11. 10 : mi 3.9 - alt. 499 ft - Buried gas pipeline, on the right
  12. S/E : mi 4.7 - alt. 377 ft - The Roman bridge

Notes

Note: contrary to what the software has calculated, the hike takes 1 hour 40 minutes.

Wear good shoes as the climb is rocky, and bring water and a sun hat.

According to the Bouches-du-Rhône fire risk map, the hike is located in the Alpilles (zone 3).

There are two possible variations:

  • (2) at the three-way junction, stay on the path to the right and follow it for about one kilometre, ignoring the various paths that branch off to the right and left, until you reach a blue-grey metal gate surrounded by two stone pillars to the right of the path. Ahead, the path narrows and climbs. On the left, facing the gate and about a hundred metres away, you will see a staircase. Cut across to reach it and climb the stairs to arrive at the arboretum (6).
  • (7) on the way up (theGR® trail branches off to the right onto a path), stay on the path. After two hairpin bends, you will come to a crossroads with two markers (marked AL 222 and AL 224 respectively). Take the path on the right that descends and runs alongside the Petit Calan until you reach a barrier. Go through the barrier and, about ten metres further on, take a path marked in yellow, more or less parallel to the road, to return to the starting point (S/E).

Worth a visit

(S/E) The Roman Bridge

The ruins of Fort d'Ancise overlook the path between (10) and (S/E).

(6)the Badon Arboretum. The best time to see the almond trees in bloom is in early March.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 9 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
User 15243240

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This route gives you a taste of the Alpilles countryside. The section through Eygalières, which runs through a residential area, is of no interest.

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Martine Lesoin
Martine Lesoin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with a bit of an uphill climb and some stunning scenery!

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patrick.bormann
patrick.bormann

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful, easy walk. We couldn't find the path between points 3 and 4, so we continued straight on the path at point 2, turned left at a major junction, turned right for ten metres, then left again for 200 metres, and finally turned right onto the Badon path. Otherwise, no problems.
Thanks to the author of this hike

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Pap's84
Pap's84

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely, easy walk.

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Hélène P
Hélène P

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The part along the country road on the gas pipeline route isn't very interesting, but it gets nicer once you enter the forest.

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LIONEL13118
LIONEL13118

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you so much for sharing, it was really lovely.

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grad
grad

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful views.
Be careful not to miss the small path on the left at point 7.
The day we went there, we saw asphodels.

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B&G
B&G

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A short hike with lots of trails and beautiful panoramic views.

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grad
grad

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We hesitated at a fork in the road and took the wrong path. But we caught up with the trail a little further on. A very beautiful walk. Magnificent views. We even saw some asphodels.

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