Baou Mourine at the start of the Siagne valley

de fr

A beautiful circular walk in the Préalpes d'Azur Regional Park.
This moderately difficult route will take you from the Siagne valley to Escragnoles via the Briasq Forest. You will reach the Baou Mourine watchtower, which offers exceptional views. The descent follows the Cavalet ridge to return to the starting point.

Details

n°44524560
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.88 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 616 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 617 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,152 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 586 m
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

Saint Martin Chapel
Watchtower
Sea of clouds

Description of the walk

From Grasse, take the Route Napoléon to Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey. At the village exit, turn left onto the Route de la Siagne and follow it for about 5 km to reach the car park (marker 83).

(S/E) At the far end of the car park, at marker 83, follow theGR® 406, cross the old bridge and continue to the right at the right-hand bend. Further up, ignore a path on the left and another on the right which lead to private properties. Pass the few houses in Léchen and leave the track on the right to reach marker 84.

(1) Stay on theGR® on the right towards the Chapelle Saint-Martin (the path on the left will be taken on the way back down). Arrive at marker 91.

(2) Continue to the right towards the chapel.

(3) Stay on theGR® until you reach the junction with the Route Napoléon and marker 92.

(4) Leave theGR® and take the DFCI track on the left (yellow markings) towards Baou Mourine and the orientation table. Continue to marker 85.

(5) Take the track on the right, still heading towards Baou. At the fork, keep left and continue straight ahead. Keep left again at the next fork as you approach Baou Mourine towards the watchtower.

(6) Admire the view before heading downhill towards the orientation table (which is in very poor condition!).

(7) Opposite this table, a path marked by a few cairns begins, following the Cavalet ridge. Be careful as the descent is rocky. During the descent, continue to the left and then to the right to reach a marked path.

(8) Follow it to the left to reach marker 87. This is the abandoned hamlet of Rouyère.

(9) Take the path on the right, then right again at marker 90 and rejoin marker 84, which you have already passed.

(1) Now that you have completed the circular route, simply turn right, in the opposite direction to the outward journey, to return to the car park. (S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 600 m - Car park marker 83
  2. 1 : km 1.54 - alt. 723 m - Marker 84. Crossroads of the circular loop
  3. 2 : km 2.35 - alt. 836 m - Marker 91
  4. 3 : km 3.13 - alt. 930 m - St Martin's Chapel
  5. 4 : km 4.19 - alt. 1,039 m - Marker 92 - junction with Route Napoléon
  6. 5 : km 4.93 - alt. 1,085 m - Marker 85
  7. 6 : km 7.23 - alt. 1,126 m - Tour de guet du Baou Mourine
  8. 7 : km 7.8 - alt. 1,027 m - Orientation table
  9. 8 : km 8.26 - alt. 923 m - Intersection with marked trail
  10. 9 : km 10.05 - alt. 858 m - Ruined hamlet of Rouyère
  11. S/E : km 12.88 - alt. 601 m - Car park marker 83

Notes

Wear sturdy shoes and bring a pair of walking sticks, as the paths are rocky and slippery in places.
There is no water on the route as the fountain at point (4) is dry.

Worth a visit

- (6) Watchtower.
- (7) Viewpoint and orientation table.

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.

Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 8 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
User 16266741

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful route.
Poor signposting from the watchtower. 5/6 for the path that runs along the hillside.

Machine-translated

User 19399074

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with varied landscapes and stunning views along the way. Remember to bring water with you, as there is only one water source available on the route, at the finish point in Escragnolles. I recommend doing the route in the suggested direction because going in the opposite direction, the uphill section would be very steep and not very pleasant as the terrain is loose and uneven. Otherwise, in the suggested direction, you need to be a little careful on the descent through the undergrowth, which is again "a little technical" but nothing insurmountable.
However, I completed the loop in 3½ hours (stopping for 15 minutes for lunch). So much less than expected, as the initial time indicated is very generous.

Machine-translated

cathy86
cathy86

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Pleasant hike to (6).
Great difficulty at (7) in finding the path marked by cairns, and you can very quickly find yourself on slopes with very slippery and dangerous stones and dead leaves. GPS seems essential to me for finding the trail. After that, the end is straightforward but, in my opinion, of little interest.

Machine-translated

Danouche
Danouche

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike, lovely view at the small pass of the Collette and the orientation table
The start of the descent is a bit tricky on the rocks, and it can be hard to find the path at times.

Machine-translated

Perseepj
Perseepj

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely hike with a beautiful view at point 6. It's also a good place to take a long break.
Follow the GPX track carefully for the descent between points 6 and 8. The path is not always easy to follow.
I didn't see the orientation table at point 7, probably because I was too absorbed in the descent!
The other parts of the hike are very pleasant to follow.

Machine-translated

Marie-Colette
Marie-Colette

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant circular walk with varied landscapes and unique views. We didn't encounter anyone, just a friendly sheepdog.

Machine-translated

Jo1958
Jo1958

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We enjoyed this hike because the view at the end is splendid.
However, the climb is strenuous and the descent is not easy.
Furthermore, our phone indicated a much greater number of kilometres than the actual hike?
I think the phone is right, given how tired we were afterwards.
But it's still a magnificent walk.
However, it is best avoided when the heat arrives.

Machine-translated

sherbrookema06
sherbrookema06

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike with a well-defined route, varied landscapes, and natural, historical and cultural attractions that make the trail truly interesting.

Machine-translated

GdeG
GdeG

That's great, I was finally able to download the GPX file using your link (even though it's still unavailable on Visiorando).
You're really very helpful,
. One last time, THANK YOU!

Machine-translated

GdeG
GdeG

Very strange, because I was able to load GPX files from other hikes.
In any case, thank you for your assistance.
If you can, please send me the GPX file I need to my address: prov5(at)free.fr
Thanks again
Guy

Machine-translated

GdeG
GdeG

It displays: "The file download will start automatically in a few seconds. If this does not happen, click here to download it directly."
As it does not start automatically, I click on this: " https://www.visorando.com/visorando-qHO1..."
And then it says: "This page is not workingwww.visorando.com has redirected you too many times.
Try deleting your cookies.
ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS"
That's why I asked a friend to try.
But does it work for you on a computer?

Machine-translated

GdeG
GdeG

Thank you for your reply, but what I'm interested in is downloading GPX files to my computer from the Visiorando website: https://www.visorando.com/randonnee-baou...
Furthermore, the GPX hike is in the app on my smartphone, but when I click on the "GPX download" option, it says "download failed".

Machine-translated

GdeG
GdeG

Hello,
I want to do this hike but I can't download the GPX file
A friend who lives far away from me couldn't download it either.
Could there be a bug?
(Note that I was also unable to download it using my Visiorando app on my phone).

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

Walking The seven tunnels of the Belletrud aqueduct starting from Baume Obscure

Visorando member
Les sept tunnels de l'aqueduc de Belletrud au départ de Baume Obscure
↔16.84 km ↗+816 m ↘-819 m ◔7h 10 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey (Alpes-Maritimes)
This is a physically demanding hike, but the wooded areas you will pass through are remarkable. The highlight of the day is the passage through the tunnels bordering the Siagne cliffs. The Deux Goules cave is one of the local attractions.

Walking Saint-Vallier loop via Cabris and Saint-Cézaire

Visorando member
↔28.30 km ↗+711 m ↘-704 m ◔10h 05 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey (Alpes-Maritimes)
This is a large loop that goes around one of the first foothills of the Pré-Alpes d'Azur, following old paths and the Gorges de la Siagne. The loop is long but mostly flat, except for the descent to Cabris and the very steep climb back up to Saint-Vallier. The villages offer views and shops for refreshments. It is recommended to start early, as the second third of the hike will be sheltered from the southern sun, but the hardest part is exposed. There are few alternative routes or shortcuts once you are in the gorges between Saint-Cézaire and Saint-Vallier.

Walking Thiey Mountain via Canaux and Nans Forest

Visorando member
La Montagne de Thiey par Canaux et la Forêt de Nans
↔16.48 km ↗+750 m ↘-749 m ◔6h 50 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey (Alpes-Maritimes)
A little-used route in the Grasse hinterland. 360° view from the summit of Montagne de Thiey on the Calern Plateau, the bays of Cannes and Saint-Raphaël, the azure Pre-Alps and the Mercantour in the distance Before reaching the summit, you will pass through beautiful woodland and the livestock farming areas of Canaux.

Walking The Forest of Nans

Visorando member
La Forêt de Nans
↔5.23 km ↗+132 m ↘-131 m ◔1h 50 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey (Alpes-Maritimes)
This is a lovely, easy walk for the whole family in autumn to admire the magnificent colours of the leaves or in summer to enjoy the cool shade of the woods.

Walking The Clars Waterfall via the Ubac de Brainée and the Montagne des Louquiers

Association / Club / Walk leader
La Cascade de Clars via l'Ubac de Brainée et la Montagne des Louquiers
↔12.11 km ↗+539 m ↘-532 m ◔5h 00 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Escragnolles (Alpes-Maritimes)
A superb hike in the Grasse hinterland. On the agenda: megaliths, magnificent views of the entire coast (on a clear day) and, to finish, a superb waterfall in an exceptional setting.

Walking Tour of the Malle plateau from the Col du Ferrier

Visorando member
Tour du plateau de la Malle depuis le col du Ferrier
↔11.58 km ↗+556 m ↘-549 m ◔4h 55 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey (Alpes-Maritimes)
This hike goes around the Malle plateau, first following the Colle du Maçon ridge and then the Doublier ridge. Most of the route is along the peaks of the Grasse Pre-Alps and offers breathtaking 360° views of the Mercantour, the Côte d'Azur and the enchanting Caussols plateau.The Malle plateau is farmed by a group of livestock breeders. This route respects the boundaries of the Malle estate, which are marked by numerous signs on the ground.

Walking Montagne des Louquiers

Visorando member
Montagne des Louquiers
↔7.14 km ↗+305 m ↘-303 m ◔2h 55 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Mons (Var) (Var)
A short, easy climb to a peak in the Haut Var with a 360° view and the chance to see some megalithic ruins. A beautiful walk through the heath.

Walking L'Audibergue

Visorando member
L'Audibergue
↔4.44 km ↗+299 m ↘-299 m ◔2h 05 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Caille (Alpes-Maritimes)
A short circular hike to the top of the Audibergue ski resort. A beautiful panorama of the Mercantour mountain range, the peaks of the Grasse region, the Mediterranean Sea (Lérins Islands and Golfe de la Napoule) and the Estérel.

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.