Plein Voir viewpoint

This hike leads to a stunning viewpoint over the Lac de Sainte-Croix and the Verdon Gorges.

Details

3180035
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.85 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 756 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 757 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,251 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 657 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the Félines car park on the right-hand side of the road.

(S/E) When you leave the car park, walk about 100 metres to the right, cross the road with caution (bend) and take a path on the left that climbs above the road.

(1) At the signpost, take the path on the right towards the hillside of Félines and follow it to the next signpost.

(2) Continue straight ahead towards Col de Plein Voir. Along the trail, you can enjoy superb views of the Verdon Gorges.

(3) Take care at this point: there is a short exposed section of about 20 metres with a handrail. It is not technically difficult, but you need to concentrate. Shortly afterwards, you will reach a fairly dense forest.

(4) When you leave the forest, at the signpost, turn left onto a path that winds steeply upwards towards Col de Plein Voir. You will arrive at a flat area with a view of the other side.

(5) Continue along the steeply ascending trail to reach the Col de Plein Voir, marked by a large pile of stones.

(6) Turn right to make a short detour along the southern ridge, which is well worth the effort. Follow the ridge carefully, as there is no clearly defined path. Do not take the clearly visible path that descends towards the south-east, as it does not follow the ridge closely enough.

(7) First viewpoint: splendid view of the Lac de Sainte-Croix and the Verdon Gorges, continue south.

(8) Second viewpoint: just as beautiful, then turn back to return to the Col de Plein Voir.

(6) Look for a marker not far from the pile of stones, heading towards the Col de l'Âne.

(9) Col de l'Âne: next to a high-voltage power line, take the path on your left that descends steeply. After a long descent, you will return to the first intersection at the start.

(1) Continue straight ahead to reach the road and the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 675 m - Félines car park
  2. 1 : km 0.39 - alt. 708 m - Crossing the loop
  3. 2 : km 1.12 - alt. 657 m - Signpost towards Col de Plein Voir
  4. 3 : km 3.01 - alt. 767 m - Exposed section
  5. 4 : km 3.13 - alt. 773 m - Signpost towards Col de Plein Voir
  6. 5 : km 4.21 - alt. 1,031 m - Viewpoint
  7. 6 : km 4.71 - alt. 1,172 m - Col de Plein Voir (1168m)
  8. 7 : km 5.32 - alt. 1,238 m - Viewpoint 1
  9. 8 : km 5.67 - alt. 1,242 m - Viewpoint 2
  10. 9 : km 7.47 - alt. 1,095 m - Col de l'Âne (1094m)
  11. S/E : km 9.85 - alt. 675 m - Félines car park

Notes

There are no drinking water points or shelters along the entire route.
Take water, food, a windbreaker and a fleece, and tell someone if you are going alone.

In summer, take plenty of water as the final climb to the Col de Plein Voir (6) is quite steep and it gets very hot.

Stay alert on the small exposed section and when walking along the ridge to see the viewpoints (7) and (8).

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 34 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
User 27604008

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, but be warned: it is very difficult for hikers who are not used to steep slopes!
From points 1 to 4, there is an ascent and descent, but from points 4 to 6, there is only a very steep ascent and the path is dangerous (lots of stones and pine needles, making it slippery)
Once you reach the pass (point 6), CONTINUE to points 7 and 8, as this part is very easy compared to what you have climbed before! Even though you are walking along the ridge (so be careful), it is well worth the effort!

The descent after that is slightly tricky, with lots of very slippery stones!

But it's a magnificent hike!

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User 26983313

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

First hike with Visio rando. Clearly marked as difficult, but the description of the climb to the Col de Plein Vue gave us confidence and the magnificent views delighted us.
For the descent, we focused on the pylon and turned left far too early, finding ourselves stuck at the edge of a cliff. So we turned around and went back the way we came up (twice enjoying the beautiful views), but it took so long!
Rereading after the hike, I saw that in other old comments (June 2023), the signage for point 9 was specified. Why not modify the PDF after these comments? It would have been very useful to us.

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SOUCHARDERIC
SOUCHARDERIC

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, well marked.
The climb is very pleasant with lots of beautiful views of the lake and gorges. It is done in stages with short descents, which is obviously the most physically demanding part.
The section after the pass is well worth the effort, with magnificent views and vultures soaring overhead. It's the perfect spot for a picnic (bring a light windbreaker; today the weather was fine, with a temperature of 25°C at the lake, but 600m higher up with the wind on the ridges, it was bearable).
The descent is easy (with trail or hiking shoes), fairly quick, but less interesting.
Overall, there was plenty of shade on the route despite our late start at around 10:30 a.m.
Walking time was 4 hours 15 minutes, but we took about an extra hour for photo stops and lunch. No technical difficulties on this route.
Thanks to the author for this discovery

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AntoineCanevet
AntoineCanevet
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Carried out on Sunday 8 June.
A physically demanding hike, both on the way up and on the way down, where skids on rubble are a regular occurrence.
Magnificent walk: forest, stream, waterfall, panoramic view of the Verdon gorges and Lac de Sainte-Croix.
Lots of shady areas. Not many people. We spotted a number of vultures passing close to us.
It took us 4 hours 20 minutes to complete.
Antoine and Joana

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bruno92160
bruno92160

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A magnificent hike above the Verdon Gorge, featuring several passages and very interesting views. On one side is Lake Saint Croix, with several different viewpoints overlooking the exit of the Verdon Gorge. The trail is well marked, with steep slopes as advertised, and quite a few hikers. But the two viewpoints at the summit are spacious, leaving plenty of room for everyone. In short, a hike that lives up to its name.

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degavroche
degavroche

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb views of Lake Sainte-Croix and the Verdon River flowing into it. Don't forget to check out the eagle's nest just a little further on, below the last viewpoint.

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alainlins
alainlins

Nice answer 👍

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RickyH5
RickyH5

How can anyone write a comment like that when this spot is simply magnificent? It makes you wonder if it's really worth the effort to keep sharing your own hikes... Seriously, not even 10 kilometres with 750 metres of elevation gain is "very difficult"? It already says it's difficult, isn't that enough? Seriously, stay at sea level or better yet, stay at home! Unbelievable! And having done the Basses Gorges du Verdon, no, it's not more interesting than this one, it's different and without any views like this, they're incomparable, full stop.
Anyway, it's better to laugh about it...
I did the hike yesterday but with a much longer route. I did the entire Crête de l'Issioule and returned via the Crête de l'Ourbes, passing through the Barbin plain. Yes, it starts to get a bit more challenging there, but I wouldn't classify it as "very difficult" even though I doubled the mileage and increased the elevation gain to 1,200 metres.
Thanks to the author for this guide and don't get discouraged!

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Marcheur solitaire
Marcheur solitaire
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

This hike is very difficult due to the elevation gain, and the view at the top is not worth the effort
fortunately for those in our group who weren't in the best physical shape, there is a shortcut at point No. 5, a path on the left that descends quickly but is still very passable.
As a result, the whole group returned to the campsite tired but in good shape.
The hike through the lower gorges of the Verdon is much more interesting.

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alainlins
alainlins

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

great but tough

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indiana63
indiana63

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A superb loop that's a bit challenging but truly breathtaking

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Bambam
Bambam

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

As moderate hikers, we were surprised by the difficulty of this hike. The difficulty was compounded by the previous day's rain, which made the descent very slippery due to bare roots and steep slopes. The hike took us six hours. The views are breathtaking, probably the most beautiful in the area, but it's important to bear in mind that this hike is not for everyone. In comparison, the Blanc Martel seemed like a walk in the park.

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AngeliqueB.
AngeliqueB.

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike with stunning views of Lake Sainte-Croix and the Verdon Gorge. We did it in May and it was already very hot, so be sure to bring plenty of water and sun protection. The climb was difficult but the view was worth it!

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Mich Mich
Mich Mich

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent views of the Verdon Gorge and Lake Sainte-Croix.
This hike is considered difficult, both on the way up and on the way down.
We had a wonderful encounter with three chamois on the way up.

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sergio30130
sergio30130

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route with a lovely single track at the start, which climbs steeply through the forest, with breathtaking views from the lookout points at the summit.
A very beautiful hike! You can go there with your eyes closed (but open them from time to time!)

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