Circular Estéron via Gilette and La Clave

A pleasant little circular loop along the Estéron, passing by the Pont de l'Estéron, the pretty hilltop village of Gilette, its botanical trail, La Clue and La Clave, and returning along the Route de la Clavée. If you are lucky, you can pick wild asparagus in spring or swim in the Estéron in summer.

Details

20648997
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.04 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 363 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 355 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 468 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 124 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Parking is available along the Cagnes-sur-Mer national road or near the Pont de l'Estéron bridge. The Clave road is only accessible to residents.

(S/E) Start by crossing the Pont de l'Estéron bridge towards the north-east and immediately turn right onto a road cluttered with dead trees and walk for about 400 m after the bridge.

(1) Take the path on the left that climbs into the forest and, after several bends, joins a track and then the entrance to an estate with three ochre and yellow pillars.

(2) At the entrance to the estate, take the road that climbs northwest. Pass marker 10, the houses of La Vignasse, marker 8 and marker 7. After a few minutes of walking in the open, you will see the Saint-Roch Chapel at an altitude of 393 m, which you will reach.

(3) From the chapel, climb up to the village of Gilette in a few minutes. Cross the village square and take the alley on the left between the grocery store and the café. Turn right immediately and continue to the church of Gilette, which is very refreshing to visit in summer.

(4) Turn back and take the lane on the right after crossing the bridge over the M17. Go down the road and negotiate two hairpin bends.

(5) Turn left onto the Gilette botanical trail, which descends towards the west and the Estéron and crosses the forest north of Gilette.

(6) Ignore Chemin des Fuonts on the left and continue downhill towards the Estéron and the hamlet of La Clue. After going around a promontory, you will arrive at the footbridge that crosses the Estéron and leads to the hamlet of La Clave.

(7) After crossing the footbridge, turn left onto the road running along the right bank of the Estéron, which leads back to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 125 m - Pont de l'Estéron
  2. 1 : km 0.39 - alt. 132 m - Start of the trail on the left bank of the Estéron
  3. 2 : km 0.96 - alt. 258 m - Entrance to the estate with three pillars
  4. 3 : km 2.66 - alt. 390 m - Saint-Roch Chapel
  5. 4 : km 3.26 - alt. 468 m - Church in the village of Gilette
  6. 5 : km 3.59 - alt. 411 m - Start of the Gilette botanical trail
  7. 6 : km 4.28 - alt. 332 m - Crossroads
  8. 7 : km 6.19 - alt. 138 m - Footbridge over the Estéron between La Clue and La Clave
  9. S/E : km 9.04 - alt. 125 m - Pont de l'Estéron

Notes

Provisions and drinking water are available in Gilette. The climb to Gilette can be difficult in the summer sun. Accommodation is available in La Clue and at an LPO refuge.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 12 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
User 18981897

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A beautiful and varied route completed as a group on 03/11/2025. A visit to the ruins of Gilettes Castle is recommended for the 360° panoramic view and for a picnic! The route still includes an area of unstable scree with boulders on the path (to be avoided during rainy weather).

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gemmavonne
gemmavonne

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

Easy and very pleasant hike in good weather

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janson06
janson06

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

It's a beautiful hike, but it's a shame that two-thirds of the route is on a tarmac road.

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Papiluc06
Papiluc06

That's right. But hikers are tolerated because it's an FFR trail. However, as has just happened in Villeneuve Loubet, there's nothing to stop the trail being closed if people don't follow basic rules of good behaviour, particularly not littering.

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VictoireDbs
VictoireDbs

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

It should be noted that from points 1 and 2 up to the tarmac road leading up to Gilette, this is PRIVATE property... ⚠️

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GOGO
GOGO

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route, although unfortunately a little too much tarmac for our liking. However, we still recommend it for the village of Gilette and some lovely views.

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Papiluc06
Papiluc06

It's true that the starting point isn't marked, which is a shame. A cairn should be built.
Kind regards

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bribri29
bribri29

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Done on 29 May 2023
It's not easy to find the start of the path, but after following a sign and Visio Rando, you pass a few scattered tree stumps and a short climb, then it's worth visiting the village of Gilette. There are oratories with beautiful views of Lake Broc and the Var plain. Magnificent poppy fields, among other things
The final part of the return journey was in the rain. We saw a cluster of cars on the left bank, a scene of desolation.

Description
12 km 33 Total ascent 570 m Total descent 551.5 m Duration 4.49 hours

A beautiful and enjoyable hike.

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Francois Marchais
Francois Marchais

Thank you very much for the prose... We are transported along the trail without needing photos or sweat... and I realise that I have missed the point... please feel free to comment on the other hikes...

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Zielinsky
Zielinsky

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

In one of the most secret parts of the department, this remarkable route gives us food for thought.
Admittedly, it can be a little daunting in places:
- From the outset, the entrance to the path indicated at point (1) is clearly visible but is not confirmed by any signage. When in doubt, and to check, you continue along the abandoned road for a while, but impressive rockfalls and fallen trees dissuade you. An incomprehensible abandonment. The fragility of the overhanging rock and the deterioration of the road do not bode well for what lies ahead. What a shame!
- Then, shortly before La Clue, the path crosses massive, recent rockfalls again, without knowing whether this long exposed area is under control. Quite worrying!
- Finally, shortly after La Clue, the entrance to the path is marked by a sign warning of "falling rocks". We would definitely like to be given more reassuring information about
the control of these areas.
However, with its astonishing geographical and geological scenery and following in ancient footsteps, this route invites us above all to reflect.
The Alpes-Maritimes are chaotic. But by nurturing a nature as rich as it is challenging, this chaos has been turned into a miracle. Fearing the risks below, a stubborn humanity, attached to the values of a formidable nature, slowly gained high-altitude refuges. Later, they laboriously paved slanting street the path connecting the village to its resource, the river and its silt: each stone has been shaped by centuries of footsteps and iron tools.
Halfway up the slope, a bend overlooks the canyon of the Le Latti stream, a tributary of the Estéron that originates at Mont Vial. At this spectacular spot, marked by verticality and dominated by the imposing Lion and Vial mountains, rest and contemplation inspired the weary passer-by to build an oratory. Alas, back to reality: a humble votive statuette adorned the niche. Now broken, it reflects vandalism, indifference and fear of revering something higher and more powerful than oneself.
The long final horizontal stretch along the Estéron could be boring. Not at all. At La Clave, the water glistens, but the power of the river can be measured downstream by its bed and what it has carried there.
Alas, the end is brutal: shortly before the bridge, it is man who fills the left bank with his waste, which has become a car graveyard! Before the bridge, the right bank does not redeem the other, as the site now seems to be taken over by parties with sound systems, barbecues, barking dogs and the cries of madmen...
Yeah. Nissa la Bella...
Thanks to the author for giving rise to this mixture of impressions: all in all, a beautiful walk and an excellent day.

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Coldom
Coldom

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A pleasant route, especially on the descent from Gilette to La Clave. It's a shame that this magnificent ancient trail has been left neglected after storms left numerous trees blocking the path and landslides spoiling the landscape.
When will we understand that these trails are also part of our heritage and should be preserved in the same way as historical monuments?

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Papiluc06
Papiluc06
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route, especially at this time of year. But be careful, the first part of the route is not marked at all, so we got lost twice. But with GPS and Visorando's directions, we managed just fine. Another recurring problem with the presentation of the routes is the elevation gain. Visorando always gives an incorrect elevation gain because it calculates it based on the altitude curves from the lowest to the highest point. However, the elevation gain or loss is the total of the different slopes you have walked. In this case, the positive elevation gain for this hike exceeds 500 m, but the description indicates 349 m. That's not the same thing!
The village of Gilette is a beautiful spot in the hinterland and is definitely worth a visit.
The return journey is fairly easy, the slope is relatively gentle, there aren't too many stones but there are a few obstacles to overcome, such as trees and small rocks that have fallen onto the path. But it's not difficult.
The return route is well marked in yellow.

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gerardrando
gerardrando

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Gilette Castle is currently undergoing renovation work and cannot be visited.

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Francois Marchais
Francois Marchais

Thank you very much Charles and Michele for your positive comments... it motivates me to publish more hikes...

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Charles J
Charles J

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The trail, which starts from the old road that is now closed, is neither signposted nor marked, but it is easy to find thanks to the description.
It is in good condition.
The climb up to Gilette is easy and offers beautiful views of the Var and the lower Estéron.
We tried to climb up to the ruined castle of Gilette. We knew it was inaccessible (dangerous ruins). However, the small terrace at the foot of the castle is now closed to the public. It is no longer possible to see the panorama from this point. We tried another spot accessible from the village. Just follow the sign for "vue sur le château" (view of the castle) on the left as you go up Rue du Four. It is a well-appointed spot with benches and views. Very nice for a break.
We came back down via the botanical trail that leads to La Clue. Spring vegetation was already appearing along this fairly damp route. The very strong winds that blew the previous weekend had knocked down a large pine tree that was blocking the path. Similarly, in a few places, rocks were blocking the path. These obstacles could be overcome without major difficulty. However, I do not recommend this path in very strong winds or after heavy rainfall.
For our picnic, we walked up the Estéron from La Clave, following a small irrigation canal. We had lunch at a spot where the stream bed is wide. It must be said that the flow of the Estéron was much lower than usual.
Nothing to report on the return journey from La Clave to the starting point.
In conclusion, this hike near the coast was a pleasant surprise.

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