Circular waterfall loop starting from Tourrettes-sur-Loup

Park at Tour’Rent Bike.

(S/E) Join the D2210.

(1) Turn right onto it and head west until you reach the junction by the football ground.

(2) Turn left onto Rue de la Pauvetta and head downhill to the next stop sign.

(3) Turn right onto Route de Provence. At the Y-junction, keep left and cross the Vallon du Cassan. Further on, you’ll come to another Y-junction.

(4) Turn left onto Route de Plan Buisson and continue to the four-way junction.

(5) Keep right on Route de Plan Buisson until you reach a ford.

(6) Cross the ford or the bridge, then continue along the small track opposite. Join the Chemin de l’Île Croix.

(7) Begin a steep climb to the junction of the Chemin de la Baume and the Chemin du Moulin à Farine.

(8) Turn left onto the Chemin de la Baume. Then continue along the woodland path that follows on from it. Follow the Chemin des Chênes Verts as far as the Camassade campsite.

(9) Turn left onto the Route de Pie Lombard and continue to the junction marked with signpost 193.

(10) Carry on straight ahead, crossing an old railway bridge.

(11) At the end of the railway bridge, take the Piste des Valettes. (This is a very scenic track below the recently resurfaced Route de Grasse.) Stay on this track until you reach the junction with the Route de Grasse.

(12) Cross the Route de Grasse and take the Route des Valettes. Continue along this road; after a hairpin bend, you’ll reach the junction with the D2210, the Route de Grasse.

(13) Turn right onto it and follow it to the Pont du Loup junction.

(14) At the entrance to Pont du Loup, turn right onto the Route des Gorges and continue to the Courmes Waterfall.

(15) Continue north on the same road to reach the Saut du Loup.

(16) Set off again along the Route des Gorges, passing back under the tunnel to the junction of the Grasse–Pont du Loup road via a lovely descent through the gorges.

(14) Turn right towards Nice onto the Route de la Colle, following the River Loup once more until you reach the Route des Valettes Sud.

(17) Head up the Route des Valettes Sud to the left until you reach the Château des Valettes.

(18) Continue along the Route des Valettes Sud until you reach the junction with the D2210.

(12) Turn right onto the Piste des Valettes, which you have already taken, to reach the junction with the Route de Pie Lombard.

(10) Turn left onto the track to join the D2210 and head straight on towards Traverse de Quenières, heading in the direction of Mas des Cigales. You’ll reach another junction, at the Route des Quenières.

(19) Turn right onto this road, which overlooks Tourrettes-sur-Loup. Further on, you’ll reach the Route de Saint-Jean.

(20) Turn right onto this road, reach the Place du Village, go round it, and arrive at the church.

(21) Take the Route de la Bourgade as far as the junction with the D2210, which you passed on the way there.

(2) Ignore the Route de la Bauvetta on the right and stay on the Route de Vence. You’ll come back to the original junction a little further on.

(1) Turn left to follow the route you took on the way there and return to the Tour’Rent Bike car park (S/E).

Note: Looking at the diagram and considering the altitudes, the elevation gain seems excessive.

(14) At Pont-du-Loup, you can stop off briefly in the village before heading up the Route des Gorges and sampling some sweets at Florian’s (a famous confectioner for several generations) – a very pleasant spot with a walk along the banks of the Loup.
(15) Visit the Saut de Loup and have lunch there if you wish.
(18) Stop off at the Château de l’Amiral de Grasse, with its beautiful garden and lovely Provençal mansion.
(20) Visit to Tourrettes-sur-Loup: a magnificent medieval village, the ‘capital of the violet’.