Circular route between Le Revest and La Tourravelle

Coming from Toulon - Pont-du-Las, head towards Le Revest - La Valette.
Leave the road heading for La Valette on your right and continue straight on towards Le Revest. This road leads directly to the village centre and the Jean Moulin car park. Park there.

(S/E) Leaving the car park via the south exit, head towards a square where you’ll find a beautiful modern fountain opposite the church, and a stunning trompe-l’œil mural covering the entire façade of a building. Turn left and follow Rue du Colombier for about 150 metres as it descends towards the dam and Dardennes. At the fork in the road, near No. 300, turn left onto Chemin de la Foux, walk for about 40 metres and look out for a path on the right. Follow this path, which starts as a narrow lane alongside a house, marked by two yellow signs, one of which says “Barrage”, and you will soon reach a fork.

(1) Turn left onto the path, which then descends steeply, initially paved and then stony, and soon reaches the edge of a large canal flowing from the dam, which it crosses via a metal footbridge followed by a metal staircase. Continue to a section of earth and stony path marked with the red and white^GR® sign, reach the road and pass in front of the foot of the dam.

(2) Follow the small road, Route des Camps, which climbs, signposted as no entry except for residents. After passing a horse farm, you’ll reach a junction marked “Les restanques”, with a fire hydrant and a large open space under the pine trees, serving as a car park on the left.

(3) Turn right onto a concrete path leading to private properties. Leave this path and take a stony, earthen track that climbs to the left, initially running alongside the boundary of a private property.
This dirt track soon gives way to a rocky path, passes above beautiful terraces planted with old olive trees from where there is a lovely view of Le Revest, then enters a wooded area. It then runs alongside a high wall for some time, before emerging at a place called Les Restanques onto the path that climbs to La Tourravelle from Dardennes. Follow it slightly to the left and reach the junction on the right signposted “La Tourravelle”.

(4) Pass the junction signposted “Le Chêne Chevelu” on your left and continue to the right. You’ll come out onto the road leading up to La Tourravelle; take it to the left, towards the hamlet. Cross the hamlet and enter a large terraced field with lush, fresh vegetation. Walk to the very end of this terraced plot and take the path that climbs to the right at its end, leading onto the path that climbs to the right towards the Col des Bouisses.

(5) Take the path opposite, which climbs steeply through the scrubby heath. Follow this path, which, after a good effort, crosses the ridge line. Then descend and take in the stunning panoramic views of Toulon harbour, Le Revest, Mont Caume and Tourris, with the Ravin du Cierge stretching out behind them.

(6) When you reach the first three-way junction, leave a track on your right heading towards Tourris, and turn left, heading due west. After a steep descent, the path runs horizontally northwards and crosses a rocky ridge. At an old bauxite quarry, turn right until you reach a second three-way junction.

(7) Pass another track on your right heading towards Tourris, and turn left, heading due west, first passing beneath the buildings of the old bauxite mine, and continue to a small pass at the edge of a rocky ridge.

(8) Ignore the path on the right heading towards the Vallon du Cierge and Ragas, and descend to the left, heading due south. Despite the path splitting a few times, stay on the main path, marked in red and white (^GR®), which leads to the lakeside.

(9) Follow the side channel to the left, walking either inside it if there is no water, along its edges, or on the path that runs alongside it on the lake side, though this is not always very practical.
Follow this canal to the point where it dips down towards the road, running alongside a fence marking the boundary of the dam site.

(10) Walk past the horse farm to reach the fork you passed on the way there.

(3) Head south, and follow the reverse route of the outward journey to reach the foot of the dam, then rejoin the^GR® which climbs up to the footbridge, and follow the original path back up to the initial fork.

(1) Continue straight on and go through a tunnel under the dam road. At the exit, turn right and join a street where you pass a beautiful, well-restored wash house. Walk up Rue du Colombier to reach the Jean Moulin car park (S/E).

Alternative route:
(2) On the other side of the dam, the more athletic can climb the ramp running alongside the spillway of a small canal, thus reaching the (10) from where they can join, to the right, the (3) to continue the route.

(10) The more athletic (or those in a hurry) can, if they wish, descend via the drainage channel running along the edge of the lake directly to the (2), but there is a significant risk of slipping.

Approximately 10% of the path is paved.
All the paths on the left-hand side of the lake are mostly very stony, even rocky, with numerous earthier sections that are more comfortable but can prove slippery in damp weather or after a spell of rain. It is therefore essential to wear hiking boots and highly recommended to have a pair of walking poles.

Hike completed in March 2024.

This route offers some stunning views, often of Le Revest and Toulon harbour, and constant views of Mont Caume, Mont Faron and Le Bau de Quatre Aures.

The main geological features encountered are flint-bearing limestone and the remains of bauxite mining operations. These can be seen near the (7), where one can observe very deep red waste rock and the remains of mining buildings, notably hoppers which I assume were used to load the trucks removing the ore.

As for the flint (see photo), it is very abundant in the vicinity of La Tourravelle, often of mediocre quality, but given the quantity, it is not surprising that it fuelled intense tool-making activity in prehistoric times, traces of which have been found in the vicinity of La Ripelle.

We had originally planned to walk up the left bank of the lake and cross the Gorge du Ragas to return to the village via the right bank. But once there, the terrain seemed treacherous to us and we abandoned this option, preferring to walk along the left bank of the lake and retrace our steps back up to the village. I therefore invite hikers who would like to make this return journey via the right bank to consult the route guides by @mbabi, who has taken this route on at least two hikes.