Circular via the Ravin de Mal Infernet from the Col de Belle Barbe

de fr

Circular with superb views of many of the Estérel peaks, in particular Mont Vinaigre, Pic du Cap Roux and Perthus Occidental. Walk among maritime pines and eucalyptus trees.

Details

n°39420924
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.69 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 181 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 181 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 208 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 21 m
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

Col de Mistral (92m)
Baisse de la Grande Vache
Fording
Amazing geology

Description of the walk

Start at the Col de la Belle Barbe car park.

(S/E) Start eastwards on theGR®51(red and white markings) on a wide, gently sloping path that runs alongside the Ravin du Grenouillet, until you reach a ford

(1) Turn left, leaving theGR® to enter the Ravin de Mal Infernet. Climb a reasonable slope in the ravine, among pine and eucalyptus trees, to reach the Lac (or rather Étang) de l'Écureuil.

(2) Continue climbing along the path, enjoying superb views of all the peaks of the Estérel, until you reach the Baisse de la Grosse Vache.

(3) Turn left at almost 180 degrees and, going around the summit, you will reach the Baisse de la Petite Vache.

(4) Descend gently to the Col du Baladou. Superb views of the Pic du Cap Roux.

(5) Take the track on the right which descends gently to the Col du Mistral. Magnificent views of the Pic du Perthus Occidental.

(6) Take the track on the left which leads back to the Col de la Belle Barbe car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 44 m - Parking at - Col de Belle Barbe
  2. 1 : km 1.05 - alt. 25 m - Ford - Agay (fleuve)
  3. 2 : km 3.62 - alt. 80 m - Lac de l'Écureuil
  4. 3 : km 6.17 - alt. 201 m - Baisse de la Grosse Vache (201m)
  5. 4 : km 7.32 - alt. 205 m - Baisse de la Petite Vache (205m)
  6. 5 : km 8.69 - alt. 165 m - Col du Baladou (165m)
  7. 6 : km 10.15 - alt. 92 m - Col du Mistral (92m)
  8. S/E : km 11.69 - alt. 44 m - Parking at - Col de Belle Barbe

Notes

Wide tracks with no major difficulties.
Moderate slopes, most of the route is a mountain bike route.
Take plenty of water with you in summer, as there are many sections in direct sunlight.

Worth a visit

To see at the Col de Belle Barbe: the memorial to the crew of the American bomber "Lucky Lady" which crashed here on 25 May 1944, hit by German anti-aircraft fire on its return from a mission.

 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

4.8 / 5
Based on 12 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
User 25483121

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Nature sculpts itself...
Magnificent scenery of rocks and flowers
I found this hike extraordinary
Jean
Quebec, Canada

Machine-translated

clint21
clint21

I didn't do this hike, but I've done many others in the Esterel, so here are a few comments:
- regarding the Perthus Oriental hike, please specify that the start is only possible via the indicated path if the water level is low: we were unable to start as indicated following a period of rain, as we would have had our feet in the water the whole time
- Regarding Malavette, please note that the paths are parish specific to Brittany and damaged in places and resemble trenches from the First World War
- Regarding the customs officers' path from St Aigulf towards Toulon, at one point the path does not exist and you have to walk on rocks overlooking the sea, which are somewhat slippery and make this part dangerous

Machine-translated

bernard coulomb
bernard coulomb

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk to explore some of the beautiful aspects of the Estérel and enjoy nature and its colours.
No difficulty following the route on GPS.

Machine-translated

fanmirando
fanmirando

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An easy route on forest trails with bicycles.
The first part is surprising and refreshing, running alongside a stream with small potholes and waterfalls,
completely dry in summer, bordered by the stunning red rocks of the Estérel.
Small pond before the summit pass populated by voracious and not at all wild tench (?)
The end of the route is long and uninteresting; the section marked with yellow signs is certainly better.

Machine-translated

Aquariel
Aquariel

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful route, especially the section in the Mal Infernet ravine.
It was very humid when we visited, with water dripping everywhere, which made us feel like we were in a different world!
The red rocks are impressive, and it's also the right season for flowers.
At the Grande Vache descent, we were treated to a concert of frogs.
The fords were quite deep, and we had to take off our shoes at one point.
There were no difficulties. It's true that there are a lot of cyclists, but everyone was friendly.

Machine-translated

jjpansiot
jjpansiot

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike on wide trails. Varied and very beautiful landscapes, especially Maf Infernet. We started from the Gratadis car park, which allows you to cross the Grenouillet ford. We also followed the suggestion to take the path rather than the trail from the Mistral pass. This is a very popular route, especially for mountain bikes, but the trails are wide, so there are no problems sharing the space.

Machine-translated

danielaime06
danielaime06
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 23, 2024
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, fairly easy and not too busy during the week, although we did encounter a few (respectful) mountain bikers.
The views of the Esterel mountains and ravines are magnificent from start to finish!
I followed Chrislecap's advice and took the path overlooking the tarmac road from the Col du Mistral (6).
I also recommend taking a small path on the right from the Baisse de la Petite Vache (4) that leads to the Col du Perthus. From there, it is easy to find the original route to the Col du Baladou (5)
Thanks to the author and happy hiking to all!

Machine-translated

Chrislecap
Chrislecap

👍

Machine-translated

Randocaz
Randocaz

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

In addition to Chrislecap's very pertinent comment, it is also possible to start/finish at the Gratadis forest house, just before climbing the Col de Belle Barbe. This slightly lengthens the hike by half an hour in total and adds 35 metres of elevation gain, but above all it allows you to walk along the Grenouillet ravine via the ford of the same name, which adds a little extra aquatic flavour.

Machine-translated

Chrislecap
Chrislecap

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

From point 6 (Col du Mistral), you can avoid the paved road by taking the trail that runs parallel to it, up to the Gratadis bridge.
And, as the icing on the cake, this allows you to enjoy a magnificent 360-degree view at an altitude of 94 metres!

Machine-translated

patgir
patgir

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful circular path amidst the cork oaks. A wide path that resembles a road more than a hiking trail (firebreak?)

Machine-translated

kirikou83
kirikou83

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 27, 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 walk with no difficulty, offering breathtaking scenery.

Machine-translated

foifoi jungfrau
foifoi jungfrau

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike (which we extended to the Col des 3 Termes and Col des Suvières), but there are almost only ONF and civil protection access routes left for hikers like us! Most of the footpaths run through "biological reserves", which are off-limits (we were "politely" reprimanded by a lady at the forest house at the Col des 3 Termes), and we have to put up with the nuisance of electric mountain bikes (mopeds, I would say!) and 4x4s belonging to the ONF or hunters on these "motorway" tracks!
There is room for everyone in nature, but it seems that the only non-polluting and silent means of transport has become undesirable in the Esterel! Too bad, we'll go elsewhere, and it's a shame for the tourism professionals we support!

Machine-translated

RANDISA
RANDISA

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk, ideal for beginners or those with limited equipment.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

Walking Pic de l'Ours via Col Notre-Dame

Visorando member
Le Pic de l'Ours via le Col Notre-Dame
↔17.92 km ↗+489 m ↘-488 m ◔6h 30 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Saint-Raphaël (Var) (Var)
Magnificent hike with views of Saint-Raphaël Bay, the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, Cannes Bay, the Lérins Islands, the Southern Alps and the entire Esterel. Exceptional 360° panorama.

Walking Ravin and Col du Perthus

Visorando member
Ravin et Col du Perthus
↔11.89 km ↗+307 m ↘-307 m ◔4h 15 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Saint-Raphaël (Var) (Var)
Seeing the Estérel differently is the aim of this hike. This is the Estérel from the inside, the one with the ravines.

Walking Gratadis Ravine and Col Aubert

Visorando member
Ravin du Gratadis et Col Aubert
↔4.89 km ↗+93 m ↘-95 m ◔1h 40 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Saint-Raphaël (Var) (Var)
A lovely family walk to discover waterfalls and small streams in winter and spring, amid the rocks and red earth of the Estérel. Avoid in summer.

Walking From the Belle Barbe Pass to the Ravines of the Estérel

Visorando member
Du Col de Belle Barbe aux Ravins de l'Estérel
↔16.99 km ↗+461 m ↘-465 m ◔6h 10 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Saint-Raphaël (Var) (Var)
Very beautiful hike close to Agay which enables you to discover the Estérel away from the usual routes.

Walking The Peaks of Cap Roux, Aurelle and Ours via Sainte-Baume Chapel

Visorando member
Pics du Cap Roux, d'Aurelle et de l'Ours par la Chapelle de Sainte-Baume
↔19.58 km ↗+974 m ↘-967 m ◔8h 25 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Saint-Raphaël (Var) (Var)
Beautiful hike in the Esterel Massif where you can discover Sainte Baume and its chapel and the beautiful viewpoint on Cap Roux peak, and then reach Ours Peak going via Aurelle Peak.

Walking Loop of the Infernet Ravines and Le Perthus

Visorando member
Boucle des Ravins de l'Infernet et du Perthus
↔13.79 km ↗+246 m ↘-251 m ◔4h 40 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Saint-Raphaël (Var) (Var)
Above Agay close to the beaches, the fabulous Massif de l'Esterel is the ideal terrain for a comfortable hike, but is always different.

Walking Tour of the Pic de l'Ours

Visorando member
Tour du Pic de l'Ours
↔15.69 km ↗+512 m ↘-520 m ◔5h 55 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Saint-Raphaël (Var) (Var)
A beautiful way to discover the Massif de l'Estérel via often very steep trails.

Walking Estérel Biological Reserve

Visorando member
Réserve Biologique de l'Estérel
↔14.81 km ↗+460 m ↘-460 m ◔5h 35 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Saint-Raphaël (Var) (Var)
On the Lac de l'Écureuil side, there is a beautiful hike in the Estérel, with magnificent rocks and pretty streams: it's a feast for the eyes.

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.