Cime de Baudon from Sainte-Agnès

A beautiful climb to the Cime de Baudon from the hilltop village of Sainte-Agnès.
The summit offers exceptional 360° views of the entire region, particularly Menton, but also other towns along the coast and numerous mountain peaks.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.03 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 660 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 660 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,264 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 604 m

Photos

Description of the walk

The route starts at the entrance to the village of Sainte-Agnès, where a wide bend next to a small chapel allows you to park your car. There are car parks in the village.

(S/E) Two directional signs follow in quick succession to indicate the direction of the Cime de Baudon. These are the only ones you will see. The rest of the route is marked in yellow.
At the northern exit of Sainte-Agnès, turn left onto the first path.
The path climbs steeply at first, then the slope becomes gentler. After about an hour, you will arrive at a clearing called Pas de la Piastre.

(1) Take the path that branches off to the left and climbs uphill.
There are no signs, but there is a stone on the ground with a yellow mark.
Shortly afterwards, the slope becomes steeper, with a few hairpin bends. Then the path becomes easier and winds its way below the ridge line on the north side. Continue towards the summit.

(2) Cime de Baudon.
Just before the Cime de Baudon, do not take the path on the right, which goes around the summit.
There is an orientation table there. If you don't see it, you are not in the right place.
To return, simply take the opposite path. Head back to Pas de la Piastre.

(1) Return to the car park (S/E) via the same route you took on the way there.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 604 m - Parking in Sainte-Agnès
  2. 1 : km 1.68 - alt. 936 m - Pas de la Piastre (935m)
  3. 2 : km 3.03 - alt. 1,264 m - Cime de Baudoin (1264m)
  4. S/E : km 6.03 - alt. 604 m - Parking in Sainte-Agnès

Notes

The Cime de Baudon is officially rated at 1,265 metres, with an elevation gain of approximately 650 metres.
The hike takes about 4 hours. The signpost at the start indicates that it takes 2 hours and 10 minutes to reach the Cime de Baudon. The descent takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes.
The route is fairly wooded overall, with a few sunny sections. Sunscreen is useful, especially if you plan to take a long break at the summit.
There is no water along the route, so bring your own.
The path is strewn with stones, so it is best to wear shoes with good grip.

Worth a visit

The village of Sainte-Agnès is a destination in itself. It is a pretty hilltop village with breathtaking views of Menton and Cap Martin.
Above the village, about 10 minutes away, are the ruins of a castle that can be visited. The view from up there is even more beautiful. The visit is free, but you can make a contribution towards the restoration of the site.
The village has a few remains of the Maginot Line. They appear to be open to visitors, but I don't have any further details.
I would also like to mention that there is a local car rally, which starts right where the hike to the Cime de Baudon begins.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 18 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
Tituscalinus
Tituscalinus

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike, well-marked trail, pleasant route, magnificent view at the summit

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vidji7
vidji7

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent, without any particular difficulty, at a leisurely pace, the signpost 475 clearly indicates the way.

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Ephix
Ephix

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The summit of the walk is well worth the detour! The promised 360° view is definitely there. You can even see Corsica very clearly!

The path is quite steep, sometimes rugged and sometimes along a slope that can be impressive, but nothing too difficult.

We decided to do a loop from the summit, joining the road at the Col de la Madonne, then taking the path to the Col de Bausson. I think it's really worth it (as long as you don't mind walking a little on the road, which is rarely used), as it allows you to descend on the sunny side (interesting in winter), enjoy the view and vary the route. It's only slightly longer and it's easier to walk on the road.

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marchio paul
marchio paul

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

fairly busy, with a few sections where walking sticks come in handy. The road to St Agnès is narrow, so you need to be careful and drive cautiously.

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andras
andras

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very nice hike starting from the car park (below the village) of Ste Agnés. It's quite challenging for about a quarter of the route. Be careful at one point after the steep section where you come to a place where three paths branch off. We thought we had reached the point where we had to take the path on the left (as indicated in the guidebook) and leave the one on the right. We then arrived at a small summit with a beautiful view, but in fact the correct path (which we then took) is the one on the right (the most natural one, in fact). The point on the map is probably very close to the finish (we didn't spot it in the end).

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barou jy
barou jy

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 31, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We had relatively good weather. Only a little hazy, which limited the view of Italy

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Sonia 83
Sonia 83

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice view at the summit. I climbed alone and encountered very few people on the way down.
Same comment as on 13 February regarding the information before the climb, as the path on the right only starts after the summit.
As a bonus, I visited Ste Agnès, a pretty village with the ruins of its castle.

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Clémenceem
Clémenceem

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 13, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike that alternates between flat paths and climbs/slopes. Only the information "Just before the Cime de Baudon, do not take the path on the right, which goes around the peak" is not necessarily justified, as we can only continue to the right by following the markings correctly.
The view from the top is exceptional, allowing you to see as far as Cap Esterel when the weather is good, the snow-capped mountains and Corsica. The orientation table is a real bonus.

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Falentin
Falentin

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 02, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The view is superb and makes the climb worthwhile. Thankfully you explain what isn't indicated, because at Pas de la Piastre there are two identical paths. I wouldn't have noticed the trail on the ground without your instructions. The path opposite must go down towards Col des Banquettes.
I find the beginning of the section after Pas de la Piastre difficult to climb and descend. Perhaps because of my age and especially my height of 1.59 metres, I felt like I was climbing stairs that were too big for me! Not recommended for people with knee pain! Otherwise, a great day. Thank you

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Laro1203
Laro1203

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 05, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

The trail is certainly very beautiful, but we turned back after walking for an hour and 15 minutes because we felt the path was becoming too dangerous.

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jeanluc dumazinel
jeanluc dumazinel

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 30, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Beautiful views and lovely weather

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ChristopheBerger
ChristopheBerger

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 22, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

On a sunny day, a superb walk with exceptional views over the hills of Menton.

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Jubulbe
Jubulbe

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 20, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Please note that there is currently some ice on the last 200 metres of the climb, so take care.

This hike is far from difficult, so don't be put off by some of the comments. As experienced walkers, it took us 2 hours and 15 minutes to complete the round trip, and the view from the summit is magnificent (Mont Agel rising above a sea of clouds to the south, the Alps to the north – magical!).

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