From Font Blanche to the Vallon des Chênes

A walk that is particularly worthwhile for its stunning section in the Vallon des Chênes, featuring a path running beneath a cliff face where the cool air provides a very refreshing respite from the heat.

Details

60737465
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.11 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 781 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 771 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,486 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 846 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Starting point: the Font Blanche car park, well known to walkers on the Grand Caunet route, not far from Cuges-les-Pins.

(S/E) Follow the clearly marked trail on the left-hand side of this leisure area. It splits into two a little further on, but both branches lead back to the same path.

(1) Carry on straight ahead if you took the right-hand branch of the previous path. You’ll reach a field; continue past it for about 150 metres until you reach a crossroads.

(2) Take the path leading uphill to the right. After a fairly long climb, you’ll reach a three-way junction of tracks and continue straight on. At the fork about 200 m further on, continue along the track on the right for a good kilometre and you’ll reach a hairpin bend to the left.

(3) Leave the track and take the path on the right leading to a junction.

(4) Turn left, then follow the track to the right 200 m further on. Continue to the next junction.

(5) Turn right. Enjoy the scenery and continue along the track as it descends for a long way until you reach a hairpin bend to the right, which serves as a landmark. Carry on for about a hundred metres.

(6) On the climb, take a path that veers diagonally to the right and joins a GR®. Continue straight on for about 200 m.

(7) You’ll notice a fairly flat cairn on the left. Descend carefully for about a hundred metres, ignoring the first path branching off to the left. Turn left at the end of the descent, go right to the far end of the cirque and descend to the right into the stream, which is obviously dry in summer. You’ll reach a junction.

(8) Take the path on the left. After 400 m, you’ll reach a crossroads; take the track on the left: the one on the right leads to private property. You’ll come out onto the road; follow it down carefully, turning off to the right.

(9) On the right, to the left of a gate, you’ll notice the start of a sloping mountain-bike trail. Take this trail and head down to the car park at the very bottom (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 846 ft - Font Blanche car park
  2. 1 : mi 0.16 - alt. 925 ft - Crossroads
  3. 2 : mi 0.83 - alt. 1,129 ft - Ascent on the right
  4. 3 : mi 1.73 - alt. 1,322 ft - Path
  5. 4 : mi 1.94 - alt. 1,444 ft - Turn left
  6. 5 : mi 2.23 - alt. 1,470 ft - Track
  7. 6 : mi 2.9 - alt. 1,112 ft - Path
  8. 7 : mi 3.06 - alt. 1,171 ft - Cairn
  9. 8 : mi 3.44 - alt. 961 ft - Path
  10. 9 : mi 3.91 - alt. 922 ft - Path
  11. S/E : mi 4.11 - alt. 850 ft - Font Blanche car park

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.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 4 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
Khor
Khor
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 20, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, especially in spring, with rockroses, thyme and other flowering plants and trees (jacaranda?) in bloom.
Technically no problem up to point 7, but make sure you wear good walking boots as the climbs, in particular, are quite stony and the stones sometimes roll underfoot. Between point 7 and point 8, the steep descent is very uneven and quite tricky... Walking poles are highly recommended. To top it all off, the path that veers sharply left at one point is barely visible and we missed it. Not a major issue, as the path at the bottom of the descent quickly returns towards point 8 by turning left. Another inconvenience: halfway between points 8 and 9, the route joins the main road, which you have to walk along, sometimes on the dotted line at the edge of the carriageway, with heavy traffic, especially on a Sunday. To avoid this section between points 7 and 8, then 8 and 9, you can continue on the GR98 at point 7 and head to point 1, which takes you back to the start. Avoid: do not do this hike on a Sunday, as revving motorcyclists ride all day long on the D3D road as if they were on the Castellet route, filling the air with the roar of their modified exhausts for three-quarters of the walk.😤😤😤

Machine-translated

jmkrief13
jmkrief13

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 31, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route with stunning views.
On 31/12/25 it was deserted, everyone was getting ready for New Year's Eve.

Machine-translated

collaud
collaud

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

A pleasant walk with a descent that can prove tricky between 7 and 8. The final stretch, along the departmental road, needs reviewing
Much of the route is on tracks, with the rest through woodland.

Machine-translated

sylv.masse
sylv.masse

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, and the section towards the end beneath the cliffs is impressive.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

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.