Gémenos walks

After passing through a few neighbourhoods in Gémenos, you’ll reach the hill overlooking the village and then arrive at the top of the Saint-Pons valley. You’ll descend the valley along the Fauge and can take a detour to admire the abbey and see the spring. You will then walk back down through the whole of Saint-Pons Park until you reach the road. The return route crosses the clay car park and follows the road for a short while before turning off towards Super-Gémenos, which offers a beautiful view of Aubagne and La Penne-sur-Huveaune on one side, and Gémenos and the Garlaban on the other.

A walk alternating between tracks and paths, taking you to the Vigie du Cruvelier, the summit of the Brigou and the Jas du Brigou. The view from the summit of the Cruvelier offers a 360° panorama of the surrounding mountain ranges. After the Cruvelier, a round trip leads to the summit of the Brigou. You’ll pass by the Jas du Brigou, which can serve as a refuge.

On the way to Pic de Bertagne from Parc de Saint-Pons via the south side. The return journey will be via La Glacière and the abbey.

For a change of pace, start from the car park in the Saint-Pons valley heading towards Gémenos to complete a circular route – not an easy one – around the Grande Tête, a peak overlooking the Galère and Gour de Brest valleys.

A very beautiful and challenging hike starting from Saint-Pons Park in Gémenos, where you will begin by climbing the Col de l'Espigoulier, then the Dents de Roque Forcade and the Pic de Bertagne. You will begin your return to Saint-Pons Park via the Col du Fauge and the Pas de Cugens. Some sections are tricky, but the views are magnificent throughout.

Climb to the highest point of the Bouches-du-Rhône, located at the eastern end of the Sainte-Baume Massif.

This is a fairly challenging hike, though much less so than the Croix de Provence via La Marbrière and the return via the Pas du Berger, which has 200 metres less elevation gain but is much more technical. This hike remains relatively easy in terms of difficulty, which is essentially just the elevation gain. Easily accessible, the hike starts on the left, about fifteen metres past the park office, leading first to the old ice house, then to the Pic and the Col de Bertagne. It then continues towards the Col de l’Espigoulier and, finally, passes through the Col de Brest. The path is marked almost entirely in yellow (freshly painted). There is a beautiful, deep cave to explore. The views are each as stunning as the next.

Circular starting from the Saint-Pons valley towards the old ice house, via the Vallon du Fauge path and then the Chemin de la Glace. Beautiful views of the Pic de Bertagne, the Dents de Roque Forcade, the Saint-Pons valley and La Ciotat Bay in the distance. Take the opportunity to visit all the old water-related facilities in the valley: paper mill, mill, monuments, springs and waterfalls.

Undeniably one of the most beautiful hikes in the Bouches-du-Rhône. This circular hike combines enchanting scenery with geological curiosities. From the Parc de Saint-Pons, the route first passes through a cool, verdant woodland before reaching more open, rocky landscapes. Your gaze will frequently turn towards the Pic de Bertagne, the department’s highest peak at 1,042 metres. A hike along the Sainte-Baume range, taking in industrial ruins, white water and spectacular views of the Provençal mountains.

This is a hike that is very challenging at the start. The route is rocky with a steep climb to reach the Col de Bres. The climb is mainly in the first third of the route. The descent is gentle compared to the climb. There are some lovely DFCI tracks for the descent as well as single tracks through the undergrowth. The climb is over barren rock.

This circular route takes you up to the Mont Cruvelier lookout point. From this summit, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Sainte-Baume Massif, the Cuges Plain and the Var mountains. The route starts from the car park at the Saint-Pons Departmental Park

This is a fairly challenging hike that begins with an elevation gain of around 700 metres. This is covered over the first six kilometres. The hike climbs steeply with some technical sections. The descent features sections along the mountainside, so you mustn’t be afraid of heights. Otherwise, give it a miss. It’s a very beautiful hike with sections through woodland, lovely single tracks and sections over steep rocks. It offers a fine variety of paths with some very pretty views.

A beautiful, very easy walk in the Saint-Pons valley, in the heart of a well-maintained departmental park, towards the former abbey of the same name. A very shady walk along a tributary of the Huveaune, where you can discover old mills from the 17th and 18th centuries. Great fun for children and largely accessible to people with reduced mobility.

A pleasant hike around the Domaine de Saint-Pons, at the foot of Sainte-Baume, with invigorating fresh air.

This is a beautiful loop with a very steady climb through a picturesque valley, under tunnels of vegetation and magnificent suspended rocks. There are splendid views of the Huveaune valley, Géménos, Aubagne and Marseille. Next, pass by the very welcoming Tuny refuge and descend via the Vallon de Saint Clair, which also offers beautiful landscapes of steep rocks.

Overall, this is a very pleasant hike. Especially after passing Cistern 52, where you’ll find a series of outstanding single tracks. The hike takes you along the ridges to discover magnificent scenery.

An easy, short hike where you can grill your meal.

A demanding route, but not very well travelled. It can be done as a return trip to the Croix de Bassan for a medium level of difficulty. It can also be extended by going to the electricity pylon. Beautiful view of Roquevaire and Sainte-Baume.

This trail is another way of getting to the Petit Tuny hut. On this trail, you stay off the DFCI tracks as much as possible, by taking non-waymarked paths instead. At the highest point of the route, you will have a wonderful view over Garlaban, the Huveaune Valley and Bertagne Peak.

Two distinct atmospheres on this hike: a walk through the steep-sided, shaded Saint-Clair valley, then, after a break at the Petit Tuny refuge, a return along beautiful tracks and a detour to the Saint-Clair Chapel. Varied and magnificent landscapes.

A hike of less than three hours on a wide path from start to finish. A very pleasant outing for groups or families. Fairly easy after an initial steep climb. Keep dogs on a leash.

This hike will take you above the beautiful Falaise de la Galère cliff with its breathtaking views to the fascinating Grande Baume cave, which you will cross from end to end. Don't be put off by the elevation gain, as it wasn't too difficult for our old legs.

Most of the hike is on wide, clear paths offering beautiful views of Sainte-Baume, the Dents de Roque Forcade, Pic de Bertagne, Garlaban and other mountains that I cannot name in their entirety.

A walk to the well-known St-André de Julhans Chapel, offering beautiful views of Sainte-Baume and the Gémenos plain, with the Marseille region visible in the distance. The walk starts at the fork in the road where the Gémenos and Cuges-les-Pins roads meet, 4 km from the entrance to Aubagne; there are plenty of parking spaces available at this junction.

This circular hike starting from Gémenos will take you to the summit of the Tête du Douard, via a varied route that favours walking on trails, avoiding tracks as much as possible. This beautiful viewpoint offers a view of the Pic de Bertagne, the Montagne Sainte-Victoire, the Huveaune valley with Marseille in the background, the Bay of Cassis and the Grand Caunet massif. Along the way, you will climb the Gorges de la Petite Sainte-Baume with its unique atmosphere.

A challenging hike to the Tête du Douard and its cross, offering a magnificent 360° panorama, then on to the Gorges de la Petite Sainte-Baume, with its lush vegetation and imposing limestone rocks, which you can climb amid the sharp limestone pavement, then discover two caves. A spectacular landscape.

This is a mixed hike that begins with about 2 km of climbing. Then it’s flat, through woodland and with very open views. The landscape is very green. The descent is gentle, whereas the climb is a bit steep, but it only lasts about 2 km. The hike mainly stays on the main, clearly marked paths.

An easy walk, staying on the main paths, offering views of the Petite Sainte-Baume and its large rocks, then the Gemenos plain and the foothills of the Sainte-Baume.

La Sainte-Baume as you've never seen it before: a ledge at the foot of imposing rocky peaks, a short climb to reach an isolated plateau offering panoramic views of the Alps as far as Cap Sicié. The entire walk is on small, wild trails, just the way I like them. A challenging walk with an 8-metre rock climb, rated 2 at most (easy scrambling).

This is a fairly difficult circuit that will take you via the Pic de Bertagne to two of the most interesting spots in the Sainte-Baume massif: the Trou du Vent and the Grande Baume.

A slightly less challenging variation on one of my previous walks, which will take you to two ‘landmarks’ of the Sainte-Baume massif: the Pic de Bertagne and the Grande Baume.

This isan easy hike with stunningly beautiful views. Overall, you will walk along long stretches of mountainside, some of which are a little tricky and require you to take your time, but which offer truly breathtaking views.

This hike offers a change of scenery, starting from Les Bastides (a district of Roquefort-La Bédoule) to admire the Chapelle Saint-André chapel and its viewpoint, and above all the old Roquefort, which still has some interesting ruins to visit.

An easy hike to a local geological curiosity: the Fenêtre du Brigou.

This pleasant walk above Cuges-les-Pins takes you along theGR®98, first on a lovely climb to Le Brigou, then towards Le Jas de Micéau: a beautifully restored sheepfold that marks the high point of our hike.

A lovely hike with beautiful panoramic views, ideal for groups or families. There are a few narrow passages, so take care. There is nothing dangerous, but be careful on the narrow passages to enjoy this beautiful hike.

Starting from Col de l'Ange, this hike climbs to the summit of Du-Brigou and then Mont Cruvelier, offering magnificent views of the region and the Sainte-Baume mountain.

This is a very pleasant hike, partly along DFCI-type tracks, but not only. There are also narrow paths where you will have to make your own way. It is quite unique and on other sections you will feel as if you are entering the vegetation. It is truly spectacular. The hike is mostly easy to walk, but some parts are quite steep, which creates diversity with varied and diverse landscapes. The hike is recommended for groups of walkers.The GPX track may be useful.

An easy walk to the beautiful cliffs of Petite-Sainte-Baume around the Grand Rouvière wine estate.

The Languilard plateau above Carnoux offers a wide panorama of the town of Aubagne and the Garlaban. At the end of the route, there is a discovery trail with information panels about the plants of our region.

This is a short, challenging hike, which could be described as "ravine hiking", in the steep, arid ravines of the Coutronne (now a dry river) and the Infernets to the Encanaux. There, the latter flows into the Vède in a charming, shady and fairly wide spot, which is popular with walkers at the weekend. The hike takes you through the potholes (giant's kettles) of the two rivers, in truly wild surroundings. The first ravine is very rarely visited.

This is a pleasant hike with very pretty single-track trails. The rest of the route is mostly on DFCI tracks to reach the village of Cuges-Les-Pins, visit its parish church and shops, and return in a circular fashion to the car park.

A fairly classic hike that starts at Font Blanche and goes to the Chapelle Saint-André de Juhlans and then the Montounier, a hill that rises to 600 m. The route is particularly worthwhile for its beautiful views of Cuges-les-Pins and Sainte Baume, then the Bay of La Ciotat as you descend towards the Grand Caunet. The chapel has been very well restored, perhaps even a little too well. Don't miss the view behind it. There are some tough climbs along this route, which is not as easy as it looks.

Hike through beautiful, semi-shaded woodland, which is very pleasant in summer. Some of the climbs are a little steep but short, requiring a few breaks, especially at the start of the route. Two sections, in the form of treasure hunts, are on very varied terrain, but overall very passable with beautiful views.

A lovely walk along the Huveaune in Roquevaire. You’ll pass a farm (calves, goats, poultry, horses, etc.) and, further on, a very pretty waterfall. This short walk is accessible via bus route 8 of the metropolitan bus network.

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.

This is an easy walk, mostly along DFCI tracks, offering beautiful scenery and stunning views. The route is clear, with a few short single tracks on the terrain. Part of the walk is almost flat. The path is a little slippery and even slightly technical.

A beautiful hike with cable and chain passages and magnificent 360° views from the top of the Garlaban. Please note that a municipal by-law has prohibited descent via the Dansaires trail since 2010 due to rockfalls.

Mont du Marseillais, which is easily accessible, offers a wonderful 360° panorama of the surrounding mountains and even the Mercantour on a clear day. After passing the small summit of Le Défens, the descent is via Le Grand Vallon to return to the Marseillais valley, where pine trees reign supreme. A beautiful, peaceful loop in unspoilt wilderness, undisturbed by the rare cars that use the tracks.