From the village of Saint-Montan, enter the gorge by the road (in the direction of Domaine d’Imbours).
Reach the chapel (1), and take the path behind it marked in yellow/white. Walk along the climbing site, and start to climb the scree.
Two thirds of the way up, you will reach a cross. Leave the marked path and slide over to the home of the hermit Montanus. Be discreet and respect the area. A guestbook is available.
Then return to the path from where you left off and follow it to the town of Larnas (2). Turn South at the intersection after the town hall, to enter the village. Heading towards the containers, find the signs, and follow to find the path.
You enter a paddock (thank you for helping to keep enclosures secure, and close the gates after passing through). Follow the trail before continuing the descent to Saint-Montan (3). Enjoy the view. Upon reaching the village, before heading onto the streets, you can go take a look at the Lourdes cave (4).
Back to the car park.
The Sainte Baume gorges
A splendid medieval village, a hermit and his cave, a valley in the limestone hills and the views of the Rhône Valley and Mont Ventoux.
Prepare yourself for a nice, family-friendly hike, which will suit everyone.
Details
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Activity: Walking -
Distance: 5.81 km -
Average duration: 2h 25 -
Difficulty: Moderate -
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Back to start: Yes -
Ascent: + 266 m -
Descent: - 259 m -
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Highest point: 347 m -
Lowest point: 110 m
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Country:
France
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Area: Massif central -
City:
Saint-Montan (07220) -
Start/End: N 44.440268° / E 4.624272° -
IGN map(s): Ref. 2938SB, 2939OT -
Hour-by-hour weather
Photos
Description of the walk
Waypoints
- S/E : km 0 - alt. 110 m - Saint-Montan car park
- 1 : km 1.39 - alt. 259 m - Grotte de la Sainte-Beaume (Saint-Montan)
- 2 : km 2.04 - alt. 329 m - Vallat de Canaux
- 3 : km 3.09 - alt. 307 m - Village of Larnas, after the - Église Saint-Pierre (Larnas)
- 4 : km 3.74 - alt. 338 m - Under the power line
- 5 : km 5.37 - alt. 180 m - Grotte de Lourdes (Saint-Montan)
- S/E : km 5.81 - alt. 110 m - Saint-Montan car park
Notes
As is often the case in this region, there is no reliable drinking water refill point.
Good shoes, no flip flops, running shoes as a bare minimum. In the climb, the ground is slippery.
Many picnic sites.
Worth a visit
Visit the village of Saint Montan, and its castle. Numerous small artists’ shops. The Plateau de Gras offers lavender buds and derived products.
Another hike to the Dent de Rez is available (topographical route to come)
Reviews and comments
4.2 / 5
4.3 / 5
4.5 / 5
Overall rating : 5 / 5
Date of your route : Apr 27, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
A lovely walk.
The signposting is a bit sparse, but just follow the white/yellow, then white/yellow and white/red markings – it’s very well signposted.
There’s plenty to see if you look around a bit.
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Overall rating : 3.7 / 5
Date of your route : Mar 01, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes
This hike offers beautiful views but is not suitable for families as long sections of the descent and ascent are on stony, unstable paths. There are some difficult sections on scree slopes for those who are afraid of heights.
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Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of your route : Jan 12, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes
Be careful on the way back to St Montan as there are stones and rocks and the slope is a bit steep.
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Overall rating : 5 / 5
Date of your route : May 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
CAUTION very difficult hike that is with the very steep rise because rather narrow way at moment with side of cliff with pebbles a little slipping, good shoes obligatory. The hermit's cave is worth the diversions and the rest of the way to Larnas is nice with its old church. Once past Larnas you have two options: either you really like to suffer because the proposed path after going up takes you back down the hillside even steeper than the climb and all filled with unstable stones, or just after point 3 you take the road that you can see on the map, which takes you back to the village more quickly and gives you time to visit the castle. We didn't take the road and I regretted it.
The choice is yours and enjoy the walk.
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Overall rating : 3.7 / 5
Date of your route : Jan 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
Beware: not only is the description old, it lacks precision. As for the route, it too may be imprecise, offering one or two shortcuts that are probably more interesting for sporty hikers than for family hikers. It will nevertheless be a great help via the Visorando application. IGN map and Visorando GPS essential.
(S/E) Wherever you are parked before or at the entrance to the village of Saint Montan, follow the D 262 towards Larnas: cross the small bridge over the Ellieux stream, with Larnas road signs and cycle signs clearly visible, pass under the main chapel in the centre of the village, and leave the village. Shortly afterwards, the San Samonta chapel is on the right-hand side of the road just before a wide right-hand bend. Just before the chapel, turn right uphill and follow the signs for "Ermitage de Saint Montan". Follow this sign all the way to the hermitage itself. Don't rely on the GR signs, which are practically non-existent as far as Larnas. The yellow and white markings are reliable until just above point (1).
(1) Above the hermitage, the GPS route leads you into a scree slope. We preferred to use the GPS to follow the well-marked Yellow and White path (there are some steep rocky sections in this area) until it forks downhill to the right. Leave it at this point and continue straight ahead on the flat until you reach the cross.
(2) The route is easier after this, apart from a slightly unnecessary shortcut after (4), which we avoided. The final descent through steep rocky passages can be tricky for some. There is a totally unnecessary and steep shortcut at the end, whereas you could finish calmly along pleasant little streets (S/E).
The views are magnificent.
The 12th-century chapel at Larnas is a jewel, and remarkably it opened on 26 January 2025.
If the description and route of this remarkable walk could be updated, it would be a good thing. Rated as an average walk, it should be mentioned that it does have some difficult sections.
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Overall rating : 5 / 5
Date of your route : Sep 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
A very nice walk with superb views, particularly of the village at the end of the route. The weather was windy but sunny, quite physical at the start, with a visit to the Saint-Montan cave along the way and then to the village at the end of the route, with its roofs adorned with cats!
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Overall rating : 4.3 / 5
Date of your route : Jun 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
Leuke route vanuit een leuke plaats. Het laatste stukje is door los grind naar beneden.
Hello,
For your next outings, and to find the starting point, just click on "Go to start" and enter your position to get the route.
The route follows the GR47 as far as the cave, after which it continues on a PR.
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Overall rating : 3.7 / 5
Date of your route : May 31, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No
Difficult to find the start
What's more, you have to take a PR path at the start and not a GR path
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Overall rating : 5 / 5
Date of your route : May 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
Short walk with points of interest including the village of St-Montan, the hermit's cave and the church at Larnas.
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Overall rating : 4 / 5
Date of your route : Apr 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes
A very nice walk with a lot of difference in altitude, but beware of those who venture out with bad shoes and very young children.
We were lucky when we passed through the village of Larnas, where there was a small market and the very friendly producers invited us to sample their produce.
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Overall rating : 4 / 5
Date of your route : Apr 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
Note: you leave the road just before or just after the San Samonta chapel.
Don't miss the short return journey to the hermitage.
Take time to visit the beautiful church in Larnas.
In Larnas, the crossroads is just opposite the town hall, not after it.
A very beautiful walk.
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Overall rating : 5 / 5
Date of your route : May 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
Lovely walk with a steep, stony ascent, well signposted. Pretty church at Larnas with picnic table. The descent is well signposted but over rocks that should only be done in dry weather. The view of Saint Montan is magnificent on the way down, allowing you to take plenty of breaks and forget the harshness of the slope.
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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
It's quite a climb. We almost missed the end and the last few metres are a treasure hunt. we had a good laugh. top notch.
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Overall rating : 5 / 5
Date of your route : Mar 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
Very nice walk. A stony and slightly steep descent to Saint Montan, but a magnificent viewpoint.
Thank you very much
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