The Oasis des Garrigues from Grabels

Starting from this beautiful route, you will discover the surprising Source de l'Avy along the banks of the Mosson. You will then reach the panoramic viewpoint of the Croix de Guillery. After crossing the old agricultural and wine-growing plain, the circuit will take you along the path once used by salt caravans to the top of the partially wooded rocky plateaus, where you can admire beautiful panoramic views of the Pic Saint-Loup and the surrounding mountains.

Details

4544177
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Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.62 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 153 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 155 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 150 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 51 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Grabels (34790)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 43.649981° / E 3.789899°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2743ET
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the Avy car park.

(S/E) Head towards the wooded park via Allée Ribeyrolles, following the right bank of the Mosson. Join theGR®®653Chemin de Compostelle, marked in red and white, to reach the Source de l'Avy. Continue to reach a small bridge over the Mosson.

(1) Turn left after the wooden barrier, cross the bridge and leave theGR®® on your left to continue on the left bank of the Mosson, following the yellow markings. Cross the Rieumassel, a tributary of the Mosson, at the old Grave mill. Continue along the left bank for about 600 m, then leave the banks of the Mosson at a pumping station and join a new crossroads (with a transformer on the right).

(2) Take the path on the left, which is steep, up to the Croix de Guillery and enjoy the beautiful 360° view. Then begin a narrow, rocky descent. Rejoin the Route de l'Orée du Bois. Turn right and keep right on Avenue René Cassin, then continue right onto Rue des Cévennes. At the roundabout, turn right onto Route de Montpellier to quickly reach the Chemin de Redonnel crossroads.

(3) At the pedestrian crossing after the garage, cross the D127 and take the path opposite. Follow it, then turn left onto Chemin du Plan des Monges. A few metres further on, you will reach the Chemin du Salinier crossroads.

(4) Turn left and follow the road, cross the D127E3, and continue to Goule de Laval, then to a crossroads at the corner of the white wall of the property.

(5) Take the path immediately on the left, and after a right-hand bend, turn left again to walk along the Plan de l'Olivier, reaching a crossroads at the end of the road.

(6) You will arrive in front of a twisted pine tree, where you have two options: either follow thePR®® on the sunny track, or take the path 20 metres to the right that enters the grove. Follow it for 500 metres and, at the exit, take the track on the left that rejoins the PR®®.
(7) Continue along the track. Then start descending to reach the two water towers and the relay antenna.

(8) Take the Chemin de la Colline opposite, then turn right onto the Chemin de Montalet. At the junction with the D127, turn left and continue to cross the bridge over the Mosson to reach the Avy car park on your left (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 58 m - Parking at the source of the Avy
  2. 1 : km 0.62 - alt. 54 m - Culvert
  3. 2 : km 1.8 - alt. 56 m - Transformer - Croix de Guillery
  4. 3 : km 3.47 - alt. 65 m - Route D127 - Cheval de Giovanni Ingrato
  5. 4 : km 4.7 - alt. 83 m - Chemin du Salinier
  6. 5 : km 6.81 - alt. 138 m - White wall
  7. 6 : km 7.68 - alt. 148 m - The twisted pine tree
  8. 7 : km 8.41 - alt. 144 m - Map of L'Olivier
  9. 8 : km 9.41 - alt. 136 m - Water tower
  10. S/E : km 10.62 - alt. 58 m - Parking at the source of the Avy

Notes

Not recommended in hot weather.

Worth a visit

Between (S/E) and (1) See on the right the resurgence of the Avy, which gushes out between two rocks called Les Fesses de Madame
(4) Chemin du Salinier: formerly used by salt caravans heading for the Cévennes.
See in Grabels: the heart of the wine-growing village and remains of the fortifications: ramparts, porch, clock tower, square fountain, Grabels Castle, the old ice house and, on the circuit, Giovanni Ingrato's horse.

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

4.5 / 5
Based on 40 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4 / 5
User 4059232

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 30, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, with a very short stretch through the houses and a slight incline at the start that’s suitable for everyone

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User 4059232
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 30, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, with a very short stretch through the houses and a slight incline at the start that’s suitable for everyone

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jamu
jamu

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 04, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

The start, along the Mosson river and then up to the Croix de Guillery, is pleasant, but as soon as you descend towards the town, the paths that make up the circular route become rather unremarkable.

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milou99
milou99

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

We completed the route on a beautiful, sunny, windless winter's day. It was chilly along the Mosson, but the rest of the route was in the sun, so it wasn't cold. The route is perfectly signposted, so it's impossible to get lost.
Apart from the fact that you get to discover the surroundings of the Montpellier conurbation, as well as the Mosson and the source of the Avi, with a little history about the past of these places, the hike is not particularly interesting and the overly urban landscapes do not lend themselves to a change of scenery or contemplation, far from it.

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claude courbon
claude courbon

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, very well marked in yellow. Particularly lovely in the first section. We didn't suffer from the heat despite it being a very sunny day. Obviously, you need good footwear for this hike

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User 8642221

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

3½ hours??? More like 2 long hours.
An interesting hike thanks to the variety of landscapes encountered: riverbanks, undergrowth, heath, more or less urbanised areas, etc. No extraordinary panoramas, but fairly expansive landscapes.
The paved section is limited. I'll be happy to come back and walk the route in the opposite direction.

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Paul h
Paul h

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Point 5: I would add 'Turn immediately left, AND AFTER TURNING RIGHT, turn left again to...

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Seleneshadowsoul
Seleneshadowsoul

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed on Saturday, 10 May 2025, with overcast skies and a cool breeze, which I think is ideal for a hike like this.
It is not difficult, but it is intended for hikers who are used to "challenging" terrain. I am thinking in particular of very steep slopes with rocks and similar descents. Avoid in hot weather as there is little shade along the 10 km trail.
The trail is well marked, very pleasant with lovely scents of thyme, and some of the views are stunning.

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francine.lemestre@gmail.com
francine.lemestre@gmail.com

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Start off in the coolness of the mosson. Then, on the more exposed section, make sure the temperature doesn't exceed 24°C.
Point 3 is unclear; we tend to head towards the hill rather than the housing estate. This concrete section is not the most pleasant. Overall, a lovely trip in the countryside, with varied paths and no difficulties.

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ValeA
ValeA
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk with varied landscapes (along the river, on the heights, in the heath, in the town, etc.). The directions are clear. I just hesitated a little when I reached the part of the walk that led into the undergrowth (the GPS chose to go there rather than around it). I would happily do this walk again!

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rosalou
rosalou

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A great little walk. The start isn't really anything special, but once you leave the houses and the road behind, the landscape is beautiful and really refreshing. The view is often unobstructed. A very nice walk not far from Montpellier. We were all happy to get some fresh air, especially just 20 minutes from Montpellier. The signposting is clear and visible. Thank you

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papadid
papadid

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 31, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

"The must-do" tour for residents of Grabels.
There are many reasons to enjoy this tour: it is close to Montpellier, easy to follow and offers beautiful views of La Paillade, Les Hauts de Massane and Grabels.
The tour of the village takes 2 hours and 10 minutes in six stages: the banks of the Mosson (shady), the climb/descent to the Calvary (150 m elevation gain), an urban section, the Grabels countryside, the pine forest (hilly: the most beautiful part in my opinion) and the return via the plateau.

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achettejc
achettejc

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant short hike

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DROP34
DROP34

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 20, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice little walk around Grabels

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BriRandoMiRando
BriRandoMiRando

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Nice walk.

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