The Saint-Quinis ridge starting from Sainte-Anastasie-sur-Issole

The walk to the Saint-Quinis Chapel offers exceptional views of the Issole Valley from the ridge.

Details

1199719
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.11 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 360 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 358 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 633 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 271 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the station car park.
(S/E) From the car park, cross the railway line and turn left onto Chemin des Roches de Naples.

(1) Take the steps on the right to continue climbing towards Place de Naple. In the bend, turn left onto Chemin du Labonet and continue in a north-easterly direction until you reach a fork

(2) At the fork, continue straight ahead on Chemin du Vallon de Gueirol. On this path, there are two oratories to see.

(3) At the cistern, turn right and then immediately left onto the path that climbs up to the Saint-Quinis Chapel. The chapel is always open. Remember to close the door behind you.

(4) From the chapel, continue climbing the ridge, heading south. Then follow the ridge. Be careful as the path leads to the cliff. At times, you will be close to the edge and the path is "chaotic".
Join the Saint-Quinis ridge trail.

(5) Turn left and continue to the paragliding launch area.

(6) Go into the paragliding field to the left of the track and take the path at the bottom of the field on the right, which descends steeply to the Chemin de Poulegades. Continue straight ahead on this road.

(7) Pass under the railway bridge on the right and follow the Issole (on your right) and the railway line (on your left) along Chemin de la Rouquette.

(8) At the end of the path, turn right and cross the Issole. Immediately after, turn left to cut across the fields and take the small bridge over the Issole to reach the station car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 275 m - Car park at the station
  2. 1 : km 0.11 - alt. 279 m - Steps on the right
  3. 2 : km 0.73 - alt. 326 m - Chemin du Vallon de Gueirol, at the fork
  4. 3 : km 1.45 - alt. 381 m - Cistern
  5. 4 : km 3.35 - alt. 590 m - Chapelle Saint-Quinis (Camps-la-Source)
  6. 5 : km 5.15 - alt. 504 m - Trail junction, on the left
  7. 6 : km 6.04 - alt. 458 m - Paragliding take-off area
  8. 7 : km 7.2 - alt. 277 m - Passage under the railway bridge
  9. 8 : km 7.86 - alt. 276 m - Crossroads, turn right. Cross the - Issole (rivière) - Var
  10. S/E : km 8.11 - alt. 275 m - Car park at the station

Notes

Follow the yellow markings.
Wear good walking shoes.
Please note that this route is a little dangerous for children under 10 years old at the top of the ridge.

Worth a visit

  • Oratory chapels.
  • Gaspard de Besse cave.
  • Saint-Quinis Chapel, which is open and contains votive offerings
  • Village of Sainte-Anastasie-sur-Issole (wash house, arboretum, etc.)

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 33 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
gene83
gene83

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 13, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

As I went on a weekday, there was no one there. I prefer to do this hike ‘in reverse’ to the route suggested on Visorando.
Coming out of the woods, you find yourself on a wide, firebreak-style track; there’s construction work going on all the way to the paragliding launch site, which isn’t very pleasant.
Otherwise, everything is as beautiful as ever

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martabel
martabel

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

We followed the yellow markings.
It was a pleasant walk to the chapel, which is open and has a beautiful collection of very moving votive offerings.
Outside, there is a picnic area.
The return trip was more challenging, very rocky. You need to have good footwear... and stay focused. So you don't really get to enjoy the route, except for the viewpoints, which are magnificent.
The very steep and stony descent after the paragliding area is not very pleasant either!

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User 3992687

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike, well marked until the Quinis ridge. As soon as you start walking along the ridge to begin the descent, you need to rely on your phone and follow the directions, as the yellow markings are not present everywhere, especially where there are multiple paths. It is easy to take a wrong turn. It took us 3 hours.

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christdona
christdona

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Followed the GPS route, although it was a bit confusing in the "mossy" area. Descended from the chapel to the paragliding launch site without any problems, but the descent from the launch site was very rough, so caution is advised. The description is well done.
Otherwise very pleasant with lots of flowering thyme filling the air with its scent.

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Ladilafee
Ladilafee

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We followed the GPS track.
Otherwise, just follow the yellow line, which isn't always visible at first glance towards the end.
At this time of year, the scenery is magnificent. After the chapel, you walk along the ridge.
The bright green moss-covered rocks give the impression of being in an enchanted place.
We loved it!
There are no particular difficulties along the route.
Except at the end, where the descent is a little steep.

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Jacklynn48
Jacklynn48
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

beautiful route in the hills of Ste Anastasie sur Issole, with plenty of variety

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bazzo
bazzo

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

beautiful hike, but best done in reverse to avoid the rocky and difficult descent.

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phdelgrange
phdelgrange
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed in ideal weather conditions: sunny, 20°C, no wind.
We did it backwards to avoid the steep descent: highly recommended, but don't miss the single track junction at marker 5.
A few details to help hikers:
-The route follows the yellow markings.
-the chapel is at marker 4; it's a good place for a picnic.
We highly recommend this hike

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Tony83@
Tony83@

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Caution: very slippery section (rocks covered with moss in the undergrowth)

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Pascalino
Pascalino

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Be careful, the trail is quite rocky after the chapel. The descent after the paragliding trail is rocky and slippery. It took us 6 hours at a leisurely pace.

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Remysapin@club-internet.fr
Remysapin@club-internet.fr

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Like many participants in this forum, we don't like very steep and rocky descents, which is why we had no problems doing this hike in the opposite direction to the one suggested. The section on the ridge trail is perhaps a little challenging for septuagenarians like us, but it's definitely worth it.

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fferret59
fferret59

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike with free access to the St Quinis chapel
The return trip after the paragliding area is a bit tricky; you have to be very careful as there are lots of steep slopes and loose stones, but fortunately it's not very long
Thank you for this hike, which I thoroughly enjoyed

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madi83
madi83

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful walk with a steady climb in the shade of the forest. You reach the pretty, simple chapel of Saint-Quinis. A few dozen metres further on, you arrive at the edge of the cliff. The landscape is vast; we even spotted a few snow-capped peaks in the distance. Continue along the ridge with magnificent viewpoints on either side.
Be careful though, as this part is a little tricky because you have to squeeze between boulders or climb over them.
The descent, much steeper than the climb, is also a bit challenging but fairly short.

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judex
judex

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 28, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Thank you for this route. A very beautiful hike. Please note that the rocks on the St Quinis ridge are very slippery, but this does not detract from the beauty of the landscape. Unfortunately, after searching for a good half hour, we were unable to find the cave.
Best regards, Judex

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COMO2110
COMO2110
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely hike, but a little short for those who enjoy day-long hikes...
However, for those who enjoy a longer hike, there is the option of an additional loop to Lake Besse, which forms a figure of 8 centred on the St Quinis chapel - with a picnic on the flat rocks facing south - less than 7 hours of hiking in total....

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