Access: From Saint-Louis, take the road that leads to Les Makes, passing in front of the Antoine Roussin secondary school and the Parc du Gol. Pass in front of the park and continue to the end of the road. From there, turn right towards La Rivière (signposted). Then take the second road on the left towards Les Canaux (signposted). Drive up to the village and park in front of the church. You can park higher up in a car park (see Practical Information section).
(S/E) Take a few minutes to see the Église des Canots, where there is a water source on the right-hand side, then continue up Chemin des Canots for a few metres.
(1) At the first crossroads, turn right onto Chemin de la Forêt. A damaged sign indicates the direction to follow to get to Le Trou, a place we will pass through in 3.5 km. The flat path offers beautiful views of the south! Enjoy them while you can, as they will be one of the few panoramic views on the climb! The end of the path marks the start of the trail! Set off along it. Don't hesitate to look back to enjoy the view of the eastern part of the village of Les Canots.
(2) The trail is wide and gently sloping until you reach an old picnic area. Once you pass this old picnic area, the going gets tough. Steps appear and the slope becomes steeper and steeper! The trail then plunges abruptly into a dense forest of colourful woods! Panoramic views will then become rare.
(3) About a hundred metres after the old picnic area, take the path on the left, but do not take the wide path that goes straight ahead! The path then runs along the left side of the Bras Chevrettes without ever crossing it. The path narrows at times. The steps become more and more numerous and higher and higher! There will be a few steep sections! Take advantage of the few false flats to rest, as they are immediately followed by a steep section! The path then crosses dry streams from time to time, which join the Bras Chevrettes further down.
(4) The climb ends after an hour of sometimes steep walking and more than 500m of elevation gain. The trail then swings over to the other side of the Chaîne du Bois de Nèfle and offers a direct view of the Makes Biological Reserve! The trail then runs flat between tree ferns and chestnut vines.
(5) After 5 minutes of flat walking, the trail comes to an intersection. Turn left towards Le Trou (it is possible to go to La Fenêtre by turning right). Many roots slow down progress on this narrow trail.
(6) The trail widens at Le Trou. You will be treated to a few panoramic views of the Makes region as you cross the locality. Once you have passed the National Park boundary marker, the trail changes completely! It leaves the vineyard and plunges back into a forest of colourful trees! The slope also becomes steeper again and the trail winds its way downhill for about 150 metres. The end of the winding path is marked by a small forest of cryptomeria trees, a sign that we are approaching the picnic area. You will then come across three cryptomeria trees on your right, standing alone in the middle of a forest of colourful trees, which marks your imminent arrival at the picnic area.
(7) Ignore the paths leading to the tables and continue straight ahead at each junction. Before leaving the picnic area, look for the sign on the right for the association that maintains the picnic area, then turn left at the next junction. Leave the paths leading off to the left and right and stay on the main path. This path then becomes more slippery and stony.
(8) You will soon reach the Kiosque de la Pente Tunnel, where you can enjoy a beautiful view of Grand-Serré and the south of the island! After the kiosk, you can take the steep shortcut on the right (see practical information). Otherwise, continue straight ahead and turn left at the next junction. The wide, slippery path leads to a reservoir and a concrete road. Follow the concrete road and continue straight ahead at each junction. You will then come to a car park on your right and the start of a path.
(1) Go back to the junction you passed on the way there and continue straight ahead to reach the church (S/E).