The Taradeau Cross

Easy walk on forest tracks from the Tour de Taradeau to the Croix with a superb view of the Argens plain.

Details

1702213
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.17 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 126 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 126 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 251 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 149 m

Photos

Description of the walk

(S/E) From the car park at the cemetery near the tower overlooking Taradeau, follow the DFCI track heading east, then north-east.

(1) At the first fork, take the left track that goes uphill.
Shortly afterwards, at the next fork, follow the track on the right which continues along the same line as the path. The track on the left is the one you will take on your return. Leave the woods and arrive at the ridge line

(2) Turn left onto Chemin des Puits heading north-west. Follow the road until you reach the junction with the RD73.

(3) Turn left and follow this road, walking through the olive grove that borders it, heading south until the road turns at a right angle.

(4) Take the path on the left and follow it to the end. Leave the water tower on your right and you will arrive at the remains of the oppidum.

(5) Volunteers have completely cleared the vegetation that was obscuring it. You can see it by stepping off the path to the right and then returning to it. Continue right on the path that leads to the Croix de Taradeau.

(6) You can admire the splendid panorama of the Argens valley. Retrace your steps to the fork on the right.
Follow the track on the right that descends and leads back to the path you took on the way up. Take another right-hand hairpin bend.

(1) Take this road on the right and continue along the same route you took on the way up to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 158 m - Parking near the cemetery
  2. 1 : km 0.93 - alt. 149 m - Turn left at the fork
  3. 2 : km 1.67 - alt. 204 m - On the left is the Chemin des Puits
  4. 3 : km 2.32 - alt. 210 m - On the left along the RD 73
  5. 4 : km 2.89 - alt. 206 m - bend in the road
  6. 5 : km 3.71 - alt. 247 m - Oppidum
  7. 6 : km 4.12 - alt. 249 m - Superb panorama at the Croix de Taradeau
  8. S/E : km 6.17 - alt. 159 m - Return to the car park.

Notes

Park near the cemetery and the Taradeau Tower overlooking the village.

There is no water source.

From 20 June to 21 September, check the Var Prefecture website for information on access to forest areas due to the risk of fire:

http://www.var.gouv.fr/acces-aux-massifs....

Worth a visit

You can visit the Taradeau wine cooperative... the wine is excellent!

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 31 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
brun ge
brun ge

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant, easy walk with beautiful views of the village of Taradeau. The oppidum is well preserved. A delightful walk.

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Vincent TOM
Vincent TOM

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Part of the route runs along the road, which has a narrow shoulder and cars travelling at fairly high speeds.
Once you have passed this section, the uphill bend has been gravelled, which makes this part rather uninteresting as vehicles pass by quite frequently.
An alternative is to climb the path on the left, before point two.
Going around the surrounding wall and then inside the oppidum, the route is 4.90 km long.

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brun ge
brun ge

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful and easy hike. Magnificent view from the summit. The oppidum is well preserved and well explained with information boards. Great orientation table. The only downside is that the path for the circular is not well marked. Too bad.

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Marie0580
Marie0580

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk with a slightly challenging climb over rocks, but nothing too difficult. The town hall recently created a path that starts behind the ramparts of the oppidum and takes you back to the car park where you started.
Thanks for the walk.

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Claude CABRERA
Claude CABRERA

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The car park near Taradeau cemetery, at the start of the hike, only has space for a very limited number of vehicles.
The tracks and access road to the oppidum are mostly easy to navigate, with only the last section being a little stony. Outside and inside the oppidum, information boards provide details about the history and original description of this monument.
Access to the cross and the orientation table at the summit may be difficult for people who are not used to walking on rocks.
The view from the summit is fantastic, overlooking the surrounding plain.
The return to the car park is easy.

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var740vir
var740vir

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

a very beautiful short hike with stunning panoramic views, a great route for taking a step back in time.
Best regards.

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mich1383
mich1383

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

More of a stroll than a hike. That said, a visit to the Oppidum is very interesting and informative.
It's well worth the trip. Perfect for a walk with children.

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baroulaïres
baroulaïres

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk for a short morning outing.
The oppidum is very interesting and the view from the cross is superb.
It's difficult to avoid the road section. It's not a very busy road.

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Jeanji
Jeanji

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful loop and a wonderful discovery with stunning views of the surrounding mountains. The highlight of the hike was discovering the Opidium, a beautiful site that is so well maintained by volunteers that it's a real pleasure to visit.
The only disappointment was that a small part of the hike followed a winding and dangerous country road with no shoulder. For safety reasons, we preferred to go through a vineyard followed by an olive grove, which were private property, but at one point we had to return to the road for more than 200 metres. When we reached the big bend, we didn't see any signs and there were several possible paths, but luckily we were able to follow the route on the app and get back on track.

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danielle2a
danielle2a

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Easy and pleasant hike.
Suitable for children.
Thank you and well done to the people who developed the oppidum. It would have been a shame to miss this curiosity.

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Vincent053
Vincent053

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant short walk, the oppidum is well worth exploring and the information boards provided by the Taradeau volunteers are very interesting.

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Filou Phil
Filou Phil

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Forest trail with little shade
Trail sometimes difficult to identify
Very pretty epidome

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cotin
cotin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A hike that is very accessible to all hikers. Beautiful views, especially when the mistral wind is blowing, as was the case when we visited.
The oppidum is well showcased by the volunteer association, and the information boards give meaning to these old stones.
Highly recommended

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Clecle
Clecle

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Short, easy hike with a few climbs but perfectly manageable, wide dirt track through the forest with a visit to the oppidum on the plateau. Beautiful views of the surrounding area on arrival at La Croix.

At the car park: parking, stone picnic tables and, nearby, the tower and church of Taradeau.

A very beautiful site.

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mum6vallot.
mum6vallot.

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful views and an interesting visit to the oppidum. Not very busy and yet no difficulties. Hike accessible to children

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