La Ferme de Mion and Le Grand Arbois

From the Grand Arbois plateau to the barren landscape and green, lightly wooded valleys, this hike offers beautiful panoramic views of the Arc valley, Sainte-Victoire and L'Étoile.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.90 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 164 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 171 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 246 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 126 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure from the car park specially provided by the Departmental Council. It is located on the D65D, on the left, immediately after the departmental guard post in the hamlet of La Tour d'Arbois when coming from the Aix-en-Provence TGV station.

(S/E) Leave the car park towards the Departmental Council's reception area and toilets.
Cross the hall of the estate and walk over the small wooden bridge. After 30 metres, take the path on the right that goes uphill.

(1) Cross the tarmac TGV bridge, with a view of the Marseille canal on your left. When you reach the concrete sign for the Marseille canal, stay on the path straight ahead.

(2) When you arrive under the high-voltage line and before the water reservoir on the right, take the small path on the left.

(3) At the high-voltage pylon, the path arrives at two pine trees. Don't miss the small path on the left that joins a trail that descends steeply into the valley. (Be careful, it's rocky and slippery, so watch your footing. This is the most difficult part of the hike). Join a path and take it to the right. At the clearer path with a reservoir on the right, continue along this path which runs alongside the grove of trees. When you reach a three-way junction with a green wooden hunter's shelter, turn right. At a hairpin bend with ochre rocks, continue climbing to the left.

(4) Just after the right-hand bend at the "sentier du badaïre" signpost, take the path that branches off to the left towards Étoile (leaving the main path). Go past the hairpin bend and head towards the high-voltage power line.

(5) Just after crossing the high-voltage power line at the four-way intersection, at the Conseil Général signpost, take the leftmost path that descends towards the ruined farm. The path disappears at a field, which you follow until you reach the small stone bridge that leads to the farm. At the end of the bridge, take the path on the right and walk alongside the farm. When you reach a crossroads, leave the path on the left and continue straight ahead.

(6) The path branches off to the left to cross a field, then to the right, where two other paths join it from the left. Do not take the path that branches off to the left; continue straight ahead. After 100 metres, take the path on the right that climbs steeply (preceded by a small stone wall) before the high-voltage power line. At the top of the hill, immediately take the path on the right for 200 metres.

(7) Take the path on the left.

(8) Join the main path on the right (do not take the one that descends to the right just before), where you can take a break in the shade of two pine trees.

(9) Pass the underground cistern 351, continuing straight ahead with the TGV bridge in your sights.

(2) Retrace your steps, then after the TGV bridge, take the path on the right, which is less steep than the one you took on the way there. Pass just above the buildings of the departmental mounted guard and continue to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 133 m - Parking on the D65D
  2. 1 : km 0.61 - alt. 160 m - TGV bridge then - Canal de Marseille
  3. 2 : km 1.17 - alt. 185 m - High-voltage power line
  4. 3 : km 1.46 - alt. 199 m - Small path on the left
  5. 4 : km 2.71 - alt. 213 m - On the left, marker (Badaïre trail)
  6. 5 : km 3.71 - alt. 218 m - Four-way intersection
  7. 6 : km 4.85 - alt. 205 m - Left/right
  8. 7 : km 5.6 - alt. 230 m - on the left
  9. 8 : km 6.29 - alt. 246 m - Main path
  10. 9 : km 7.02 - alt. 238 m - Buried cistern 351
  11. S/E : km 9.9 - alt. 133 m - Parking on the D65D

Notes

This hike is close to Marseille-Provence Airport and Aix TGV station, hence the passing of TGV trains and planes flying overhead on their approach.

This hike is classified as "moderate" in difficulty due to the descent after point (3).

No water sources.

Worth a visit

Along the route, there are information panels with explanations about the landscapes you pass through, provided by the Departmental Council.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 23 reviews

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

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 17, 2026
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An interesting route.
To make the most of the abundance of water this year, we made two small changes: we followed the river shortly after point 3 to rejoin the trail just after point 5, and we headed back down to the river on the left after point 9 to avoid the main track.
We didn’t use the description but followed the route on the app.
The route wasn’t busy, but it was a weekday.
Thanks for this route

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KrisVal
KrisVal

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

This hike should not be done in direct sunlight as there is no shade at all
The route is average, with some beautiful views at times, but the entire hike is under high-voltage power lines

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giloudaix
giloudaix

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : May 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

I stumbled upon it by chance after walking for 1.5 hours
it's surrounded by fencing and you can't go inside, which is a shame
Average hike

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Voyageur nature
Voyageur nature

Overall rating : 2.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The route is not very reliable, so walk with a recorded route. Strong winds that day, not a very pleasant walk. Be careful, there are two rocky descents, not recommended for beginner hikers.

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Michele B.
Michele B.

Hello, We didn't follow the suggested route very closely, but the site is very pleasant and the Badaire trail is interesting due to its diverse landscapes.
We didn't meet many other hikers.

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Lalex
Lalex

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, very pleasant in sunny, windless weather, mainly on trails, absolutely no one there during the week, very nice to picnic by the ruins, very easy to park. Thank you very much!

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phildaix
phildaix

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 22, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk, beautiful sites and panoramic views. Highly recommended.
A few details:
- don't miss the start of the path on the left at WP2: it's just opposite this "metaphorical solid" wooden structure
- after the farm, before reaching WP6. I didn't see any "crossroads or path on the left that you have to leave"... just follow the track that first turns left then right.

Thank you for helping me discover this area that I didn't know!

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Jean Rmb
Jean Rmb

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great hike, perfect for Nordic walking, except for the section marked "small downhill path" in the description. But it's very short, and it's easy to navigate with poles in one hand.

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stefaix
stefaix

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 13, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike without any major difficulties.

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Sauvaneb
Sauvaneb

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 16, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant and easy hike despite the slippery descent. The weather was cloudy, so this trail may be best avoided in summer as there is not much shade.

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bratche
bratche

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 10, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A pleasant hike with light winds and moderate temperatures, providing ideal conditions.
Panoramic view from the top of the plateau.
Best avoided in strong mistral winds

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Escarpolette
Escarpolette

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 22, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

A lot of walking under high-voltage power lines. Otherwise, a nice hike

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bm.mar13
bm.mar13

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 15, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Pleasant hike without any difficulties.
Slight navigation issue after the Mion farm, but we got back on track.
Beautiful view of the surroundings of Aix-en-Provence
It's a shame that the park doesn't provide any information about the farm's origins and its use at the time!

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KIKINOU13
KIKINOU13

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 01, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Enjoy your walk on this beautiful winter afternoon. There is a slight error at point 2 where you should take the path on the left, but this is easily corrected at the top to resume at point 3. Thank you.

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ethie
ethie

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 01, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

beautiful hike but some tricky sections for people with knee problems. Beautiful views.

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