Portes Castle and Peyrerol Tower, or the mining history of the Cévennes

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The Château de Portes is nicknamed the "ship of the Cévennes" as it overlooked the old Regordane Way, which pilgrims and crusaders used on their way to the Holy Land.
Through the woods, this hike will introduce you to another, more recent past of the Cévennes: the mines, with the discovery of the Peyrerol tower and its inclined plane.
09/10/2023 Moderator's message: the route has been modified and shortened to avoid private sections between (3) and Le Tour.

Details

n°2426692
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.81 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 94 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 93 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 614 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 556 m
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Photos

Magnificent farmhouses lost in the mountains
The small bridge of the Pereyrol Machine.
panorama
Portes Castle "the ship"

Description of the walk

Park in the car park at the foot of the château.

(S) Take the D906 on the right towards Chamborigaud (be careful!) and immediately turn left onto a marked trail (GR® 44 B) towards the cemetery.

(1) Follow the path on the right and continue straight ahead on the GR®. Pass a turning on the left. You will then arrive in Peyrerol.

(2) Just before the houses, turn left onto a wide path (DFCI A1 track) towards the Tour Peyrerol.

(3) Continue along this track to the right and continue to the Tour de Peyrerol. A superb spot with views stretching for miles. Signs provide information on how inclined planes work. Between the mines and the crops, there was a time when the forest was occupied by humans.
Note the Grande Combe aerodrome opposite.

(4) Continue along the DFCI track. The path is pleasant. Maritime pines, holm oaks and a few chestnut trees provide protection from the sun. A track joins our DFCI on the right. Continue along this new track to the left for a few metres.

(5) Take a path heading north to the left. Follow this wide path to the cemetery.

(1) Continue to the right until you reach the D906 (always stay alert!) and return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 557 m - Château de Porte
  2. 1 : km 0.3 - alt. 576 m - Cemetery
  3. 2 : km 2.54 - alt. 580 m - Pereyrols
  4. 3 : km 3.9 - alt. 568 m - DFCI A1 firebreak track
  5. 4 : km 4.37 - alt. 614 m - Peyrerol Tower
  6. 5 : km 5.82 - alt. 592 m - Path on the left
  7. S/E : km 7.81 - alt. 557 m - Portes Castle

Notes

There are no water sources along the route. Bring something to drink as summers are hot, very hot in the Gard.

Worth a visit

Portes Castle is open to visitors.

 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.

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Reviews and comments

4.1 / 5
Based on 26 reviews
Reliability of the description
3.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
platanus
platanus

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Lovely walk among the pine trees. Beautiful scenery.

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User 4042238

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A short, easy hike to warm up.

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User 26528189

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

More of a stroll than a hike, ideal for families, very easy to access, beautiful views and magnificent nature. Thank you, Visorando!

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fvanmaele
fvanmaele

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Actually, I don't bother with the description, because I use the GPX track provided by Visorando, and it's perfect

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Sylvie Jz
Sylvie Jz
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A short hike undertaken the day after heavy rainfall. No difficulties on the DFCI trails. We appreciated the descriptions at the Peyrerol tower.

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Raph96
Raph96

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very good route, but I would say it is easy and not difficult
It's very easy to walk in the parish of Brittany
Park in the car park at the bottom

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Claude 2 Nîmes
Claude 2 Nîmes
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, easy walk with no difficulties
An easy and quick route, a breath of fresh air
where you can see some remnants of the region's mining past.
you can picnic near Portes Castle or visit it (see opening days).
The route between points 5 and 6 has been widened and cleared, making it easier to follow on GPS.

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A J
A J

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

As mentioned in the hike description, points 4 and 5 are so difficult to see that we couldn't even find them. The only possible route seemed impassable, so we turned back. If anyone has the solution, we'd love to hear it

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TRESCOL
TRESCOL

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A nice little hike starting from Château de Portes, no difficulty, the trails are wide and the route is well marked. Remains of the mining past, well highlighted with beautiful explanations.
I think I'll do it again.

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Kevengwen
Kevengwen

Thank you for your kind comment

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Eliane Couprie
Eliane Couprie

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We did this hike on Saturday, 4 March. The weather was superb, despite a "refreshing" north wind. We parked near the cemetery to avoid crossing the road with our two dogs, who were raring to go at the start of the walk.
Easy walking on various sections of the DFCI. Superb panoramic views, magnificent farmhouses. Mining ruins...
There is so much to see!
As for the trail between points 5 and 6... a bit like Indiana Jones... :-) Fortunately, at this time of year, the vegetation has not yet taken over... A few brambles but lots of broom and heather along the way. Lots of scree too. But we loved this section a little more. "Sporty". Remember to bring secateurs or a machete for the coming months... To complete the description, I would say that: The fork at point 5 is after the small bridge (where all the letterboxes are), 20 metres on the left, towards "Mas Soufflous". Then left again after the three-quarter hairpin bends (the entrance to the farmhouse is closed by a chain). Here, you leave the ddci for a small forest path.

To be done again in the autumn... and perhaps in the opposite direction to get a different view!

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hergé89
hergé89

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

No particular problems at the start of the route. There are numerous wild cherry trees (the cherries are small but delicious) between points 3 and 4. However, we couldn't find the famous path at point 5, so we descended to Valat de Valoussière, then took a tarmac road on the left just after a small bridge and then left again where we could see the start of a path (rocky at the beginning). This path climbs and winds through the forest to join a small road (EDF power station). Continue left on this road, climbing and passing La Mayrarede on your left. This small road then becomes a path to the point called 'Les 4 chemins' (point 8). During the climb, you can clearly see the Peyrerol tower ahead of you. (Watch out for snakes; a magnificent grass snake crossed the path less than 2 metres in front of us, so it's best to stay in the middle). Return to Portes via the track arriving above the cemetery.
A 14.3 km route, shaded throughout. The beautiful Portes castle.

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sm88951
sm88951

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

As almost the entire loop is "covered", it is a shame that there are no viewpoints.
However, it is an ideal hike in hot weather...
It's true that the details section isn't very clear about this wild trail... GPS tracking from the map is very useful, as is consulting reviews and comments.
I would also mention that at this time of year, it is nice but surprising to find many cherry trees among the chestnut trees and other vegetation.

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ach01
ach01

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Actually, from point 5 onwards, there is a big problem. We have done the hike twice and have not found the path to go via the Peyrerol Tower... We will do it again in reverse and see...

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lasehehe
lasehehe

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The directions in point 5 are very confusing; we had a lot of trouble finding our way
You must follow the yellow-marked path from the Portes cemetery to point 5
There is a bridge that you must cross and then head towards Mas Poitrinal or Soufflous on the map (small tarmac road going uphill)
After a few bends, just before reaching the farmhouse, take the path in a curve (there is a new Mas Poitrinal sign at this point)

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