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Park in the spaces on the lakeside in the village of Bauduen (S/E).
Start the hike along the left-hand side of the lake (leaving the path on the right (1) which heads towards the houses in Véris) to join up with the GR99B along the lakeshore at the watersports centre.
Stay on the GR until you reach a picnic area. Before reaching the northern point of the peninsula, the path becomes more strenuous (2). You will need to use your hands (it is advised that hiking poles are retracted and put away in your bag) to go through the rocky section which takes about 20 minutes. This section can be slippery - be especially on your guard in wet weather.
You then reach the lakeside beaches before meeting a large path which takes you to the crossroads of the GR 2 at ref. point 491 (3).
Take the GR99A on the right which, through a relatively short climb, reaches the high point of the loop (697m).
Then make your descent via the Caletty Gorge to return to Bauduen and the car park (S/E).
The Circuit of Bauduen
A very enjoyable loop on the peninsula of Bauduen alongside Lake Sainte Croix.
Details
-
Activity: Walking -
Distance: 11.37 km -
Average duration: 4h 15 -
Difficulty: Moderate -
-
Back to start: Yes -
Ascent: + 350 m -
Descent: - 348 m -
-
Highest point: 697 m -
Lowest point: 479 m
Photos
Description of the walk
Waypoints
- S/E : km 0 - alt. 490 m - Bauduen car park
- 1 : km 0.67 - alt. 510 m - Leaving Bauduen - Verdon (rivière)
- 2 : km 3.48 - alt. 482 m - Stony passage - Lac de Sainte-Croix
- 3 : km 6.81 - alt. 493 m - Crossroads of the GR
- 4 : km 8.66 - alt. 697 m - High point
- S/E : km 11.37 - alt. 491 m - Bauduen car park
Notes
No water on this circular walk so make sure you take plenty with you as it can be very hot, even under the trees.
Take swimwear with you so you can take a nice dip at the beaches you come across.
(3) There are signs at every crossroads to help you find your way without any problem. These signs all meet the Waymarking Charter in force in the 04 and 05 departments (administrative areas). The following information is displayed on the signs:
On the yellow sections:
- directions;
- distance in km;
- estimated time on foot;
On the green band:
- place name;
- altitude;
- UTM (GPS) coordinates.
Worth a visit
Verdon Gorges: hiking paths (Blanc Martel and Imbut)
Moustiers Sainte Marie.
Reviews and comments
4.4 / 5
4.5 / 5
4.6 / 5
Overall rating : 4 / 5
Date of your route : May 04, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No
A lovely hike, but the climbing section was a bit tricky
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Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of your route : Dec 31, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No
It was a very cold 31st of December. As a result, the entire first part was in the shade. The rocky section was relatively slippery, so be sure to wear shoes with good grip.
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Overall rating : 4.3 / 5
Date of your route : Sep 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
When you start climbing the rocks, which is easy given the numerous handholds, there is a point on the left where the path seems to descend. You may hesitate to take this direction, but it is the right path. You then have to climb down the rocks to find the path back to the lake shore. 👍
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Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of your route : Sep 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
a very beautiful hike that is absolutely worth doing
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Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of your route : Aug 31, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
A beautiful hike along the lake and then overlooking it on the way back to Bauduen.
Don't worry about point 2, just watch out for the rock, which is slippery due to heavy foot traffic. There is no risk of vertigo. To find your way, just follow the smooth rocks. When climbing, take the first left at the fork (do not continue climbing), then left again to descend towards the lake.
Then take the wide path along the lake (lots of places to have lunch or go for a swim if you wish) before tackling a beautiful shaded climb, a good kilometre of effort. The descent to Bauduen on a wide path in the sun seems a little dull at first, but then the view of the lake is very nice.
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Overall rating : 4.3 / 5
Date of your route : Jul 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No
We set off early in the morning (7 a.m.) to avoid the heat. We followed the route without any difficulty using GPS, as the markings are still visible on the old GR section. At 70 years old, we hesitated about crossing the rocky section, but by taking care, we didn't encounter any major difficulties. The rocks are stable and the tree trunks provide good handholds, so we have no regrets and were very pleased with the beautiful views in this section. A lovely walk.
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Overall rating : 3.7 / 5
Date of your route : Jul 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No
the first part of this circuit offers a really pleasant route along the lake. There is one difficult section where you have to climb over rocks. It's not very long, but it takes quite a while because you have to find a way through. Overall, it remains fairly easy as long as you don't rush and take the time to study your options when the "trail" disappears. With a little thought, you'll find a way through.
When you move away from the lake in the second part, don't rush, as the climb up through the pine forest is really long and requires determination. Nice descent back down to the village and a welcome fountain at the finish.
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Overall rating : 3 / 5
Date of your route : Jul 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No
The route description is not entirely accurate. After 3.5 km it says there is a difficult rocky section. It is not difficult - it is VERY HARD to stay on the route. We have attempted this 'walk' 4 times and on only one occasion did we find the correct "path" to return us to the route. On the other occasions we ventured into the wilderness!! It is not a path. It is a jumble of very large rocks which have to be scaled both up and down - not easy! With NO way marks.
The climb mentioned after half way is said to be short - it is not. It is long and steep.
Apart from these issues, it is a very enjoyable walk!!
Overall rating : 3.7 / 5
Date of your route : Jun 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No
This route is marked at the start as no longer signposted, but there are still some old markings that can be identified. The rock face is accessible but not for everyone, and it is at this point that the markings disappear, so it is easy to get lost. Finally, to finish the very long steep ramp, which is fortunately shaded, the descent is welcome, but it is completely exposed to the sun.
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Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of your route : Jun 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
the first part is easy and very pleasant close to the lake, but there is a difficult section where you have to climb over some rocky scree, so you need to be in good shape! There are some small beaches before you tackle the second part, which climbs quite steeply through the woods before starting the descent to the village of Bauduen on a stony track with views of the lake.
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Overall rating : 4 / 5
Date of your route : Jun 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No
A very pleasant route, but with a very technical section at around 3.7km with a little rock climbing. Another difficulty at 8.2km with a nice little hill of 1km with a D+ of around 170m! It took us 2h48 to complete this walk.
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Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of your route : May 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
This is a great walk to do at the moment, as the lake is full of water, which is very beautiful when you walk along the banks. The flowers offer a firework display of colour. Be careful when you reach the part where you have to climb the rocks, as the path is not signposted and many hikers climb too high and fail to see the fork in the road on the left that leads back down to the banks. There is a bit of a climb on the way back, so keep your strength up. A very pleasant walk with views of the lake and the mid-mountain range in the distance, which is a beautiful sight.
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Overall rating : 4.3 / 5
Date of your route : Apr 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
Walk in very fine weather. Splendid scenery.
The guidance via the app is very good.
The level of difficulty indicated corresponds to the level on the ground.
Crossing the rocks near point N2 is not really a problem. Good concentration and, above all, dry weather will get you through this section.
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Overall rating : 5 / 5
Date of your route : Nov 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes
Interesting trail, varied as it alternates between forest and lake shore.
We did the route in reverse, the climb at the beginning is a bit long, and before the end, a tricky part to cross the rocks but above all very very badly signposted!
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Overall rating : 4.3 / 5
Date of your route : Oct 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
Hello
17th October 2024
GPS starting point that leads to a place where it is very difficult to park, so go back down and park in the car park at the entrance to the village, close to the tourist office and portable water point. Other parking facilities further away. A very easy walk along the lake, then the GR 99 sign plus the signpost to turn around? Out of the question. I carried on but there were no signposts, so it was very easy to take the wrong path. At one point there was a bit of climbing on very slippery rocks. After that, the path runs alongside the lake, with beautiful scenery and secluded beaches. But the route is not well signposted. Some climbing towards the end to justify the medium difficulty classification, then a long descent to the village.
Very pleasant route.
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