Cirque de l'Infernet, Max Nègre and Fenestrelles

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The Cirque de l'Infernet is a gigantic natural wall. Its impressive cliffs enclose the upper part of the Val de Gellone. Between these walls and the Verdus, scree from another time forms impressive slopes.
To get to the 'Max Nègre' viewpoint, you'll have to follow a route used by pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela. It passes through a splendid structure called "Les Fenestrelles".
Following a fire on 5 April 2023 on the heights of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert and Saint-Jean-de-Fos, the route is still passable, but the Fenestrettes PR® has been affected, as has the Route d'Arles (GR®653). Please contact the Saint-Guilhem - Vallée de l'Hérault Tourist Office for information on the practicability of the route.

This walk may be prohibited depending on the level of fire risk. Please consult

Details

n°507618
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.04 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 549 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 544 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 561 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 101 m
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Photos

Mas Nègre
In the Fenestrelles
Towards the fenestrettes
Small needles

Description of the walk

Park in the car park at the end of the Grand Chemin du Val de Gellone.

(S/E) Return to the entrance to the car park and turn left to reach the village square, where a huge plane tree, planted in 1855, stands proud. Then follow the Rue du Bout du Monde (at the far left) and the yellow signs to the north.

(1) Continue straight ahead to follow the banks of the Ruisseau du Verdus and cross the submersible bridge to take the left-hand path that winds upwards for a good kilometre. Reach an intersection at the foot of the Bissonne cliff.

(2) Continue straight ahead along the old route that used to take you to the Larzac plateau (a variant of the GR®653; leave the GR®653and GR®74, which go off to the left). This leads to Les Fenestrelles (a remarkable medieval structure built by the monks of Gellone Abbey).

(3) The path continues to climb for a few metres before descending to the bottom of the Font-de-Paulier valley.

(4) At the crossroads, do not follow the Col de la Candelle path on the right and the GR®74, but take the path on the left. It leaves the valley and climbs into a combe, reaching a forest track at the top.

(5) Take the forest track on the left for around 700m.

(6) In the right-hand bend, leave the track and take the path on the left. This leads to the Max-Nègre viewpoint (panoramic view of the Cirque de l'Infernet and the limestone massif of the Monts de Saint-Guilhem). Continue along the track to the right until you reach a crossroads.

(7) Continue left along the path where you will find the GR®653and GR®74. It winds down through the forest and leads back to the junction you passed on the outward journey.

(2) Turn right at the hairpin and take the same path as before to return to the village square and the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 103 m - Car park
  2. 1 : km 0.26 - alt. 104 m - Le Verdus, straight on
  3. 2 : km 1.52 - alt. 231 m - Bissonne cliff
  4. 3 : km 2.49 - alt. 327 m - Les Fénestrelles
  5. 4 : km 3.39 - alt. 304 m - Crossroads, left
  6. 5 : km 4.8 - alt. 526 m - Forest track, left
  7. 6 : km 5.49 - alt. 544 m - Left towards Max Nègre
  8. 7 : km 6.2 - alt. 491 m - Intersection, left
  9. S/E : km 10.04 - alt. 103 m - Car park

Notes

Yellow PR® signs.

Car park in the village (fee: €8 per day). To get there, follow the parking signs up to the top of the village. Just before you go through the barrier at the pay car park, there's a street on your right that leads to the village square. For your information, all the streets in the village are pedestrianised except for the one leading to the car park, so you can't go far wrong.

Worth a visit

Visit one of France's most beautiful villages: Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert.
Gellone Abbey, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Clamouse cave.
The Devil's Bridge in the heart of the Hérault gorges.

ADOPTING THE RIGHT ACTIONS: Fire watch and eco-actions.

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

4.9 / 5
Based on 106 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
User 28837043

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 31, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with a dog.
The walk took 3 hours and 15 minutes, including short breaks to drink or take photos of the scenery, so I took my time.
The walk took place in sunny weather but with gusts of wind reaching 50 km/h. This could be quite unsettling in certain sections. I’d say a good 60% of the route is shaded.
As I’m afraid of heights, I found myself walking along winding, narrow paths, especially at the start of the walk between points 2 and 3, beneath the cliffs of the Roc de la Bissonne, up to the upper part of Les Fenestrettes. A rather tricky section for me, but magnificent, worthy of a Tolkien-esque landscape.
After that, everything was easily manageable. It remains a challenging hike but is very doable, and even more so if you’re not prone to vertigo, unlike me. Obviously, there’s a stunning view from the highest peak of the circular route.
I’d advise those with a fear of heights to take care nonetheless and avoid windy days so they can really enjoy it and be in reasonably good physical shape.

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Sozebe
Sozebe

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 23, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike suitable for relatively fit and experienced walkers, given the elevation gain (over 550 m over a climb of around 5.5 km, which works out at just over 10%). The route includes a few fairly challenging sections (climbing over rocks, scree slopes, numerous tree roots, etc.), but the views are magnificent.
Best tackled when you’re in good physical shape.

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Isabelle Fanjaud
Isabelle Fanjaud

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 16, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A wonderful walk, very well signposted... Breathtaking views all the way to the sea...

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User 13061712

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 12, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Parking at the start is very convenient as it is very close by and costs €10/18 hours.
Moderate difficulty, magnificent scenery, points of interest along the route (ancient ruins), completely peaceful, no danger of getting lost.

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Michoubidouille
Michoubidouille

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hike completed on 11/10/25 in glorious weather.
A very pleasant route with magnificent views.

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User 16361501

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike with breathtaking scenery. The hardest part is finding a parking space, even though it's 9 September. I can't imagine what it's like in high season! I did this hike about thirty years ago, and there's no comparison in terms of visitor numbers! Hiking is in vogue; that's how things have changed.

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User 20355093

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with magical views of St Guilheme le Désert right from the start.
Then on to the Cirque de l'Infernet. Magnificent vegetation of heath, junipers, heather, laurel, pistachio trees, olive trees... with very well-marked trails. A plus: vegetation that provides shade from the sun.
Pass by the recently restored Notre Dame de l'Ermitage. Then climb up to the pass with superb views on both sides. A beautiful spot for a picnic break after a 470-metre climb with no technical difficulty, then a gentle and peaceful descent to St Guilhem

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User 26264117

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

We set off at 6 a.m. The trail is beautiful and the stones don't retain the heat. We have fond memories of this trip.

On the way back, we came across some hikers leaving the village bare-chested, without water and wearing light sandals. !!! ???

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User 14826270

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pretty walk with beautiful views of the Max Negre. Not very difficult apart from a good but steady gradient. Please note that there is a charge for parking at Saint Guihlem (€10 per day) .... But this is now the case just about everywhere!

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n0n0ee
n0n0ee

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The difficulty of the route is well within the medium range.

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PATRICE31800
PATRICE31800

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello everyone .
Hiking in fine weather. Splendid hike, with beautiful views of the cirque and the construction of the Fenestrelles path: impressive. Good path, gradually ascending and descending. The vegetation is starting to come back where the fire took place, but I think the trees are burnt. What a shame! You should visit Saint Guilhem and see its plane tree, which is almost two hundred years old.

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Nanar 58
Nanar 58

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A lovely hike with a beautiful view of Lake Salagou. Lovely route.
Not to be missed if you're in the area.

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CatBouye
CatBouye

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very clear route, with magnificent views and a man-made path that commands admiration. Few people at this time of year and on weekdays. Visits to the village and abbey are a must!

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karine37
karine37

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Probably the best walk I did on holiday! I added it to the Hermitage Notre Dame day hike, both starting from Saint Guilhem le Désert. Superb!

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Françoise GASTE
Françoise GASTE

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful walk with magnificent views of the cirque. However, it was a very busy walk.
You can now pass through the place where the fire was.
On the other hand, the price of parking for the day has gone up, to 10 € for the day....Yes, I think this price is exaggerated and the car park was full.....but the site is so beautiful....We can't get enough of it!
Thank you

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