Lake Avellan and Mont Vinaigre

de fr

Hike around Lac de l'Avellan, then climb Mont Vinaigre for a view of Fréjus Bay and the surrounding area.

Details

n°1471542
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.16 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 387 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 379 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 568 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 170 m
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

Viewpoint
Radio relay tower
Trees
Lake Vellan

Description of the walk

Park in the car park on the right at the Col du Testanier when coming from Fréjus.

(S/E) Cross the road and take the path on the left opposite, then turn right onto the stone path signposted ‘Lac’.

(1) Follow the path down to the information sign. From there, continue straight on to walk around the lake, staying on the main path.

(1) Return to the information sign. Turn left and follow the path back the way you came to return to the car park.

(S/E) Take the road signposted for Mont Vinaigre and continue to the information sign.

(2) There, turn left onto the dirt track behind it and follow either the signs for Mont Vinaigre or the red and white markings.

(3) At the end of the track, follow the path straight ahead and take the stone path on the right.

(4) At the end of the path, head straight ahead onto the track and then take the stone path on the right.

(5) Once on the track, take the small steps straight ahead on the right. Continue along the path to reach the viewpoint by the radio mast.

(6) Turn around and follow the path back to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 313 m - Car park at - Col du Testanier
  2. 1 : km 1.74 - alt. 189 m - Information board at the lake circuit junction
  3. 2 : km 7.07 - alt. 360 m - Information board
  4. 3 : km 7.51 - alt. 381 m - Stone path
  5. 4 : km 7.9 - alt. 398 m - Stone path
  6. 5 : km 8.47 - alt. 476 m - Short flight of steps
  7. 6 : km 9.19 - alt. 568 m - Viewpoint at - Mont Vinaigre
  8. S/E : km 12.16 - alt. 313 m - Col du Testanier car park

Notes

Walking shoes
GPS or smartphone with the Visorando app to follow the route.
Take plenty of water, especially in hot weather
A fairly strenuous hike, not recommended for children.

NB: You can do this hike in two stages or choose either the lake or the Mont Vinaigre viewpoint.

Worth a visit

Reviews and comments

3.9 / 5
Based on 6 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
3.3 / 5
J Pierre
J Pierre
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

It’s a bit of a challenging climb, but there’s a superb view at the top of Mont Vinaigre. It’s a shame there isn’t the option of doing a circular route around Lac d’Avellan.

Machine-translated

Fa6
Fa6

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

The walk down to the lake and back isn’t particularly interesting, but the climb up Mont Vinaigre is very scenic and quite a challenge. I recommend the second part.

Machine-translated

DREAM06
DREAM06

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 08, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing

Much of the route is accessible to motor vehicles, resulting in noise and odour pollution; the lake is disappointing.

Machine-translated

Schop
Schop

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 03, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

I’d like to suggest a few alternatives for once (routes I’ve actually tried out on the ground): head straight up from the lake (at the bottom of the route) towards Le Castillon, then, once at Le Castillon, take the ‘direct’ paths up to the north-western ridge of Mont Vinaigre.
Well, I’d need to find the courage to write up a guide for my route variation, following the ‘visorando’ principle, which I think is excellent!

Machine-translated

Patrixdemex
Patrixdemex

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 08, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

It is true that Lake Avellan is of limited interest.
There is certainly a beautiful viewpoint at Mont Vinaigre, but you need to go beyond the radio tower mentioned in the description. You need to continue along the path, go down a small tarmac road and then back up the opposite side; this is still the GR. Then, leave the access to the tower on your right and continue to the left until you reach the summit of Mont Vinaigre, which is surely the highlight of the hike. You can even push on another 200m to reach a small promontory that is quite interesting.
For the return journey from the lake, at point S/E, rather than taking the road, take the GR51 which branches off to the left once you have crossed the road. The walk will be more pleasant.
An easy hike overall.

Machine-translated

dimbert
dimbert

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 14, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

The walk around Lake Avellan isn't particularly interesting.
A beautiful eucalyptus forest on the slopes of Mont Vinaigre, and lovely views from the summit.

A fairly easy and pleasant walk.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

Walking Mont Aigre

Visorando Member
Le Mont Aigre
↔6.13 km ↗+195 m ↘-186 m ◔2h 20 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Fréjus (Var)
This is an easy hike in winter when the weather is good, with superb panoramic views from Mont Aigre over Fréjus Bay, the Estérel, the sea and the snow-capped Mercantour.

Walking Mont Vinaigre - The mountain pass route

Visorando Member
Le Mont Vinaigre - La route des cols
↔10.14 km ↗+337 m ↘-336 m ◔3h 50 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Fréjus (Var)
This is a short circuit which, at its highest point, offers a panoramic view from Cannes to Fréjus with a view of the sea.

Walking Mont Vinaigre via Lac de l'Avellan

Visorando Member
Le Mont Vinaigre en passant par le Lac de l'Avellan
↔10.17 km ↗+446 m ↘-441 m ◔4h 10 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Fréjus (Var)
This circular hike starting from the Col du Testanier will first take you to the edge of Lac de l'Avellan before an easy climb to the Col du Logis de Paris. Next, a challenging climb along little-used paths will take you to a ridge at the foot of Mont Vinaigre. The climb to the summit, the highest point in the Estérel, will reward your efforts with a magnificent 360° panorama from Mercantour to Saint-Tropez and from Vintimille to Sainte-Victoire!

Walking The summit of Les Malvalettes and the Cabre valley

Visorando Member
Le sommet des Malvalettes et le vallon de la Cabre
↔13.24 km ↗+494 m ↘-495 m ◔5h 10 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Fréjus (Var)
Accessible from the Maison Forestière du Malpey (access via the road of the same name from the N7), this hike is located near Mont Vinaigre, the highest peak in the Esterel (614 m). It is a little-used route, mostly following unmarked paths. Its diversity of landscapes makes it interesting, with valleys and ridges surrounded by pine, eucalyptus and cork oak trees. Best enjoyed on a sunny winter's day rather than in the height of summer.

Walking Circular route via Essuyadou, Baisse des Charretiers, and the summit of Malavalette

Visorando Member
↔17.81 km ↗+537 m ↘-545 m ◔6h 35 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Fréjus (Var)
A lovely walk in the hills above Fréjus, with a stunning sea view in the first section. We then wind our way through the valleys and along the ridges, through magnificent forests of cork oaks and eucalyptus trees.

Walking Malpasset Dam at the start of the Col d'Auriasque

Visorando Member
Barrage de Malpasset au départ du Col d'Auriasque
↔11.43 km ↗+242 m ↘-249 m ◔3h 55 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Fréjus (Var)
A pleasant hike in the Esterel to discover the Malpasset Dam and an ancient Roman bridge.

Walking Mont Vinaigre from the Col d'Auriasque

Visorando Member
Le Mont Vinaigre depuis le Col d'Auriasque
↔15.52 km ↗+574 m ↘-579 m ◔6h 05 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Fréjus (Var)
Classified as a Natura 2000 site, this ancient volcanic mountain range offers remarkable views. You will never tire of the contrasting landscapes, sparkling colours and wild scents of this immense forest. Much of the trail is rarely used, which is an added bonus.

Walking Marre Trache via the Balcony of the Mediterranean

Visorando Member
Marre Trache par le balcon de la Méditerranée
↔11.54 km ↗+346 m ↘-339 m ◔4h 15 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Fréjus (Var)
The circuit is a loop, so it is of course possible to walk it in either direction, with the beautiful Lac de l'Avellan halfway along the route.

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.