The Gros Cerveau Massif - West Side

The Gros Cerveau massif can be divided into three hikes. This one, the westernmost, is perhaps the easiest. It starts in Sanary-sur-Mer and climbs up to the Demi-Lune cave. There are some beautiful views of Sanary-sur-Mer and Bandol, as well as the inland area and the quarry.

Details

489969
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.11 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 303 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 303 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 307 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 34 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park your vehicle near the Sainte-Trinide Chapel (bed and breakfast).

(S/E) At the Sainte-Trinide crossroads, turn right onto the road heading east (Chemin de la Piole Paul Venel). Follow the road and look for the sign for the Chemin de la Piole Paul Venel hike (after no. 1592).

(1) Turn left onto the path, which is clearly marked in blue and turns right 100 metres further on. Leave a path on your left and continue to the next junction. Turn left and climb uphill. Shortly before the road, leave a path on your left and join theGR®51(marked in white and red) at the top.

(2) On the Chemin de la Pointe à Ollioules (concrete path), join the ridge trail on the right at the second bend. Then take the hairpin bend to the left heading north-west. Signs will indicate the different types of plantations you will come across. Continue to the Garou cave (inaccessible on the cliff).

(3) Then continue west on the D2220. Follow the low wall along the edge of the road. Then take the left turn.

(4) At the next right-hand bend, leave the road and take the path opposite at the start of the bend. Go down to the road and cross it to continue on the path, which rejoins the road (Chemin des Gros Pins). Follow the road to the right. At the next crossroads, continue on the marked path opposite and, after about 100 metres, take the path on the right (go around the house on the hill on the right). Then return via the path on the left onto Chemin du Tardillon.

(5) Follow the path on the right, then continue on the trail opposite at the next bend. Once on Avenue du Pont d'Aran, continue south and pass close to the zoo.

(6) Turn left at the crossroads near the A50 toll booth onto Chemin de Sainte-Trinide. Return to the starting crossroads and turn right to return to your vehicle (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 64 m - Chapel of Sainte-Trinide
  2. 1 : km 0.72 - alt. 104 m - Sign describing the hike - on the left
  3. 2 : km 2.42 - alt. 294 m - Chemin de la Pointe in Ollioules
  4. 3 : km 3.19 - alt. 249 m - View of the Garou cave
  5. 4 : km 3.93 - alt. 270 m - Marked trail
  6. 5 : km 5.79 - alt. 88 m - Follow the path on the right
  7. 6 : km 6.28 - alt. 34 m - Crossroads - left
  8. S/E : km 7.11 - alt. 64 m - Chapel of Sainte-Trinide

Notes

No water available.
High-top walking shoes are recommended as the paths are a bit rocky in places.

Worth a visit

At the top, take the time to enjoy the 360° view.
Don't miss the botanical trail with information panels between (2) and (3).

 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.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 24 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
Bâton de marche
Bâton de marche

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A pleasant spring hike with no major difficulties. However, take care on the descents as the gravel can be slippery (one minor fall on the bottom). Beautiful views, especially to the south over the bays of Bandol and Sanary. Suitable for children aged 8-9 and above in terms of length and difficulty.

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JllrdL
JllrdL

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike in the pine forest, magnificent views

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Pascal queslin
Pascal queslin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent landscapes and views on this 2-hour 5-minute loop.

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Natalia
Natalia

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike, superb view, best done with hiking boots as the path is sometimes rocky.
Park at the zoo.

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sarob
sarob

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with stunning views. Not too difficult: there is a slight incline
The only issue: it is impossible to park at the starting point as it is private. You have to go between points 5 and 6 (towards the zoo)
It took us longer than expected (maybe we spent too much time admiring the scenery )
Definitely worth doing!!

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Don Letag
Don Letag

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 25, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A varied route, a little challenging at the start. Magnificent view at the summit (3)... We couldn't find the path afterwards (4), but the parallel track leads to the same place.

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Alain Oso
Alain Oso

31/01/2021 A beautiful, well-described hike with wide 360° views at the end. From Toulon to Riou. However, access to the fort is currently closed due to renovation work.

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Paramant
Paramant

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike. We didn't regret doing it clockwise (i.e. in the opposite direction to the description). This meant we weren't bothered by the sun: we had it behind us on the way up and it was hidden by the trees on the way down.
Tip for parking: when you arrive at the start/finish point via the Sainte Trinide chapel road, turn left. We found a spot at point 6. There were also spaces on the way to point 5 in the animal park car park.

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Alain Oso
Alain Oso

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 31, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Quite a challenging hike. Beautiful views of the harbours of Toulon, Bandol, La Ciotat and as far as Riou.
The fort is currently undergoing renovation and the top of the hill is not accessible.

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Kris-83
Kris-83
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We parked at the zoo
Be careful at point 5, take the dirt road that goes uphill.
Be sure to take the path on the right at the top of the hill.
We completed this hike in 2 hours and 45 minutes.

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Ripper Roo
Ripper Roo

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 30, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, very accessible with good shoes. Superb views of the coast and the countryside. This hike is part of a set of three trails, explained on a map at point 1. The route for this hike is marked in red, which is why it starts with blue/red markings, then switches to white/red markings and then back to blue/red. The green markings are for an easier route, only on the higher ground but common at certain points along this hike. The markings are numerous and visible.
However, please note the following points:
- The car park indicated is on private property (bed and breakfast), so it is better to park at the zoo (turn left after the bridge under the motorway when coming from Bandol). This does not add any extra distance to the route and means that the hike starts between points 5 and 6
- At point 3, you can climb up to the "ridge" by following the red and white markings, but be careful as it becomes rockier, steeper and potentially slippery in wet weather. However, the view is definitely worth the detour! The end of this "alternative" route brings you to a green cistern. You will need to return to the road for 50-60 metres to rejoin the original route

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Julmarie
Julmarie

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 23, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent route that takes us above the Bay of Bandol and offers a 360° view all the way to the Luberon.
The climb is gentle and easily manageable.
The route is well signposted.
I extended the route by climbing to the top of Gros Cerveau, as the trail takes you underneath it, which frustrated me a little. I then followed the red markings to the abandoned farmhouse. This provided a lovely place to rest in the shade of the pine trees with a gentle breeze... it was PERFECT!

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sacadoapat
sacadoapat

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 07, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Nice view.
Too many colours on the path from point 2 (Gr51 white and red, green and red trail markers)
It's best to park near the zoo because the guesthouse car park is private

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henri57
henri57 ★

Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to give your opinion.

For your information, "Route on map" refers to assessing how accurately the route shown on the map corresponds to the actual terrain.

but with the route on the map, we can find our way around.

Isn't this contradictory to:

Reliability of the route on the map: Average

A+

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annwill
annwill
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 12, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

the starting point is at the Ste Trinide chapel, where parking is not available as it is reserved for guests of the bed and breakfast.
You will need to drive approximately 1 km to park at the Zoo car park; from there, continue on foot and follow the red and blue route.
there are a few bugs along the way.
e.g. 4) Go back down to the road and cross it to continue on the path.
this path is marked with a blue and red cross.
so when you reach the road, turn right and continue along the track until the next crossroads.
it's a beautiful hike, but with the map you'll find your way.

error: I didn't turn right, but left

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