Access: To reach the Tallagard car park, cross the Canal de Provence, then go under the motorway bridge and turn immediately right. Follow the signs for S.P.A, Randonnée Massif Tallagard (on a brown background), DFCI.
(S/E) Leave the car park via the small road perpendicular to the motorway and after 250m you will reach a crossroads.
(1) Turn right. Check the very detailed information board for details. Our route initially follows the Pastorale trail, but in reverse.
Continue along this paved road, which climbs for 150 metres until you reach a small flat area where the road makes a sharp right turn. A flat path branches off to your right. After 100 metres, you will see a large high-voltage pylon.
(2) Pass under the high-voltage line and continue until you reach the ruins of a pavilion attributed to the bailiff of Suffren. After 20 metres, a path allows you to descend easily.
Retrace your steps for 50 metres and take a path that climbs up to your right between the water tower cisterns. Cross the high-voltage line again (towards the east). This is a fairly narrow path that climbs steeply.
A small tourist information sign indicates a water gallery. Continue 10 metres ahead on a slightly overgrown path to reach the exit of the gallery, which is closed by a metal gate.
Return to the sign and continue along the path. You will come to a wider path. Turn right and continue for 50 metres, then turn right again. The path is signposted. After passing under the high-voltage line again (now heading west), leave the path on your left and you will see the first drystone shelter.
(3) Continue in this direction (parallel to the high-voltage line) until you reach the wider path, then pass under the line again (east). About 50m further on, you will see a beautiful drystone shelter with an enclosure on your right. Take a look inside.
A little further on, at a triangular crossroads, first turn right then left and join the wide path that heads east for 150 m and then north for 100 m. You are now on the main road across the plateau.
(4) Turn right until you reach the Y-junction 20m further on (elevation 223). Take the left fork and you will come to another junction. Continue straight ahead, ignoring the path to the picnic tables on your left, but after 100m take the path that leads to the orientation table.
(5) Rejoin the path you left via a south-east-facing path through the woods. Keep left on this wide path and continue straight ahead, ignoring all the paths on either side. Pass under a second power line.
(6) When you reach a large crossroads, turn right at the hairpin bend to reach Les Plaines (a large building on the right), where the path is lined on both sides by an unattractive high fence. Join the busy D16 road.
(7) Cross the road, walk about ten metres to the left, then turn right onto the path that runs parallel to the road through the woods and joins it at a bend. Follow it straight ahead for 200 metres before turning right to walk alongside it.
(8) Take the path on the right, which quickly turns east-northeast, and walk through this fairly open area, making sure to keep going in this direction (ignore all the paths on either side). Once you reach the Aurons road (D69), turn left to reach the junction with the D16.
(9) Cross the junction (take care) and turn right for about 20 metres. Leave the road and head north on the path on the left, which runs more or less parallel to the road.
(10) At elevation 298, rejoin the road. Do not take it, but follow the path parallel to it for about 100 metres, then turn left. Walk for about 300 metres, then turn sharply right and rejoin the road. Follow it on the left until the next crossroads.
(11) Turn left towards the Chapelle Saint-Martin, which you will have seen some time ago. Take the time to walk around it, as it is usually closed.
Then descend to the crossroads where you will rejoin theGR®6(white and red markings), which you will follow for more than three kilometres.
(12) At a memorial stone, leave the road and follow theGR® on your left. After about 700 metres, follow theGR® markings to descend to the right and reach a large crossroads in a wide valley.
(13) Turn left, then turn right shortly afterwards to reach a wide track. Turn right and continue straight ahead on this track, which passes a cistern and then winds down a beautiful descent before reaching a crossroads with an oratory.
(14) Leave theGR® trail on your right and continue straight ahead on a wide path at the bottom of the valley. Pass a first crossroads with a cistern on your left and a house on your right, just before the high-voltage power line.
Continue straight ahead on the Tallagard path to return to the starting crossroads.
(1) Retrace your steps to return directly to the car park (S/E).
