Mont Carpano from Castellar

de fr

An easily accessible hike offering fabulous views of the French Riviera from Menton to the Estérel.
The village of Castellar is also worth a visit.

Details

n°4520864
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.18 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 443 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 443 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 771 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 327 m
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Photos

Map of Le Lion
Map of Le Lion
Map of Le Lion
Crossroads

Description of the walk

Park in the upper car park in Castellar, near the cemetery.

(S/E) Go up the road, which is quite steep at first. Turn right onto Chemin de l'Orméa (marker 401). Follow theGR®51(red and white markings). This track winds its way up a few hairpin bends to Col du Berceau.

(1) At marker 11, turn right towards Plan du Lion. From there, the slope becomes gentler and the path resembles a relatively flat walk along a ledge.

(2) At marker 10, at Plan du Lion, continue straight on towards Mont Carpano.

(3) Take the path on the left to reach the summit of Mont Carpano.

(4) Enjoy the view of the Italian side, then turn back.

(3) Continue left and begin the descent to reach a crossroads (marker 8).

(5) Turn right onto the wide DFCI track, pass the barns of Saint-Paul and continue straight on to Castellar. Pass the Saint-Roch Chapel on the left and the school.

(6) At the next crossroads, turn right to reach the cemetery car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 355 m - Cemetery car park
  2. 1 : km 1.89 - alt. 704 m - Marker 11
  3. 2 : km 2.17 - alt. 723 m - Marker 10 Plan du Lion
  4. 3 : km 2.66 - alt. 746 m - Junction with the - Mont Carpano
  5. 4 : km 2.84 - alt. 771 m - Mont Carpano
  6. 5 : km 3.97 - alt. 453 m - Marker 8 - Direction Castellar
  7. 6 : km 7.07 - alt. 342 m - School junction
  8. S/E : km 7.18 - alt. 355 m - Cemetery car park

Notes

No water on the route.

Markers: the numbers on the markers in the field do not correspond to those on the IGN map.

Worth a visit

The village of Castellas is well worth a visit.

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

4.8 / 5
Based on 20 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
User 18794544

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 17, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hike completed today under beautiful February sunshine
The descent is a bit challenging, but if you choose your footing carefully, everything will be fine
You have to apply the adage "the less time your foot stays on the ground, the less you slip", so you have to be light on your feet and jog along – take it from a mountain girl 😉
However, I had more trouble finding the way back down to point 3 from Mount Carpano... don't follow the red and white trail... the Visorando trail is very useful
And I have a total elevation gain of 550 m for 8 km covered in 2 hours 45 minutes, including photo stops.

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Randocaz
Randocaz

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Took the route with a group of 25 people on Sunday 14 December.
Opinions on the descent, which was described as a little, very, or insanely steep, led us to consider reversing the route.
However, the description announcing a steep slope at the start (meaning it would also be steep on the descent if we reversed the route!) and a study of the map led us to follow the route in the original direction. We all agree that we made the right decision!
It is true that the final descent at the end of the route between points 4 and 5 is quite steep. But the terrain is well exposed and therefore dry, even at this time of year. So with a good pair of shoes (essential when hiking), walking sticks (useful when hiking) and a little care, the whole team made it safely, including our oldest member (88 years old!).
On the other hand, we took a good look at the ascent (which we would have had to descend if we had reversed the direction), and it seems to us to be more difficult than the descent, particularly because it is quite shady, parish specific to Brittany, very damp and therefore very slippery. And it remains so all day long. While this does not pose any real difficulties on the ascent, it becomes quite complicated on the descent.
Apart from this contribution to the debate about the direction, the hike is very beautiful and, despite a cloudy day, offers some very beautiful views of the sea and the surroundings of Menton.
Thank you for sharing.

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Malland
Malland
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Superb weather, travelled up to Castellar de Menton by bus (only passenger). Same on the way back down.
A very nice café next to the town hall before starting the hike from the village at 10 a.m.

Hike offering beautiful panoramic views, both from the plateau and from the summit of Mount Carpano.
From point 5 to the village, more than 2 km of forest firebreak track and road, which isn't really ideal.

The surprise came during part of the descent, which was particularly unpleasant that day with the ground constantly giving way underfoot despite good footwear.
A couple I met on this section were surprised to find such terrain and were glad to be going uphill. I would have preferred that too.
After two minor slips, I descended very cautiously until I lost concentration when I saw what looked like the bottom of the descent out of the corner of my eye. I stopped. I was looking at the junction with the DFCI track when I fell suddenly without seeing it coming.
I don't even know which foot gave way. A fatal lapse in concentration!
It was the first time I had ever injured myself while hiking.

The hike itself is very short. Without this injury, it would have taken me less than 2½ hours to reach the bus stop. That leaves plenty of time for sightseeing. I only came across three people in total.

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sauvage
sauvage

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike, easy except for the fairly technical descent on the way back (good footwear is essential). The village of Castellar is well worth a visit, and you can enjoy a nice beer in the square after your hike.

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User 6025438

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely little hike, with breathtaking views of Menton to Monaco on one side and Ventimiglia and Italy on the other!

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pepinet
pepinet

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with no great difficulty, except for the descent, which is a bit steep. Beautiful views

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Eric25310
Eric25310

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful route, superb views in good weather

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bebeghislaine
bebeghislaine

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Fate in the opposite direction, the descent is much easier, I recommend it.

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jeannotbi
jeannotbi

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This route is interesting for two reasons: the visit to the pretty village of Castellar and the climb up Mont Carpano. We did it in very good weather, going clockwise. We didn't climb to the summit, as the view was already exceptional at No. 3 and it was the ideal place for a picnic. The descent back down to No. 5 is quite rocky and requires care.

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Soso30320
Soso30320

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike offering exceptional views from the Italian border to the Esterel. No difficulty, accessible to all.

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Remi_22
Remi_22

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

An excellent hike that is definitely worth doing. You can also go to the cradle just before Mount Carpano. The view is impressive on the Italian side and the Menton coast. A very beautiful hike with no particular difficulty.

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DjéMomo
DjéMomo

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 18, 2024
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 with stunning views. The junction between the road and the GR trail could do with a small sign to draw attention to it
JM.

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Radureau
Radureau

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant route. Difficult descent, please be careful. -
We enjoyed the superb view at the summit.

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bebeghislaine
bebeghislaine

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A superb hike with magnificent views of the coastline on the French and Italian sides.

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klem77
klem77

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 17, 2021
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. The effort is well rewarded by magnificent sea views on both the French and Italian sides!

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