Mont Vinaigre on the island of Port Cros

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Climbing to the highest point of Port Cros Island allows you to discover part of this island neighbouring the famous islands of Porquerolles and Levant.

Details

n°102664
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.93 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 291 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 288 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 176 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 0 m
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Photos

The fairy well
Pointe du Cognet
Rugged cliffs
The south beach

Description of the walk

Disembark at the port of Port Cros to begin the hike.
(S/E) Head south-east and take the path on the right that runs along the sea.
Stay on this path, which goes around the Port Cros harbour, until you reach the Vallon de la Fausse Monnaie.

(1) Continue along the coast, then move away from it to reach the Ancienne Batterie du Sud.

(2) Go around the Pointe du Cognet and, via the Circuit des Crêtes trail, find a path on the right that leads to Mont Vinaigre.

(3) Return to the trail and follow a good path through the forest to reach the viewpoint before the Vallon de la Solitude.

(4) Enter this valley and continue downhill to reach the dam.

(5) Follow the path along the right bank to rejoin a small road.

(6) From there, head to Port Cros and then the port (S/E) to return by boat.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 27 m - Port of Port Cros
  2. 1 : km 1.32 - alt. 9 m - Anse de la Fausse Monnaie
  3. 2 : km 2.29 - alt. 23 m - Former Southern Battery
  4. 3 : km 3.89 - alt. 144 m - Mont Vinaigre de Port Cros
  5. 4 : km 5.46 - alt. 176 m - View
  6. 5 : km 6.66 - alt. 24 m - Dam
  7. 6 : km 7.35 - alt. 51 m - Access road to Port Cros
  8. S/E : km 7.93 - alt. 25 m - Port of Port Cros

Notes

Bring sufficient water.

Worth a visit

The Hyères Islands (Porquerolles, Levant). Bagaud is a bird sanctuary and is completely off-limits.
Hyères.
The Giens Peninsula.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 28 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
Pierre Lombard
Pierre Lombard

All the paths on Port Cros are rather difficult (pebbles, roots) and not recommended for elderly people

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User 25788689

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 : No

Very beautiful route with magnificent views. We did the route backwards to finish at the south beach.

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cornet22
cornet22

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike; several stunning views of the sea and cliffs. I recommend visiting Port Cros for the day so you don't miss the return time.

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Cuivre
Cuivre

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

In the south, the signposts do not correspond to the initial description.
The climb was steep but the scenery was magnificent.
We had bought a paper map at the tourist office

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DUGRAND
DUGRAND

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We must have made a mistake by climbing Mount Vinaigre too early. The signposting isn't very good. We had trouble finding the right route. But it's still a superb, easy hike.

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Nounours04
Nounours04

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 20, 2024
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 in a different setting, with beautiful views and a peaceful atmosphere far from the hustle and bustle of the city. Definitely worth repeating.

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Marie’O
Marie’O

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant hike with reliable directions.

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FLAM
FLAM

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Very busy route : Yes

very disappointed by this hike. The trail is quite difficult due to the vertical schist rocks along the entire route. You have to be very careful. Mont Vinaigre was nothing special! A beautiful view with 10 hikers jostling for space in a 5 m² area. The entire hike takes place under the cover of vegetation... Fortunately, there is a place to stop on the south beach.

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Galetou
Galetou

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 13, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike on one of the Îles d'Or, and certainly (in my opinion, at least) the most authentic (in terms of heritage and history), wild and unspoilt.
The TLV/TLM shuttle arrives on the island at around 10 a.m. and returns at 4.15 p.m., so if you walk at a good pace, you can complete the entire tour of the island along the coastal paths.
This is equivalent to combining the two walks on Visorando.
Please note that I am unsure about point (5) on the Visorando map "Port-Cros Est", more precisely when you have passed Port Man beach and find yourself on the track after climbing the stairs: it says to turn right at an acute angle before the ruins, but this is difficult to see. However, you then find the sign for "Les Tufs" when you take the track.

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escros
escros

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 23, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

No one in January, and early in the morning.

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jpnadal
jpnadal

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 11, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

very beautiful hike

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jc05
jc05

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed in June, taking the 7:30 a.m. shuttle from Le Lavandou.
Not many people around at this time of year.
On the way up, I passed through the Vallon de la Fausse Monnaie, with some nice views along the way.
I took a short detour to reach Mont Vinaigre, which is not particularly interesting.
Descent to the southern tip, with a magnificent wild coastline.
Swim stop at the south beach before returning to the port and the Hostellerie Provençale.
for a well-deserved mojito
The trails are very well maintained

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Claire75
Claire75

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 08, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

There weren't many people because we did the hike in October during the week.
We set off from Le Lavandou to give ourselves more time, so we combined it with the Port Cors Est hike, which is easily done in a day. That said, in October, we didn't spend much time swimming, just dipping our feet in the water!

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S Frelon
S Frelon

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very nice hike, perfect for our day out.

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louismonnier
louismonnier

In low season, the crossing costs €24 per person! The trip takes 50 minutes, and there was indeed no one else on the hike at the end of February!

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