Country:
City:
Park in one of the many spaces available along the D7n (Avenue de la Victoire), near the PMU.
No signposting
(S/E) From the car park, cross the road at the pedestrian crossing opposite the PMU and continue straight on to Place Albert Gérard (the Post Office is on your left). Continue straight on along Avenue Georges Coste until you reach Place de la Liberté, near the tourist office.
Take the steps on the left to visit the church.
Keep going in the same direction, following the street as it curves to the left, past the municipal police station, until you reach some steps.
Leave the street and take the steps on the left which lead to Chemin des Oratoires. Turn left, following the sign for Notre-Dame de Beauregard, and walk uphill to reach the Oratory of the Annunciation.
(1) Continue for a few metres along the tarmac and turn right onto the stone steps that pass by a wooden architect’s house. After going round it, the Oratory to the Glory of Jesus and Mary is on the right-hand side of the path, followed by a third, unnamed oratory 10 metres further up, leading to a crossroads.
Yellow markings
(2) Cross the road and continue straight ahead on the same type of path, which winds round a few bends and leads to the entrance porch of Notre-Dame de Beauregard (3).
Go through it and onto the forecourt. After taking in the view, turn right to join the tarmac road leading to the site.
Follow this road to the right, downhill along the cliffs for about 400m until you reach a junction.
(4) Turn left just before the signpost, go round the barrier and take the path furthest to the left which descends above the lake. From this point, you can still see the scars of the 2012 fire, but nature is beginning to reclaim the area.
The stony, rutted path joins the tarmac road to Lac de la Vallée Heureuse. Turn right and follow it to the campsite. Turn left onto track AL120, which winds its way uphill. At the third bend, ignore a path branching off to the right and continue along the track. After a few hundred metres, the track levels out and continues southwards to a hairpin bend.
(5) Ignore the path on the right and continue along the track which climbs to the left, heading east then south-east. 400m further on, ignore the path on the left and continue along the track which reaches the plateau at a junction.
Take a short detour to the left to see the telegraph tower, which stands on the edge of the cliff facing the Durance.
Return to the track and turn left, following the signs for Sénas via the Vallon d'Auphant. The path will stay along the edge of the cliffs for a while, pass in front of an antenna, then veer south-west and reach a crossroads in an area spared by the fire.
(6) Turn left towards Sénas via the Vallon d'Auphant, pass through a gate and begin the descent into the stony valley. Once in the valley floor, the path becomes more pleasant and continues straight on towards a gate.
(7) Go round the barrier and immediately turn right onto a barely visible track signposted ‘Orgon via the Grand Vallon’ (this is not a typo!). Follow the track which runs alongside the D569 at a slight distance for about 300m before joining a path.
(8) Turn right, following the path which climbs up the Grand Vallon. The route through this rather wild valley climbs very gradually and joins a track at a bend.
(9) Turn right onto the path that continues the climb up the valley and reaches a very large crossroads.
(10) Ignore a path on the left, go through the gate on the right and ignore two more paths branching off to the left of the marker. Take the path furthest to the right and ignore another path on the left 10m further on.
Continue along this flat path which passes under a high-voltage power line, ignoring the other paths branching off.
When you reach another high-voltage power line, look out for the marker on the left, hidden by the trees.
(11) Turn left onto the path towards Orgon (circular telegraph loop). The path passes to the left of a pylon and turns right 300m further on. Just before passing under the high-voltage power line, leave a path on the left and also the one that follows the power line to the left; continue along the main path.
400m further on, pass a cistern; the path then turns north and then north-east until it reaches a junction.
(12) Continue left for about 700m, then a cairn indicates you should temporarily leave the path and take a track to the right. 150m further on, take the left Fork in the road which rejoins a path.
(13) Turn right onto the track, which becomes a path and offers fine views of the Vallée Heureuse.
It is essential to follow the path as close as possible to the cliffs, as the markings are not always very clear at this point. Do not go down to the left into the valley when a path appears (not marked on the map).
After passing as close as possible to the rock faces, the path descends back to the tarmac road at the same junction as on the way there.
(4) Turn right onto the road leading up to Notre-Dame de Beauregard. Before reaching the forecourt, head down to the right towards the refreshment bar and a terrace.
Return to the forecourt and head towards the entrance porch.
(3) Go through it and follow a path that climbs to the left towards the porch of an old building. Once inside the enclosure, continue to the left towards the cross. Just above it is an orientation table and a panoramic shelter.
Head back down to the entrance porch of Notre-Dame de Beauregard.
Turn left onto the path that descends via steps to the junction with a tarmac road.
(2) Follow the road to the right, pass two water tanks and take the steps leading down to the left, joining a path through the forest.
Pass the ruins of the Duc de Guise, a fortress built to guard the Durance valley.
When you reach a flat area, continue straight ahead, keeping the railings on your left. Go down a few steps and turn left to reach a platform. Cross it, heading towards the beautiful blue cedars.
Continue to the left and pass under the Porte de l’Hortet, which leads to the Oratory of the Annunciation.
(1) Turn right and follow the same route as on the way there to return to the car park (S/E).
Visorando Member
Easy 
