The Rocalinaud Rock

Beaumes-de-Venise, near the Dentelles and discover the Rocher de Rocalinaud.

Details

564013
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.03 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 173 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 164 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 250 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 89 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the market car park in the centre of Beaumes-de-Venise.

(S/E) Take Avenue Raipail, at the crossroads near the church, continue straight on Avenue Gambetta. Turn right at the Chapelle Sainte-Anne. Drive past the campsite on your right and continue along Chemin des Moulins. Cross the Ru de la Salette and take Chemin de Rocalinaud on the left. Continue until you reach 312 Chemin de Rocalinaud.

(1) Turn right onto the road leading to the entrance of the property and immediately turn left onto the path.
You will reach the Tête de la Roche Rocalinaud.

(2) Visit the cave and enjoy the views of the Dentelles de Montmirail.
To return, follow the blue markings, ignoring the paths on the left so as not to descend immediately back to the road. Continue through the woods and climb a little to reach a four-way crossroads.

(3) Take the Chemin des Vigneaux Nord opposite, veering slightly to the left. Continue along this path until you reach a four-way intersection. Turn left onto Chemin des Bernardins. Then continue until you reach the intersection with Chemin de Bel Air. Turn right onto this road. Pass the place called Les Aplanats, ignore a road on the left and, shortly afterwards, you will come to an intersection with Chemin de Bel Air on the left.

(4) Take this road on the left (north), ignore a road on the left, then two roads serving properties on the left, and you will arrive at a new intersection.

(5) Turn left onto the road and, shortly after, when it bends to the right, continue straight ahead, keeping a vineyard on your right, and you will quickly reach theGRP® du Tour des Dentelles de Montmirail. Take it on the left and follow the red and yellow markings (when present on the ground) and the map (several changes of direction and paths arriving from each side) to reach the Chemin des Bernardins.

(6) Turn left (yellow markings) then right, still on the Chemin des Bernardins; the path opposite is a private road. Ignore a path on the left and continue to an intersection.

(7) Take the dirt track on the right: as you descend, note the Rocher Rocalinaud on the other side.
Turn right at the bottom of the rock and continue to the crossroads at 312 Chemin de Rocalinaud.

(1) Follow the same route back to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 89 m - Parking: Place du Marché
  2. 1 : km 1.31 - alt. 117 m - Crossroads no. 312
  3. 2 : km 1.53 - alt. 158 m - Rocalinaud Cave
  4. 3 : km 1.93 - alt. 146 m - Four-way intersection
  5. 4 : km 3.05 - alt. 189 m - Carrefour des Aplanats.
  6. 5 : km 3.63 - alt. 241 m - Cross through the vineyards.
  7. 6 : km 4.93 - alt. 132 m - Chemin des Bernardins
  8. 7 : km 5.31 - alt. 141 m - Take the path on the right on the other side of Rocalinaud.
  9. S/E : km 7.03 - alt. 89 m - Parking: Place du Marché

Notes

Please note: the car park is used on Tuesdays for the market.

Worth a visit

Don't hesitate to visit the cave at the head of the Rocalinaud Rock.
Caution: if you have young children, this area is not secure!
And avoid rainy days. The rocks are slippery.
It is very pleasant to taste the famous Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 73 reviews

Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
User 17767190

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Enjoy your hike with the children. Be careful with the signposting, which is really poor! Luckily we had GPS with real-time tracking.

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Didier B3.
Didier B3.

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An easy hike but not much to see after the Rocalinaud rock. In any case, this is a superb site. Caution: access to the caves is quite dangerous, especially the lower cave (I preferred not to take the risk of venturing there and just made do with the upper cave).
A good part of the route is by road, but with little traffic.

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hostey
hostey

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike with the incredible rock formation and the walk through the vineyards as highlights.
Easy.

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lolopinay
lolopinay

It's always a pleasure to discover the magic of nature.

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cc_ribas
cc_ribas

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 06, 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 walk with no difficulties. A lovely route through vineyards (many small-grained Muscat grapes) planted on every usable slope. The Rocalinaud rock is amazing.
Thank you for this lovely route.

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Daniel Poley
Daniel Poley

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful spot for a pleasant hike... We think there was a blue line missing in the woods (there was a blue cross on the right and one on the left, but no other path).
The muscat wine is excellent 👍

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GarlabanVar
GarlabanVar

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The route is very poorly signposted in places!

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MIFA46
MIFA46
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The Rocalinaud rock is very surprising and definitely worth a visit. A lovely discovery, thanks to the author.
BUT NOT TO BE DONE IN WET WEATHER. The rock you walk on is extremely slippery!
At WPT 1, it seems to me that you reach the foot rather than the head of Rocalinaud... And after visiting the cave, you have to retrace your steps and take the original path. And above all, look carefully for the blue markings, which gradually fade away.
At WPT 3, do not go straight ahead, but take the tarmac path on the left.
At WPT 4, the only path to take is the one that goes uphill! To the left of the "Les Aplanats" hiking sign.
At WPT 7, there is a red and yellow GRP mark clearly visible on a wall. However, there is no real intersection except with the GRP.

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curtud
curtud

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

After point 7, you can go back up the road a few metres to see the rock on the other side and then see the small shelter carved into the rock at the level of the vineyard.

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Jencel alain
Jencel alain

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very pleasant route, but signage could be better in some sections.
Some sections are poorly maintained and damaged. Beautiful views of the rock on the way back.
Alain

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lolopinay
lolopinay
• Edited:

Pierre,
Ah, I was thinking of you.
Climate change and "lack of maintenance" by the local council and ??? mean that the GR trails are quite changeable.

In the Colorado Provençal, it's also a real scourge (my last visit was two years ago and the change is impressive if you leave the tourist circuit).

Thanks for your feedback 🙏, and well done to your walkers
Laurence

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pierreplaton
pierreplaton
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Our hike went very well, we had no trouble identifying point 5. However, the short section on the GRP was not very pleasant: the path was in poor condition with fallen trees to climb over. Our oldest member (aged 93) managed it though!

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ubrina
ubrina

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Excellent autumn walk, very little elevation gain for someone from Haute-Savoie:! The route could be extended to the Rocher des 3 Évêques, an extra 30 minutes! I only came across two people in total... and four dogs
Thank you!

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pierreplaton
pierreplaton

Thanks.
We'll see tomorrow, depending on who's in my group of "oldies"...
Pierre (76 years old)

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lolopinay
lolopinay

To climb up the rock, it is safer to do so via the exit on the left (when facing the rock), as long as it is not raining.
Enjoy your hike, everyone!

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