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The walk starts from a large car park on the edge of Avenue de Sommières (D610) at the north-east exit of Castries. The car park entrance is adjacent to the alleyway: Impasse du Stade. There is a sign indicating: Complexe sportif-foyer H. Paulet: this is the car park entrance.
(S/E) Cross the road at the pedestrian crossing and take the entrance to the castle grounds directly opposite, which is at the corner of the stone boundary wall. There are two large cypress trees guarding the entrance.
Entry to the park is subject to certain conditions (opening hours, no dogs allowed), but an alternative route is available if access is not possible: See the conditions of access to the park in the practical information section.
Continue through the park, taking the tree-lined path opposite the entrance. After 100 metres, continue along the tree-lined path to the right until you reach a large round pond in the middle of the park. Opposite you is the castle with a large surrounding wall. You will find the stairs to climb up to it in the far right-hand corner of this large wall. Climb the stairs.
After passing through the garden terrace, enter the castle's gravel courtyard. Now follow the exit from this courtyard southwards and turn left just after a large arbutus tree. Walk 50 metres and look for a small passageway in the left-hand corner that joins the walls. Go down the stairs there. At the bottom of the stairs, continue straight ahead along the path to the park exit gate in the bottom right-hand corner.
(1) When you leave the park, turn right after the gate and walk up the street. After 30 metres, climb the stairs along the wall on the right in the middle of the bend in the road. At the top of the stairs, walk past two trees and go up Rue du Quartier Bas opposite. Follow the street and turn right at the next intersection. Walk under an archway and continue to the left. Continue straight on Rue du Château until you can turn right onto Rue du Cantonat.
After 50 metres, turn left into the small alleyway and go to the end. When you come out of the alleyway, look for and take a passage on the left that starts with two small steps. Go down 50 metres until you reach the back of the church. Turn left after the church to return to the front of it. With your back to the church, slightly to the left, take the street that goes down to Castries Town Hall. Walk past the town hall and turn right immediately after, then walk under the stone arches opposite. Go down the few steps and continue opposite the small square into Rue Plan du Four.
At the end of the street, you will arrive at Avenue de Sommières. Cross the avenue and go up to the right towards the arches of the aqueduct. Turn left before the aqueduct onto Rue des Arceaux. Continue for 100 metres.
(2) Turn right through a passage under one of the aqueduct arches towards a wooded park behind it. Continue through this park to the left along the path, keeping the aqueduct in sight on your left.
At the end of the park, return to the tarmac road. Turn left under the aqueduct, then immediately right onto a path along Rue du Clos de l'Aqueduc. Continue along the aqueduct for 250 m until you reach Route de Guzargues. Cross back over the aqueduct and cross the road to reach a small dirt car park.
(3) Opposite, on the right, look for and take Chemin de la Croix de Coulon. This is the path that does not pass under the aqueduct. Continue along this path for about 300 metres, then take a small path that branches off to the left into the heath towards the aqueduct. Pass under the aqueduct and 20 metres later, turn right onto the main path.
Continue straight ahead on this path for 450 metres until you reach a three-way junction where the path splits in two. Take the main path on the left, then turn right 30 metres later onto a small path. At the next junction, 150 metres later, turn right and continue along the path that leads to a small scree slope.
Continue until you return to the main path after 150 m. It will be just behind La Capelette. On the main path, turn left. 70 m further on, at the junction, continue straight ahead to the right until you reach a large crossroads of main paths.
(4) Continue 30 m straight ahead along the main path, which climbs up to a small path that branches off to the right with cut stones in the middle. Take this small path. You have now arrived at the land section of the Castries aqueduct. NB: Do not walk on these stones, as they are fragile.
After 300 metres, leave the stone path and go up the hill, turning left. Go up and then continue straight ahead to descend on the other side. At the bottom, take the path on the right. You are now in a large abandoned olive grove.
Walk 250 m and take the path that branches off to the left into the old olive grove. Continue straight ahead until you reach a small pine forest and then a small crossroads. Turn right and continue for 350 m straight ahead until you return to a dirt track. Then turn left onto this dirt track until you reach Mas de Fondespierre.
(5) Continue along the path that passes to the left of the farmhouse and follow the stone boundary wall. When you reach the corner of the wall, turn right and continue along the path behind the large plane tree in front of you. Continue along this path until you reach the tarmac road. Cross this road and enter the olive grove opposite.
Turn left and follow the road, staying in the field until you reach the large trees a little further on. Walk along these trees until you can descend onto a small dirt track below on the left. Once on this small track, turn right and walk uphill. At the next junction, turn right and then, 30 metres further on, take the small path that branches off to the left into the forest. Continue straight ahead on this path until you reach a much larger path 250 metres further on.
(6) Head left and then go up the large path to the right behind the wooden signposts. Stay on the large path until you reach another junction with another large path. Turn left onto the path that descends to the large arches of the aqueduct. Do not go back under the aqueduct, but continue along the main path opposite, which climbs up alongside the aqueduct. After 150 m, leave the aqueduct and take another main path that branches off to the left towards some houses. Continue along this path for 250 m and go straight on towards a small forest.
(7) Take the small path opposite that leads into the forest. There is only one path to follow until you come out of the forest. Turn right as you leave the forest, then right again at the next crossroads towards the houses. Just as you reach the tarmac road at the end of the path, turn left through a passage between a wire fence and a brick wall. Continue to the road.
Turn left onto the road and walk along the fence for 200 metres on the pavement on the other side of the road. At the end of the fence, turn right to enter the old Castries quarry (Carrière du Colombier).
After turning right after the fence, pass under the large pine tree in front of you on your right, follow the yellow paint marks to continue until you reach the old stone steps that now serve as steps to descend into the quarry.
(8) Descend into the quarry but be careful as there are deep holes. Once at the bottom, turn right to take the path between two very large blocks of cut stone. Then continue along the path to the left for about 100 metres. On your left, you will see another quarry path that leads back to your starting point in the quarry. Take this path and return to the bottom of the stone steps.
Climb back up the steps you used to descend. Continue to follow the yellow paint marks on the ground. Turn right at the top of the steps and walk along the ridge at the edge of the quarry for a few metres. Then follow the path southwards, which continues to climb out of the quarry. Continue along the small path through the woods to the right until you come out behind a recent building with large wrought iron gates. Go around this house on the left to get behind it and follow the path to the starting car park (S/E).
Visorando Member
Moderate 
Association / Club / Walk leader
