The balconies of Cavalière

Park in the car park next to the town hall annex and the post office. A superb view and a good little climb, a bit too much tarmac for me. Very well signposted, it's a superb loop.

Details

230226
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.30 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 452 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 450 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 454 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 2 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park next to the town hall annex and the Cavalière post office.

(S/E) Follow the cycle path westwards. At the roundabout, go straight ahead, then after the bridge, turn right and leave the cycle path. Follow the basin on the left, ignoring the paths on the right. At the crossroads, turn left onto the track and follow it to the junction of three paths. Take the middle one and you will reach a beautiful viewpoint on the left.

(1) Return to the track and turn left to continue climbing alongside houses. Then take the DFCI de Barban path.
Continue climbing, keeping a general west then north-northwest direction, until you reach the paved road (Chemin de Curet). Turn right, cross a small stream on the road and continue straight up to reach the Col de Barral.

(2) Go through the gate and past the cistern at the Col de Barral and turn right onto theGR®51(white and red markings). Pass a new cistern and come to a fork just after it.

(3) Continue to the right, still on theGR®51, passing a barrier.

(4) At the junction of three paths, take the middle one and continue along the forest road along the ridge, which is still marked GR®. You will come to another cistern near the Faveirolle stream.

(5) Turn right onto the Chemin DFCI Castel Maou, leaving theGR®51trail on your left. Begin the descent, following the road south-east then south, until you reach a crossroads.

(6) Continue straight ahead on the track until you reach a barrier.

(7) Leave the track and turn right to continue downhill until you reach the Rue des Écoles crossroads.

(8) Turn right, go past a campsite and, at the next crossroads, turn left to follow Boulevard de l'Hubac du Bleu.

At the roundabout, turn left, rejoin Allée de la Mer and return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 4 m - Town hall annex
  2. 1 : km 1.19 - alt. 100 m - Viewpoint
  3. 2 : km 4.58 - alt. 371 m - Barral Pass
  4. 3 : km 5.78 - alt. 440 m - At the fork, follow the GR51 to the right.
  5. 4 : km 6.58 - alt. 436 m - At the crossroads, take the middle path.
  6. 5 : km 8.05 - alt. 391 m - Two cisterns side by side
  7. 6 : km 10.1 - alt. 239 m - Leave the path on the right.
  8. 7 : km 10.81 - alt. 188 m - Leave the track and take the path on the right.
  9. 8 : km 11.76 - alt. 15 m - On the right
  10. S/E : km 12.3 - alt. 4 m - Town hall annex

Notes

IGN map 3446 ET.

Worth a visit

There are superb views throughout the climb.
On the way back, you'll be on the other side to enjoy another view of the city.

From January to February, see the mimosa in bloom.
Between (6) and (7), at Castel Mau, you can see the Temple of Hercules (northwest) in the distance.

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.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 67 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
diamsazur
diamsazur

Hi, thanks for the comments, and well done for doing it backwards. See you soon, love
mumu

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J Pierre
J Pierre

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 06, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk with lovely views.
As a previous hiker advised us, we did it in reverse...
We had a lovely day

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Rando Leo
Rando Leo

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 23, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely circular walk above Cavalière offering stunning views of the coast and the beaches (it feels just like being in Southern Corsica). The walk follows a lot of firebreak tracks (the first section of which is quite steep, but you have to work for the view!).
At the end of the walk, we took a detour to get closer to the Temple of Hercules, passing through some housing estates and then along a short stretch of track. The view of the temple’s columns is lovely, but you can’t reach the temple itself as the paths are overgrown with a very dense forest of mimosas.

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jmgg
jmgg

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 23, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A wonderful hike, with the added bonus of mimosa blossoms under a bright sun – I’d recommend going in early March.

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aloan
aloan

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 23, 2026
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 offering magnificent views of the sea.

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Frfoxy
Frfoxy

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 26, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

I admit I was disappointed by this hike
There were lots of forest tracks that were very (too?) wide, and the reward was a section of the paved mountain pass road, which did offer a beautiful view of the Îles du Levant, but only through the trees...
The only part on a small path was at the end of the descent, which was a bit steep and stony.
In short... meh!

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jc.duvanel
jc.duvanel

A beautiful hike with stunning views. Definitely worth doing on a clear day.
A challenging climb consisting of steep sections interspersed with flatter stretches. As this climb is very open, you can clearly see what lies ahead.
Fortunately, the view gets better and better. You just have to turn around to see it. The hardest part is the beginning. The second part, on tarmac, is easier.
The last kilometre downhill is quite steep and rather stony. Take care.
Overall, there is a bit of tarmac on roads that are rarely used, at least in December!
Too early for mimosas. Fortunately, we'll be doing it again at the end of January.

Thank you for suggesting doing the route in reverse. I had thought of that, but I was afraid that my hikers, who are quite elderly, would suffer on the fairly steep climb. It's true that the subsequent climb on the track is not difficult; moreover, we should make the most of the view on the long descent. I have time to think about it because this hike has been postponed until April due to bad weather on Thursday. Thanks again, Stjo.

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stjo
stjo
• Edited:

@jc.duv if you do it again at the end of January, I strongly advise you to do it in the opposite direction. You will gain a lot in terms of light and views, not to mention that the climb up the rocky section is ultimately shorter and less tedious than the climb up the track. See my review from 5 February 2023, where I recommend doing this route in the opposite direction.

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jc.duvanel
jc.duvanel

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with stunning views. Definitely worth doing on a clear day.
A challenging climb consisting of steep sections interspersed with flatter stretches. As this climb is very open, you can clearly see what lies ahead.
Fortunately, the view gets better and better. You just have to turn around to see it. The hardest part is the beginning. The second part, on tarmac, is easier.
The last kilometre downhill is quite steep and rather stony. Take care.
Overall, there is a bit of tarmac on roads that are rarely used, at least in December!
Too early for mimosas. Fortunately, we'll be doing it again at the end of January.

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marie74_83
marie74_83
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The cisterns are good landmarks. The Castel Maou trail is currently being widened, so there is a lot of loose earth. I think it's best to avoid it after a period of rain (mud).
Walking sticks are useful on the last steep and rocky section.

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User 20870038

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with views of the Mediterranean Sea.
You'd better be in good shape because it's quite a climb!
There isn't much shade, so in the height of summer, it must be really hot.

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User 23996858

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed on Sunday, 28/09/2025. Please note: roadworks on Place de la Poste and during the first part of the hike.
For parking, continue further along the coastal road and turn left at the small supermarket.
Unfortunately, the hike starts on the track that has become the diversion due to roadworks,
noise and dust! Then, there is roadworks on the track itself, widening it.
Could not find the end date for the works... At 2, 3, 4, could not find any GR markings but still very easy to follow.
The hike is superb for its overlooking landscapes, the distant view and the curiosity of the Temple. A magnificent day.

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dauzonroch
dauzonroch

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike through broom, rockroses and butterfly lavender in a forest of oak trees. It starts with a steep climb with a few flat sections to reach the heights, where you can enjoy beautiful views of the sea, Le Lavandou and the islands... Then a pleasant walk along a balcony path, followed by a gentle descent towards Cavalière with just one steep rocky section towards the end of the route. I used the smartphone app and had no difficulty following the route. There were no closures or restrictions.

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stjo
stjo

@mamycotine, could you specify the section where the path is closed? It would be really helpful for anyone planning to do this route one day. Thank you.
stjo

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mamycotine
mamycotine

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello
There is a minor issue with this route: a municipal by-law prohibits access to part of the path, so a change is necessary.

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