Les Barres de Castillon from the Maltese Cross in Le Castellet

A short walk between Le Camp and Ceyreste that will simply allow you to discover pretty woodlands and a beautiful panorama of the Cuges-les-Pins valley with the Pic de Bertagne on Sainte-Baume in the background.

Details

2897994
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.14 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 82 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 84 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 488 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 418 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Coming from Le Camp on the D2, after about 2.5 km, you will see a cistern on your right that was originally yellow and green but is now heavily tagged. Park on the stony ground next to it.

(S/E) Head towards the forest, away from the road. You will soon come to the first signpost. It is a yellow signpost indicating Les Barres du Castellet 900 m straight ahead.

(1) Head in this direction. After a small wood, cross a clearing, then the path curves to the left. You will come to another signpost indicating: Panorama via the path on the right.

(2) Walk up and down this stony path, which climbs slightly to reach the tree-lined ridge. Retrace your steps
Continue right on the Piste du Gaz Ouest.
This track is steep and quite stony, even slippery. You will then come to a large tree with several stumps, where a yellow marker on one of its branches indicates that you should turn left. A climb follows. You will come to another crossroads.

(3) Take the path on the left and continue following the yellow markings. Leave the woods and arrive at a track where a signpost indicates the Croix de Malte on the left.

(4) Turn left in this direction. This track ends at a barrier; go around it on the right.

(5) Here, another signpost indicates the East Maltese Cross is 1 km away. Continue straight ahead along a small path, avoiding the track that branches off towards the road. Stay close to the woods. Return to the initial crossroads.

(1) Turn right and follow the same route you took on the way there to return to the car park near the cistern (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 441 m - Car park near the cistern
  2. 1 : km 0.05 - alt. 443 m - Crossroads of the circular
  3. 2 : km 0.94 - alt. 471 m - Crossroads towards viewpoint
  4. 3 : km 2.23 - alt. 454 m - Crossroads
  5. 4 : km 2.65 - alt. 434 m - Crossroads track
  6. 5 : km 3.12 - alt. 436 m - Crossroads with signpost
  7. S/E : km 4.14 - alt. 441 m - Car park near the cistern

Notes

(To the right of 2) there is a beautiful view of the Cuges les Pins valley with the Pic de Bertagne on Sainte-Baume in the background.

Worth a visit

This walk is very similar to the hike called Tour de la Tête de Nige.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 14 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
juliemolto
juliemolto

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A very easy and pleasant hike in the forest, which is fairly shaded. There is a nice view of Cuges-les-Pins.
We didn't see anyone else on the entire walk!

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XAlphA13
XAlphA13

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Great. Nice little route with different types of scenery.

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V-P
V-P

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Don't hesitate to take a detour to see the view

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labombardellaz
labombardellaz

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 26, 2023
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 through heath and forest, particularly well described and following the yellow markings.
Don't miss the path to Les Barres du Castellet for the view of Cuges and Sainte Baume (the signpost is missing, as it has probably fallen off its support).
A clearing a few hundred metres to the left before point 2 features a circular stone reservoir that can be partially seen from the path. It is a beautiful structure worth seeing, similar to the lavognes of the Causses, which were used to water livestock.
Coming from Camp du Castellet, about 2 km on the right, a green and slightly yellow cistern, also tagged, should not be confused with the one located exactly 2.5 km away, which is the starting point.
Walking shoes are strongly recommended (stony passages).

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Sebcheuss
Sebcheuss

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 02, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant short hike with magnificent views over the Poljé de Cuges les Pins and Sainte Baume.
Not too steep, but good walking shoes are still recommended due to the stony paths.

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Autrautruche
Autrautruche

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 21, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

a very pleasant short walk, ideal for getting back into shape or for beginners.
Beautiful viewpoint.

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dkhier
dkhier

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 26, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, enjoyable walk in the countryside. Accurate and clear description. Thank you for sharing.

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223190GUY
223190GUY
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 16, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A short afternoon walk. Very easy, but walking shoes are recommended as parts of this route are very rocky. Magnificent view from the lookout point.
Note: The graffitied cistern has been repainted

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Thouhel
Thouhel

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 19, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant short hike with our two children aged 4 and 2. Even in the height of summer, there are plenty of shaded areas and a lovely view of Cuges, where we live. However, there are two issues to note: at weekends, noise pollution from the Castellet route can be heard throughout the walk, and at the very start of the walk, you find yourself in the middle of an illegal dump, which is not a great way to start the walk... Let's hope this can be resolved. We will try to report it.

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syjaca
syjaca
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 01, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Easy route, with a beautiful view of Sainte Beaume and the Cuges valley from the viewpoint (point 2)

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castor futé
castor futé
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 03, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Very clear, precise and helpful description for hikers. This easy walk is recommended as a way to get back into shape at the end of winter.
The yellow markings on site and the signposts are very informative: thank you to the Var General Council!
The trees on the ground have been cut down and pruned, and the path is well maintained.
Note: the starting point is an hour's drive from Marseille, making this a very pleasant hike for senior citizens from the big city.
The view over the Cuges valley is a must-see, especially for geographers who will admire a real polje.

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ACAHIER
ACAHIER
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 02, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very easy, very pleasant walk, mostly through the woods and sheltered from the wind. The view of Cuges les Pins is sublime, so don't miss it.
The description is very accurate, thank you.
On Sunday afternoons, this D2 departmental road is clearly a playground for motorcyclists who constantly drive at very high speeds and cut corners! You have to be very careful, even just to cross the road on foot or to drive away in your vehicle!

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christiandelsouc@gmail.com
christiandelsouc@gmail.com
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 03, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

As described. Very good. Bye

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