The drystone shelters and the bee wall in Cornillon Confoux

During this very easy walk on flat ground alternating between tracks and small roads, you can admire beautiful drystone shelters and a bee wall.
Drystone shelters are huts built from dry stones that served as temporary dwellings for farmers in Provence in the 19th century. The bee wall, or Apier, is an 18th-century dry stone wall, 60 metres long, with 56 niches (originally 200) where beekeepers used to shelter their straw hives from the mistral wind and bad weather.

Details

492448
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.45 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 42 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 40 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 102 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 56 m

Photos

Description of the walk

From Lançon de Provence, heading towards Cornillon-Confoux, pass the castle and turn right towards Bastide de Boulian. Pass the bee wall and park just after it on the right, opposite the small road marked "Voie Aurélienne".

(S/E) Take the Chemin de Camplong opposite, marked in yellow. Continue until you reach four drystone shelters.

(1) Continue along this path. At the bend, go straight ahead, pass the DFCI barrier and continue along this path, ignoring the turnings on the left and right. You will reach a tarmac road, the Chemin des Grattes.

(2) Continue along this road until you reach a T-junction.

(3) Turn right, then right again at the bend onto Chemin Étang de Berthier. Continue straight ahead until you reach the Chemin des Bastides de Rolland crossroads.

(4) Continue straight ahead until you reach Chemin des Bories.
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(5) Turn right onto this road. Continue straight ahead, continuing along Chemin des Garrigues until you reach a road leading to the Château de Confoux.

(6) Do not go towards the château, but turn right and then immediately left onto the path behind the barrier (Chemin de Campréoux). You will come to a fork in the path.

(7) Turn left onto this path, following the yellow markings. Ignore all paths coming from the right or left and, shortly before reaching the road, you will come to the crossroads leading to the Mur à Abeilles.

(8) Turn left to reach the wall in question. Then continue to the road and turn right to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 74 m - Parking is available on the right-hand side of the road.
  2. 1 : km 0.69 - alt. 96 m - The four drystone shelters
  3. 2 : km 1.78 - alt. 92 m - Chemin des Grattes
  4. 3 : km 2.27 - alt. 77 m - On the right, Chemin Etang de Berthier
  5. 4 : km 3.77 - alt. 58 m - At the crossroads, continue straight ahead.
  6. 5 : km 4.2 - alt. 60 m - Chemin des Bories, on the right
  7. 6 : km 5.95 - alt. 67 m - Turn right and then immediately left.
  8. 7 : km 6.33 - alt. 66 m - Crossroads, on the left
  9. 8 : km 7.3 - alt. 73 m - Bee wall
  10. S/E : km 7.45 - alt. 74 m - Parking is available on the right-hand side of the road.

Worth a visit

Shortly after the start, on the left, there are three drystone shelters very close together.
On the Chemin de Berthier between (3 and 4), on the right, there is a beautiful drystone shelter with a corbelled roof: a kind of spiral staircase that goes around the outside of the shelter.
At the end of the circuit (8), take the time to admire the Bee Wall: one of only two in France.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 66 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
User 17255162

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant route - very flat

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fouret josette
fouret josette

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

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budgy
budgy

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Nice walk. Too bad there's too much asphalt for my liking...

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FrançoiseD
FrançoiseD

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A pleasant walk to do with children, interesting points of interest: drystone shelters, bee walls.
Very pretty colours in autumn.

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Caro3110
Caro3110

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very good description.
The hike was easy and well marked.
Pretty drystone shelters and an interesting bee wall.
We did an extra section to see the castle and the wash house.

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soagirl
soagirl

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice hike. Lots of paved roads.

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ropadefly
ropadefly

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike despite its short distance. Very interesting.

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StephanieB13
StephanieB13

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
We did this hike as a family, and the children had no problems. There is a bit of paved road and a bit of trail, and you can also do it on mountain bikes. It's a beautiful walk!

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Cartapus13
Cartapus13

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It was really interesting to discover this hike steeped in history so close to Aix-en-Provence. Well done!

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barra
barra

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Super easy family hike. Most of the paths are shaded. Very good.

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Isabelle Segretain
Isabelle Segretain

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant, peaceful walk!
Great for kids, even in pushchairs, or with bikes.

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Guilainne
Guilainne

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 07, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very nice hike. I'm doing it for the second time and would recommend it. It's a shame that some of the drystone shelters are on private land where access is prohibited.

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Pericles321
Pericles321

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 13, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike in an area full of discoveries (drystone shelters, Confoux Castle). Beautiful vegetation and stunning views.

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CatJac
CatJac

Thank you for your kind words. Catherine

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Jerres12
Jerres12

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 03, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant and accessible walk, with small roads that are very quiet and wide paths, with very little elevation gain.
Drystone shelters, bee walls, nature , and the nearby hilltop village of Cornillon-Confoux, which is pleasant and offers beautiful views.

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