Les Mayorques and the Peine Gorges

Close to the Gorges de Régalon, the Gorges de la Peine are an easy way to discover this part of the Luberon.

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.93 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 393 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 385 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 438 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 116 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the Gorges de Régalon car park at the place called Logis Neuf on the D973 between Cheval-Blanc and Mérindol.

(S/E) Leave the car park via the tarmac road that continues along the road you arrived on.
You will pass a few properties and follow the signs for Les Mayorques. 600 metres from the start, you will come to a Y-junction. Take the dirt track on the left that runs alongside a large garden. After a left-hand bend and then a right-hand bend, you will come to another junction.

(1) Keep right on the road (the left-hand road is the return route). After about 200 metres, signs for Les Mayorques will appear on the right: leave the road and take a path that climbs steeply uphill.
A little further on, you will come out onto the plateau. Don't forget to turn around to enjoy the view of the Durance valley. The path crosses the plateau, which slopes gently down towards Les Mayorques.

(2). A fence, badly damaged by wild boars, surrounds the estate. Look for the gate along the left side of the fence. Turn right, cross the estate and come out opposite, heading north. Take a wide, easy path that gradually climbs to 370 metres. At times, the path splits, but the two branches rejoin shortly afterwards. You will reach a large crossroads.

(3) Leave the path on your right that leads to the Vallon de la Galère or the Gorges de Régalon. Turn left and immediately leave a shortcut on your left below you, which would take you directly to the Gorges de la Peine.
We chose to take the wide path opposite towards Vidauque. For about 4 km, you will have a view of the massif and its large valleys. Do not take the path on your left that leads directly to the Trou du Rat, nor the next one, but stay on the track. You will arrive at a barrier and rejoin a paved road.

(4) Take a look at the information panels about the forest. Turn left onto the gently sloping road, or the path that runs alongside it, sometimes on the right, sometimes on the left. You will arrive at the group of houses known as Trou du Rat (signposted).

(5) This spot has tables and a large shaded area. To continue, keep going 150 m along the road, then take the wide path opposite, slightly to the left. Go about 250 m until you reach the bend.

(6) Just after the bend, take a shortcut on the right, a path that descends steeply. It is quite stony, but the passage is very short and the path is well marked (if you do not wish to take it, continue along the path that makes a large loop).

You will come to a crossroads with a fire hydrant, and you will find the start of the gorges on your right.
Turn right onto a good, well-shaded path, which is sometimes steep, but never as steep as in the Gorges de Régalon.
At the exit of the gorges, you will come out into a beautiful clearing. Continue left on a path that crosses a small pass. This good path leads you to La Roquette and to a fork.

(7) Do not turn right towards the school but continue straight ahead towards the Gorges de Régalon for about 400 metres after the barrier.

(8) Turn right onto a path that cuts across the meadow. You will have to climb about 40 metres to reach a path coming from the top on your right. Continue a little further and you will find the main path, which you will recognise from the way there.

(1) Turn right and return to the car park via the same path (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 116 m - Departure from the car park along the road - Gorges du Régalon
  2. 1 : km 0.98 - alt. 163 m - Crossroads for the outward and return journey
  3. 2 : km 2.76 - alt. 310 m - Les Mayorques
  4. 3 : km 4.34 - alt. 368 m - Crossroads
  5. 4 : km 7.76 - alt. 397 m - Forest road barrier
  6. 5 : km 8.69 - alt. 354 m - The rat hole
  7. 6 : km 9.12 - alt. 350 m - Start of the stony descent path
  8. 7 : km 12.04 - alt. 130 m - La Roquette
  9. 8 : km 12.48 - alt. 136 m - Shortcut across the meadow
  10. S/E : km 13.93 - alt. 116 m - Car park, near - Canal de Carpentras

Practical information

There are no water sources, so bring plenty with you as it can get very hot in this area.
I recommend wearing good shoes.
Be careful of thunderstorms, as the gorges can be fed by numerous streams.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 32 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
Roland1fois
Roland1fois

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Done on 13 October 2025, locating and replacing the Régalon Gorges, which are closed due to a rockfall.
After point 1, the trail leads to a large closed gate. Continue along the track to the left and take the yellow trail on the right 100 metres further on. From point 2 to point 6, it is just tracks and roads, which are rather monotonous. We tried a trail at elevation 433 that joins point 5, which is nicer.
Done with a group on 19 October 2025; at point 3, we had planned to descend via the yellow trail leading to Trou du Rat and turn right at Petrossi to climb back up to the track, but as it was raining, we followed this yellow trail to point 6 and then to point 5 for a picnic break in the shelter. The rest was done as described in the guidebook.
Even with the rain, the group enjoyed the scenery.

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Corinne.13
Corinne.13
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Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very beautiful route, the Gorges de la Peine are not very well known but they are very pleasant. No difficulty.

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francis henaut
francis henaut

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

The description of the hike mentions a fence. This no longer exists and the Mayorques farm now belongs to the Luberon park and has information panels. To continue the hike, go east of the farm. The rest of the description is clear.

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VMX
VMX

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A pleasant route that can be shortened if desired
Pretty scenery and pleasant gorges

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kty18
kty18

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Superb hike with beautiful views; even if the gorges are much less impressive than those of the Régalon, you are alone there.

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schniver
schniver

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

Easily accessible route thanks to clear signposting

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Michel Berthet
Michel Berthet

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

This hike is very nice, but a private individual has closed off the path with a beautiful gate and surrounded their property, and there are no signs to indicate the detour 150 metres below (from the gate, go back down rural road 76 and, at the fork, instead of going up to the right towards the gate, go down to the left onto the path called "de la montagne" for 150 m to find the entrance to the path on the right that goes around the property). It's not a big deal, but there are two or three places where the Visorando system "beeps" to warn you that you are more than 75 metres from the path. However, it should be noted that there are yellow markings on the "new" route. On the screen, you can see that we are really off course from the route you provide. We have some experience, but a couple who were a little lost and not using Visorando followed us to the Mayorques farm. After that, there are signs, so the route does exist and there are yellow markings, but it no longer corresponds to your website for one or two kilometres
Best regards
Michel

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Martine13
Martine13
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A beautiful route with no particular difficulties and, above all, not very busy, even on Sundays, which is very much appreciated in the Luberon!
Less spectacular than the Régalon Gorges, but these lose some of their magic because they are overcrowded...

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pinol rubi
pinol rubi

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Hello, I highly recommend this hike in this part of the Luberon. The Majorcan farm, the forest house at Trou du Rat and, above all, the Gorges de la Peine are really worth the trip. Avoid during hot weather.

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michel de saint mitre
michel de saint mitre

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : May 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

Hike completed with GPS.
A section on tarmac can easily be avoided by taking parallel paths.
Thank you.

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ronsard41
ronsard41

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Hello, we did the trail after the Régalon Gorges. It was a beautiful hike with stunning scenery.

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ValPatPont-royal
ValPatPont-royal

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : May 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Superb hike, magnificent landscapes, GPS recommended!

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LIONEL13118
LIONEL13118

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : N/A
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Thank you so much for sharing, thanks to you we had a wonderful day. It's true that the scenery is magnificent....
We left from point 1 this morning, and the lower car park was very full: 12.3 km with a 370 m elevation gain.

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_LéaC_
_LéaC_

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Magnificent hike. Really pleasant paths and trails, sublime landscapes.
Very pleasant picnic area with the company of a little robin.

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nnono25
nnono25

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Easy-to-follow paths and trails. Nice climb at the start. Easy circuit on the way back.

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