The ruins of the hamlet of L’Avenquet

Park next to the Saint-Sébastien chapel. If there are no spaces available, park nearby or in the village of Moulinet and walk back to this chapel, which is the starting point.

(S/E) Take the path in front of the chapel. You will immediately enter the Mercantour National Park, marked by the tricolour flag, a small yellow arrow and a ‘Via Alpina’ sign. Follow the concrete path down for a few metres; it then becomes a paved slanting street. Continue to marker 21.

(1) Continue straight ahead towards L’Avenquet. Follow the beautiful Gouargas valley and arrive at the stone bridge over the river.

(2) Cross it, then turn right. Follow the direction indicated on the signpost for Lou Camin de Firpou; this path is marked in yellow. Pass through the ruins of L’Avenquet, then reach a junction of paths.

(3) Leave Lou Camin de Firpou and turn right to reach a river.

(4) Cross the river, then enter the Bouissièra Forest. Follow an easy descent to reach the junction marked ‘24’.

(5) Turn right, towards Moulinet. This single descending path, which occasionally winds, takes you back to the start of this walk. On the left, on several occasions, there are views of ‘the Great Wall of the 06’.

(6) You’ll reach the bridge over the River Gouargas. Cross it and you’ll immediately come back to the original junction.

(1) Turn left and follow the route back in the opposite direction to return to the car park at the Chapelle Saint-Sébastien (S/E).

Please note: this walk in the Mercantour National Park requires you to comply with the regulations displayed at the park entrance.
There are no water sources on the route, but you will cross two rivers.
Make sure you have good walking shoes; walking poles are useful for both the descent and the ascent.
On the way back, at point (6), in summer, there is access to the left of the bridge for a refreshing swim.

Stop off at Notre-Dame de Menour, situated on the road between Sospel and Moulinet, also known as “the Great Wall of China of the 06”.