Les Taillades with its varied landscapes and viewpoints

A fine loop starting from Les Taillades. You will walk through varied scenery such as the Source of the Boulon, the cliffs of the Petit Luberon, the Rochers de Baude cliff and the Badarel Gorge, the Carpentras Canal and the old village. This walk is not recommended for people suffering from vertigo. See the “Useful information” section.

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.33 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 525 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 521 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 356 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 96 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Start : Park in the car park in front of the post office or in the large car park on the other side of the road.

(S/E) Facing the Auberge des Carrières, head left down Chemin du Luberon street. Stay on this road, passing first the old cemetery and then the Chapelle Saint-Gens. At the next junction, turn right (South-East) up the Chemin de Sainte-Guimelle towards the new cemetery. Stay on the tarmac road to its end. When it becomes a dirt road, turn left and then immediately left again. Staying on the main path, drop down to the Chemin de Boulon and follow this dirt road to the right. You quickly come to a rough parking area.

(1) Carry on the Chemin de Boulon with the Petit Luberon on your right. A little further on, enter the Natura 2000 site (protected area) on your right. Cross the picnic area and then at the barrier take the path left. You then come to the Source du Boulon (a spring which may be flowing or dry depending on the time of year, with a wall built along the base of the cliff).

(2) Go past the spring and follow the steep path to the right, following the yellow waymark. This path, known as the "Sentier des Rochers de Baude", follows the rock wall as far as the top of the cliff. Follow the yellow waymarking closely.
You then reach the saddle (the “Brèche de Castelas”). Before continuing to the other side, take a moment to enjoy the remarkable view. Go down on the further slope, still following the yellow-marked path.

(3) At the signpost "Le Castelas”, head right (East) towards "Les Taillades", "Gorge de Badarel". Follow the "Sentier de Badarel" (yellow waymarks) down into the Badarel Gorge.
You will soon find yourself in a very narrow gully, a short section of which is fitted with handrails and rungs set into the rockface.
After the equipped section, take care, since the path is covered in scree.
Continue straight down the main path until you reach the Pied Caud fire access track at the signpost "Gorge de Badarel".

(4) Turn left towards Vidauque. Stay on the track for about 150 m, then take the path on the right, heading in the same direction, but in the shade. Stay on this path until you come to a marker stone on the right, indicating the boundary of the local district boundary. Carry straight on and join the Pied Caud track, which describes a double bend.

(5) In the second bend, take the path which heads off to the right. At the four-cairn junction, carry straight on. Just after the junction, note a yellow cycle route sign in a juniper bush. Follow the main path till you return to the fire access track. Turn right and immediately left (yellow waymarks) to approach the sunken cistern N°78.

(6) Ignore the dirt roads to the right and left and carry straight ahead on the main track. At the next junction, keep left. You will come across a huge dead pine tree on the ground. Skirt round it and then leave a ruined building on your left. Drop down to reach the canal at a bridge.

(7) Do not cross the bridge but head right along the canal until the end of the dirt road. Go past the barrier preventing vehicular access and then cross the canal at the first opportunity by a bridge. Then turn right to follow the other bank of the canal. Cross a road and continue along the bank.

(8) On reaching the Route de Mourre Poussin, turn right to the roundabout, then carry straight on along the Avenue du Moulin. Take a quick look at St Peter’s Mill and its splendid waterwheel.

(9) Just before the mill, take the stone bridge to the right on the Chemin du Pérusier and follow this road up to the upper village (straight ahead until the Avenue du Château). At the junction, turn left along the Avenue du Château to return to the car park.

Do not return to your vehicle as yet, but continue straight ahead on the road which leads past the Auberge des Carrières towards the church and the castle. Stay on the road.

Pass to the right of the tower built on a rocky outcrop, up a cul-de-sac which gives access to the old buildings of the village and to superb viewpoints. Go as far as the gate at the end of the street and enter a small shady garden on the right. After visiting the garden and enjoying the view over the old quarries, return to the tower.

(10) After the tower, turn right along the Rue des Carrières. Ignore the dead end on your right and continue on the main street. At the halt sign, turn left and return to the car park in front of the post office. (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 115 m - Post office car park
  2. 1 : km 1.5 - alt. 140 m - Earth car park - Chemin du Boulon
  3. 2 : km 1.94 - alt. 134 m - Source du Boulon
  4. 3 : km 3.63 - alt. 326 m - Beacon - Sommet du Castellas
  5. 4 : km 4.82 - alt. 133 m - Beacon "Gorge de Badarel
  6. 5 : km 5.69 - alt. 170 m - End of Pied Caud track
  7. 6 : km 6.35 - alt. 173 m - Underground tank n°78
  8. 7 : km 6.88 - alt. 101 m - Bridge - Canal de Carpentras
  9. 8 : km 7.84 - alt. 98 m - Route de Mourre Poussin
  10. 9 : km 8.03 - alt. 98 m - Moulin Saint-Pierre
  11. 10 : km 9.1 - alt. 119 m - Chemin des carrières
  12. S/E : km 9.33 - alt. 115 m - Post office car park

Practical information

Start : Car park in front of the post office or in the large car park on the other side of the road (Avenue du Château).

Parking : Park in the car park in front of the post office or in the large car park on the other side of the road.

Terrain :
Warning : In the first and second sections of the walk, the paths are very steep and in places pass along sheer drops. Good footwear is essential. This walk is not advised with young children. The ladder in the Gorge de Badarel may be difficult to negotiate with a dog.
This walk benefits from shade provided first by the cliffs, then in the gorge and finally on the forest paths. Only the part in the built-up area is exposed to the sun.

In the nearby area

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 9 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
les sem
les sem ★

Hello
The route is marked as difficult and therefore not suitable for untrained people. It's important to take account of the classification, which is designed to avoid accidents and to ensure that everyone can enjoy a good walk according to their level of ability. This is even more important if you're doing group hikes. The person organising the walk is liable in the event of an accident, whether they are a volunteer or an employee, as part of an official organisation or among friends...
I would therefore strongly advise you to take this criterion into account when choosing your next itineraries
Have a nice day!

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bonvin jean claude
bonvin jean claude

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Itinerary a bit "rough" for a group of 16 people.
But superb views of CAVAILLON and the Alpilles.
Avoid the descent via the Gorges de Badarel (several steps), which is easy on the way up but a little stressful on the way down for less experienced climbers.

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PLMontfavet
PLMontfavet

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Beautiful hike starting from Les Taillades. Superb views from the path that runs along the Baude rocks to the Col de la Gnôle (note: the refreshments kindly provided had been replenished!). Some parts can be a little technical, so avoid this hike in wet or rainy weather, otherwise there are no difficulties apart from the slightly steep ascent. The yellow markings were regular on the way up, but there was some hesitation between the end of the Chemin de Sainte-Guimelle and the car park before the source of Boulon.

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Laurette84
Laurette84

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Thank you for this superb hike. I have been desperately trying to find the grotte de sainte guimelle as I used to go there as a child with my father. I'd now like to show it to my 2 boys, but it's impossible to find and there's not much information available on the internet.
I'm throwing a bottle into the sea: if anyone can give me some clues as to how to find it, I'd be very happy.

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fanee
fanee

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Dec 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very nice hike, the advice is to be followed, you need to be able to climb a bit .... not be afraid of heights, but it remains moderate!
It's a shame the signposting is lacking.
Beautiful panorama!

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gerard52
gerard52

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Nice hike but the cliff face can be dangerous because of the rocks. An evacuation with abseiling by the GRIMP was necessary for one injured person.

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Molletmou
Molletmou

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very pleasant walk at this time of year; you should even cover up a little at the start, as this part of the Luberon is in the shade in the morning. The ascent is not particularly difficult and, as the name of the route suggests, there are plenty of pretty views. After a break at the Col de la Gnole, the descent is very pretty, with a very pleasant section through a small canyon with magnificent views. There is a ladder passage that is not suitable for children or animals (we had to carry a young woman's dog down the ladder).
Normally, I'm rather prone to vertigo but I didn't feel uncomfortable at any point on this hike. Although I followed the route on GPS, the markings were regular and reliable.
Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful route with us.

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ValPatPont-royal
ValPatPont-royal

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Not an easy description, but thanks to the GPS, everything went smoothly.
Sublime scenery, visit to the old village at the end of the walk, magnificent.

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Fontenotte
Fontenotte

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very pleasant, even if the path is not always easy. Better to do it this way than the other way round.

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skorpion222
skorpion222

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 11, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : N/A
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Nice walk with a visit to the village at the end

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