Mont Saint-Martin

Just a few minutes from the centre of Mandelieu-la-Napoule, this circuit takes you on a tour of part of the Estérel massif, offering breathtaking 360° views! Best done on a clear day, when you might even be able to see Corsica!

Details

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Creation:
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Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.12 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 376 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 369 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 359 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 12 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the DFCI car park at the exit of Mandelieu towards Les Adrets-de-l'Estérel at a place called Le Tremblant.

(S/E) Head south towards the Maure Vieil chapel and the Sarrazin Bridge. Keep left at the fork shortly after and follow the track through the Maupas valley to the chapel. Just before the chapel, ignore a track on the right.

(1) At the crossroads, turn right and keep right at the fork 300 m further on. Continue to the Pont Sarrazin bridge.

(2) Turn right, then left onto the path and keep left at the fork just ahead. Follow this path uphill towards Mont Saint-Martin, skirting around the south side of the hill, until you reach a four-way junction.

(3) Turn right to climb to the summit. Continue for about 300 m, then continue straight ahead for a few metres after the platform. There is a bit of climbing, but it is worth the detour.

(4) Enjoy the view, then descend via the same route.

(3) Continue straight ahead on a fairly steep path that leads to the DFCI des Œufs de Bouc track.

(5) Take the DFCI des Œufs de Bouc on the left to reach a high point.

(6) Enjoy the exceptional view stretching from Saint-Tropez in the west to the Alps. Descend on the track on the left towards the Col de la Cadière, passing two access points to cisterns on your right.

(7) At the pass, take the track on the far left to return to the Pont Sarrazin.

(2) Continue straight ahead and retrace your route in reverse to return to the car park at the start (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 13 m - DFCI car park
  2. 1 : km 1.49 - alt. 47 m - Chapelle de Maure Vieil
  3. 2 : km 2.04 - alt. 61 m - Pont Sarrazin
  4. 3 : km 3.95 - alt. 232 m - Crossroads - A: right / R: straight ahead
  5. 4 : km 4.22 - alt. 281 m - Mont Saint-Martin
  6. 5 : km 4.9 - alt. 320 m - DFCI
  7. 6 : km 5.56 - alt. 354 m - High point, viewpoint
  8. 7 : km 6.79 - alt. 242 m - Col de la Cadière
  9. S/E : km 11.12 - alt. 13 m - DFCI car park

Notes

Hiking boots are strongly recommended.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 27 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
Fifou06
Fifou06

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A very pleasant walk with a beautiful 180-degree panoramic view stretching from Nice to Saint Tropez on a clear day. A little busy on Sundays, especially at the start of the route. Highly recommended.

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Joli soleil
Joli soleil

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Very nice course

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Kiaora
Kiaora

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful panoramic views once you reach the top. Part of the climb is in the shade, which is quite pleasant in the middle of summer.
The walk took an hour less than advertised (not including breaks).

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Dominic.Ligot
Dominic.Ligot

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Great scenery for this hike, which is quite challenging given the elevation gain!
GPS tracking is essential as the explanations are too brief.

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brun ge
brun ge

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

Beautiful hike with lovely views of the Baie des Anges and Nice. High up in the Alps. Unfortunately, it was foggy on the day we went. Worth doing again... Nice shade.

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Alain BUGES
Alain BUGES

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Visorando is very good for hikers.

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DominiqueAIX
DominiqueAIX
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello,
A beautiful hike to discover the magnificent red rocks of the Estérel and enjoy superb panoramic views of the bays of Cannes and St Tropez. The flowering mimosas added a lovely touch of exoticism. There were no particular difficulties on this route. Passing by the Maure Vieil chapel prompted us to do some research into the nature of this site, which is now more or less happily tagged: it was a glass workshop and New Age retreat in the 1960s.

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Hervé/Antibes
Hervé/Antibes

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The directions from the chapel are complicated. Suffice it to say that you need to take the track marked Piste du Pont Sarrazin.
Access to the summit of Mont Saint Martin is not easy.
That said, it is a beautiful walk that allows you to discover the beauty of the Esterel with some stunning panoramic views.

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Bernard.lemettre
Bernard.lemettre

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 31, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Good evening, there is a small error in the description in paragraph S/E. The last sentence is incorrect when you say "just before, leave a track on the right"; it should read: take the track on the right as this is the correct one.
Best regards

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Ehumz
Ehumz

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent walk, starting with beautiful scenery with red cliffs, followed by two magnificent viewpoints!
It took us 2 hours and 20 minutes with two children aged 9 and 11

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API27
API27

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The chapel at the start of the trail is quite difficult to spot. It is mainly a building covered in graffiti, but look out for the three metal crosses, as this is where you need to take the path on the right.

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Coldom
Coldom

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant hike with magnificent views of the Bay of Cannes and the Var coast.
A bit too much trail for my taste, but that's the problem with the Estérel.
The description is spot on.

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mich1383
mich1383

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

A very pleasant hike, starting with a crossing of the Maure Vieil caldera, following a stream that becomes a torrent in places. Very pleasant and very easy. For those who enjoy climbing, the section up to Mont St Martin is very challenging. Access to the highest point of the mountain is difficult, if not impossible.
Returning from points 3 to 5, the climb is tough but rewards you with a splendid view of Isola 2000 and the Lérins Islands on one side, and the Bay of St Tropez and Cap Taillat on the other via the Œufs de Bouc trail. One downside: the return via the DFCI trail is tedious. Next time, we'll come back a different way, via the top of the caldera. But we're delighted with our day!

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Blp69
Blp69

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Remarkable hike – very pleasant and beautiful. The paths are in good condition. Point 4 is a must, although access is a little more technical. Be careful, the path at the top of Mt St Martin is not very visible, but with GPS you can see your progress to the end.

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TR69
TR69

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An interesting route, especially for climbing to point 4, but the descent on the forest fire roads is a little disappointing. Lots of mountain bikes, which can be a bit dangerous

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