Ascent of Coudon (83)

A nice climb to the top of Coudon (altitude 702 m) near Toulon.

Details

29548
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.27 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 322 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 316 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 656 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 348 m

Photos

Description of the walk

To access the starting point: Toulon, A57, exit 6 ‘La Farlède’, continue on to Sollies-Ville, continue to go on the road to Selves. After 3 km, turn right onto a narrow road (sign states "forbidden to all vehicles", but if the barrier is not lowered it is fine to use, the Coudon massive freely accessible). If you have to park at the barrier, add 2 km to the hike.
Continue to a small chapel and a water tank. Here you will find the car park: Lat E: 43.17358 and Long. N: 6.00330. Note that the path begins to fade before reaching the car park.

(S/E) From the start point, between the car park and the chapel, follow the GR51 route to the summit (the Coudon path, with markings in White and Red).

At a fork (1) follow the GR to the left. Further on, one crosses a ledge known as the "Petit Coudon" (2). The climb continues up to the viewpoint (3).

From there, the trail takes us back on our steps a little and leads to the road (D446) (4). Head right on this road for 2.3 km.

(5) Leave the GR51 and turn right: the path is flat at the beginning and passes between two small peaks. This path leads us to an intersection of paths with a post which shows 4 coloured markings (6). Turn left and downwards (a 180° turn), then 200 m further on, turn right continuing downwards.

The trail descends steadily and opens onto the GR51 (1). Take this left to return to your vehicles.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 348 m - Car park and oratory
  2. 1 : km 0.41 - alt. 367 m - Junction at hill 367
  3. 2 : km 1.13 - alt. 493 m - Petit Coudon
  4. 3 : km 1.98 - alt. 656 m - Orientation table
  5. 4 : km 2.1 - alt. 650 m - D446
  6. 5 : km 4.59 - alt. 493 m - Start of the path on the right
  7. 6 : km 5.42 - alt. 491 m - Beacon post
  8. S/E : km 7.27 - alt. 348 m - Car park and oratory

Notes

Admire the magnificent view as you climb stretching south to the sea with Porquerolles Island, and then when heading down the road at a hairpin bend, the extraordinary panorama of the most beautiful harbour in the world, that of Toulon of course !
Warning!, near the summit you will be hiking through military land... but this should not be a problem. Access to Fort Lieutenant Girardon is, of course, strictly prohibited!
The climb is tough ... and there is no water! During the day, a hat is indispensable. In the evening at the top it's not hot: bring a jumper and/or a wind-breaker.

Worth a visit

To visit: Toulon, of course ... Hyères and the Golden Isles (Porquerolles, Port-Cros and Levant).
Small additional detail: starting from Toulon there is a direct route by car to La Valette and the D446... to, for example, meet up with hikers.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 86 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
PANDA 83
PANDA 83

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 04, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The climb is interesting, and the return through the woods is pleasant, but the two-kilometre stretch of tarmac in between is a bit of a slog. It might be possible to avoid this section by creating a route to the left of the road between point 4 and point 5, using the paths that appear to be accessible. Worth looking into.

Machine-translated

stjo
stjo

Don't worry, @User 23153180, there's no risk of getting lost: if you go up, it's Coudon; if you go down, it's Tourris.

Machine-translated

User 23153180

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This is the second time I've done this hike.
I love the scenery, but there are no signposts...
Each time I go out, I discover a new route, unfortunately at the risk of getting lost

Machine-translated

Sartillais
Sartillais

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello. This hike was done at the end of April 2025 by the two of us (both 68 years old) combining two hikes (departure from Solliers Ville chapel). Nice hike but slowed down at the end after the Petit Coudon as it was much steeper than Normandy.....

Machine-translated

RandoMichou
RandoMichou

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Interesting walk for the magnificent views along the way but too much walking on the road ...
Too bad ...!

Machine-translated

FabetTsuko
FabetTsuko

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike done 2 times. It's a superb hike with lovely views!

Machine-translated

sylvie la crau
sylvie la crau

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

hello
We did this walk yesterday and it was very pleasant because the descent is gentle. It took us 2 hours 15 minutes without stopping.
The view is magnificent and the route is not very busy.

Machine-translated

Gitan13
Gitan13

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Walk made at the end of July 2024. Very hot and in a clockwise direction. As is often the case, the signposting seems 'obvious' after the fact....But at the time we found the GR signposting non-existent, there was green signposting on the ground but it didn't start until we were well on the 'right path' up to Petit Coudon (it goes off to the left) after much hesitation. As for the Visorando signposting, which is sketchy for the start because it doesn't take into account the presence of several paths, we didn't find several elements: the orientation table for the ascent, for the descent, after the road section, the 'multicoloured post' had disappeared: you have to go downhill, at least that's the principle - there's only one path that goes off at a hairpin bend, so don't go back up towards the fort. As for the climb from Petit Coudon to Coudon (which is the goal after all), it seems to have been omitted from the description.
I can't remember the comments made elsewhere, but I still don't know if you were allowed to go up to the end of the road, at the foot of the car parks (?). For the view +++. We were deterred not by commandos but by free-roaming billy goats. Then, on the way down, we discovered the 'prohibited military terrain' sign, which is not visible when you come out of the climb at the North Battery.

Machine-translated

flo2mat9
flo2mat9

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

No signposting.
Interesting walk, beautiful views and a very pleasant shaded section in the undergrowth from point 6. Road section between points 5 and 6.

Machine-translated

jcrando83
jcrando83

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very fine walk, part of which is shaded. The climb was a little physical. The summit was a little frustrating as it was military.
The descent on pavement with a few opportunities to cut through the forest from time to time.

Machine-translated

JEA
JEA

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Done in the proposed direction today, and given the time, we must have bumped into the people in the previous post. Were they both walking with walking sticks?
Apart from that, the track is old and not very precise on reaching the summit, but the paths are clearly visible and the orientation tables can be reached from the cistern. The view of Toulon harbour and the rest of the area is splendid from the road leading down. The views from the Petit Coudon and upwards are also splendid in sunny weather.
Beware of animals or small children: when you reach the Petit Coudon, the cliff is never far from the path, but is sometimes hidden by vegetation.

Machine-translated

sergelastennet
sergelastennet
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb ride.
However, there were no G51 markings at all. We did the route in reverse (equally beautiful in both directions).

To avoid making a mistake, first turn left at the first fork in the road at the end of the Chemin du Coudon, then left again after a hundred metres (follow the path made up of sloping stone slabs). From here, you can continue on to the Petit Coudon.

Yours sincerely

Machine-translated

Eti2013
Eti2013

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Good hike, with some pretty nice views
Steep path at the start until you reach the road at the top of Mont Coudon
Then, the section on the road is flat and you descend from the path on the way back.

Be careful at the start of the hike, take the track with the "chemin de Coudon" sign.

Machine-translated

Lili 83
Lili 83

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

For the ascent from the Chemin du Coudon, there is little or no red and white signposting, just follow the more or less faded orange circles. At the top, before reaching the orientation table for the last 300 metres, it was difficult to read the path. It was a steep but magnificent climb, taking us 1.5 hours to cover the 2 km. Instead of taking the road (point 4), we turned left onto the blue and green signposted crest path, which was superb but a little demanding and technical, with pebbles and rocks. We followed it until we crossed the road (point 5) to take the very pleasant and relaxing undergrowth path down to the car park. All in all, this variation on the ridges took 4 hours. A superb loop, best done on a day with little or no wind.

Machine-translated

stjo
stjo

did you do it at night?

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.