Pichauris Park

A walk in a regional park with beautiful trails, varied routes and trees, trees and more trees.
Departure from the park’s car park at the Pichauris Hostel.

Details

45803
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.32 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 417 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 417 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 664 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 268 m

Photos

Description of the walk

on the right (1) (the circuit around the Ners Castle ruins).
Fork, do not follow the Yellow markings, go left At a fork (9), take the right-hand path. This runs along a mountainside, bypasses the site of the castle ruins and overlooks the road. Continue following signs leading to a perpendicular path (still marked in yellow) which takes a right (2).

This trail begins at the mountainside before heading down to the bottom of a valley. Once the rocks are reached, climb back up the valley to the left to meet up with a high voltage line, a wide track (3) must be followed to the left for about 1 km.

(4) turn right in the direction of the Well of Aroumi (arrowed and marked). Take a path that goes up through slabs of rock (probably slippery in wet weather). Ignore the paths leading down to the valley.

When the path starts to go down and joins a good track (5) turn left and do the same at the next intersection (6) (go in the only direction not indicated by arrows).

Stay on the track running around the hillside offering beautiful views of the Mont Sainte-Victoire to an intersection featuring a water tank.

Turn right (7) onto a track that descends into the valley. Bypass the orientation table on the hill.

At a loop in the path (8), a trail starts on the left and catches up with the circuit around the ruins at another tank. Turn right and return to the starting point

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 309 m - Park car park. Close to the - Jarret (rivière)
  2. 1 : km 0.25 - alt. 318 m - To the right, yellow markers
  3. 2 : km 0.75 - alt. 330 m - Bifurcation of the loop
  4. 3 : km 1.58 - alt. 302 m - Path on the right
  5. 4 : km 3.3 - alt. 357 m - Wide track
  6. 5 : km 4.15 - alt. 416 m - To Puits de l'Aroumi
  7. 6 : km 6.14 - alt. 651 m - To the left of the runway
  8. 7 : km 6.57 - alt. 637 m - Direction without arrows
  9. 8 : km 8.98 - alt. 424 m - Intersection with a tank
  10. 9 : km 9.86 - alt. 391 m - Left-hand path in a bend
  11. S/E : km 11.32 - alt. 309 m - Park car park

Notes

Routes plotted on roads are not always shown on the map but the markings are reliable.

Worth a visit

The hills of Marcel Pagnol, the coves of the Calanques, Mount Sainte-Baume and Mount Sainte-Victoire.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 54 reviews

Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
User 19640847
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 26, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely route and well signposted

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genevi83
genevi83

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello, I had trouble finding the description. I couldn't find the rocks, and there were lots of hunters, some friendly, others threatening in their comments (bullets can ricochet...). In short, I climbed up what I think was a blue trail that led me to a ridge that I followed (at least I could see if there were any hunters or wild boars) and I reached description 4 (I think I took a shortcut). The rest of the route matched the description (lots of DFCI tracks on the way down). But the view was really beautiful, with the star, the king's pestle, the holy victory, the holy balm, and the snow-covered foothills of the Alps. It was truly a feast for the eyes.

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User 4064955
• Edited:

Today, 26 October, is the hiking festival at the Pichauris estate. We did the circular Grands Ubacs. It was a treat. We just finished the hike with my wife. We are very satisfied with the markings, but on the other hand, when you say it's an easy hike, some sections are not for everyone, and you have to climb rocks. Over about 2 km, I don't know how elderly people manage it. The same goes for the descent. Otherwise, it's very beautiful. Some sections are not suitable for everyone, and you have to climb rocks for about 2 km. I don't know how elderly people manage it, and the same goes for the descent. Otherwise, it's very beautiful, with a stunning view of Marseille harbour and Sainte Victoire. Kind regards
.

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Philou le fada
Philou le fada

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello,

The start between points 1 and 4 is too detailed. Just say "follow the yellow route".

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Mitchoko
Mitchoko

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

Nice hike with more difference in altitude than mentioned on Visorando 415 metres
Seen 548 metres with my Garmin watch
Sincerely

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MBtx
MBtx

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Given the number of trails in this park, it was difficult to follow your route.
Thanks in any case

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phildaix
phildaix

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 20, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful walk, with views of the harbour of Marseille and the Alps on the other side; and in the middle of some lovely valleys.
From point 8 (citerne) we headed back down via the orientation table and the hamlet of Pichauris. There were several advantages: the table, the beautiful hamlet, avoiding doing the 2-1 route twice and avoiding the wide track between 8 and 2.
Otherwise, the guidebook could do with an update: perhaps new trails have been laid out since 2013, which has led to inaccuracies. For example, it's not at the 1st fork that you should turn right after 2 (where you should turn left), but at the 2nd fork; then at the end of 2, you shouldn't take the 1st path on the right, but the 2nd, which is a wide track and not a path.
But of course it's easy to find your way back!

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Martinete
Martinete

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A great variety of landscapes and types of paths (dirt and rock, easy and steep...). Good alternation between sun and shade.
Up to stage 6, all you have to do is follow the yellow markings, which coincide with the explanations. From stage 6 onwards, despite a great deal of effort, it was impossible to find the link between the paths you crossed and the descriptions, and there were no more yellow markings either. It was also impossible to use geolocation because our phones weren't receiving signals in those areas (neither on Android nor iPhone). So we ended up with what we thought was best, but it wasn't the same route as we'd planned. From that point on, however, the view was enough to tell us which direction to go in, and we ended up back where we started, so there was no danger of getting lost.

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barbbu
barbbu

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

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

We didn't follow the description, but the signs...

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gitesdelamadrague
gitesdelamadrague

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 04, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Walk in fine autumn weather. Magnificent view over the harbour of Marseille, the sainte Victoire and the Garlaban.

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Leia
Leia

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk, easy for regular walkers. Beautiful views of the Star and Ste Victoire despite the grey skies.

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guy13950
guy13950

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 11, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

very, very disappointed by the description, which is not at all clear
I know the region well but frankly it's impossible to find with such erroneous information.

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Thibault VIREMOUNEIX
Thibault VIREMOUNEIX

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 13, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very fine walk combining wooded/shady sections and open country.
Beautiful viewpoints

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Nadine13140
Nadine13140
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 26, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

You have to be careful, because we didn't find some of the signs and did the hike backwards, and got a bit lost on the way back. Difficult walk because of the difference in altitude: it's a long way up! But there are some beautiful views - Worth doing

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ajc131rando
ajc131rando

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 13, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

bad information at the start! the path that goes off to the right is not the right one; you have to keep going to find it... bad description (there were 4 of us who got it wrong).

at point 9 a path starts off to the left... we missed it too, the description was too approximate; building machinery was on the spot and certainly changed the topography of the area... in my opinion the path must have changed into something else.

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