Pic du Perthus Occidental

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A walk to the top of this peak offers incredible views of the Estérel, the Alps and the Mediterranean.

Details

n°1797235
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.25 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 281 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 290 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 285 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 62 m
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Photos

View of the Estérel from the start of the climb to the Pic du Perthus
View from the Pic du Perthus
View from the Pic du Perthus
Panorama towards the north

Description of the walk

Park in the car park at the Roussivau Forest House.

(S/E) Take the paved road eastwards, along the Maison Forestière. Approach the Ruisseau du Perthus before reaching a picnic area.

(1) Begin a slight climb towards the Perthus bridge by taking the path on the left.
At the first fork, keep right and at the next fork, keep left to follow the Ravin du Perthus.

After passing the bridge, turn left to begin the climb. At the top, turn left and continue to the crossroads with the track leading to the peak.

(2) Take this on the left to reach the Pic du Perthus Occidental, which offers a remarkable view.

(3) Return by the same route to the previous crossroads.

(2) Stay on the track, passing close to two cisterns. Shortly after the second one, you will reach the Baisse Andoulette crossroads.

(4) Leave the track on the left for 50 metres, then take the path that descends to the left. After a hairpin bend to the right, you will come to a fork in the path.

(5) Turn right and quickly rejoin a track, which is the Castelli track. Turn left onto it. Cross the stream over a bridge and return to the Roussivau forest house (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 89 m - Roussiveau Forest House
  2. 1 : km 1.77 - alt. 62 m - Leave the road and take the path on the left
  3. 2 : km 3.26 - alt. 281 m - Track junction, on the left
  4. 3 : km 3.8 - alt. 238 m - Pic du Perthus Occidental
  5. 4 : km 5.24 - alt. 253 m - Baïsse Andoulette
  6. 5 : km 6.63 - alt. 132 m - Take the path on the right
  7. S/E : km 7.25 - alt. 88 m - Roussiveau Forest House

Notes

Given the rocky nature of the terrain, which is similar to most trails in the Estérel, a good pair of walking shoes is obviously necessary.

Don't forget to bring water!

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 25 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
Bja
Bja

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 31, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very good views of the coast and the hinterland of the Var. It's a good spot for your picnic. You should mention to "forget" the yellow markings which do not correspond to this route but to common parts. Beware of the heat in summer (little shade)

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Palagnaque
Palagnaque

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We managed to complete the hike, and the view from the top was beautiful! However, the route details were too brief. We ended up walking an extra 2 kilometres. That was a shame, but otherwise it was an easy hike with very few people around, which didn't help with navigation. We were happy nonetheless!

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clint21
clint21

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Towards the end, before reaching the track that leads to the forest house, a little more signposting would be helpful, as it is easy to keep going straight ahead and then have to turn back to the path on the right that leads to the starting track and the forest house. However, it's no big deal, and with a map or GPS, you won't get lost!

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beretzl
beretzl

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A very beautiful hike with magnificent views.

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alineb13
alineb13

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike without any particular issues.
Please note that the road leading to the forest house car park, which marks the start of the hike, was closed. This may be a fire road that is closed in summer.
You have to park opposite the campsite, which adds 1-1.5 km of minor road to the hike.
We did the route in reverse so that we could cool off in the river at the end of the hike (we had seen this in a comment), but in the middle of August, the river was almost dry!

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Popeye83 66
Popeye83 66

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello, this hike is really nice.
It can be done with older children.
The view is magnificent.
Don't forget to bring water, as the climb to the peak is a bit thirsty 😉

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Philippe Parazols
Philippe Parazols

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We took a very pleasant walk 'backwards', which seemed like the best option. To access the forest road, turn as if you were heading to the campsite (the directions are unclear, except perhaps for those with a GPS). The car park is at the end of the road in question. One of the advantages of doing the loop 'backwards' is that you end up at the river, where you can enjoy a lovely swim in the summer. Finally, for those who choose the same option, on the way back from the summit plateau, the path downhill is marked by a large cairn on the right. It is still the yellow route.

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Philippe Las
Philippe Las

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with breathtaking views from the summit. Very few hikers at this time of year. After a section on asphalt, there is a beautiful climb on a little-used path.

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Jeremie0611
Jeremie0611

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very good hike, great view.
Did it with my 8-year-old daughter.

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Hubdu07
Hubdu07

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with a stunning view from the summit.
We did a variation by doing the circuit in the opposite direction to the one suggested, which is marked in yellow.
Advantages of this variation: you can climb in the shade in the morning by following the markings and avoid the paved road.
To do this, after passing the forest house, in the first bend on the left, leave the road and take the path that climbs uphill with the yellow markings.
At the next intersection, turn left and continue to follow the yellow markings to rejoin the suggested route in the opposite direction a little further up.
On the descent after the peak, before rejoining and returning via the road, take the path on the right that climbs slightly and leads back to the starting intersection.
Similar distance covered. Total time: 2 hours 35 minutes including stops.

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GordonB
GordonB

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 30, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, with no major difficulties for seniors.
The view from the summit is exceptional.
In summer, do the circuit in reverse to avoid the sun.
I recommend it.

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Fluryjc
Fluryjc

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 24, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Completed by two senior hikers with walking sticks, knee pads and GPS tracking on their smartphones, which proved very useful as there were few signposts along the way.
A very beautiful hike with very wild scenery.
No technical difficulties
Thank you for posting this beautiful route on the website

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farigoul
farigoul

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 21, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The only downside is that I think it's nicer to take the path above, just after the Roussiveau forest house, to avoid the paved section.
Best regards

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mmll84
mmll84

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, but it is not marked, which is why there is no one there except for other hikers!
so it's best to have an IGN map with you to find your way around.
On that day, there was a strong mistral wind and we couldn't picnic at the summit, which was a shame because the view is extraordinary, but we found a very sheltered spot among the rocks just below.

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nannyfab
nannyfab

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice route... even though we missed the Castelli trail due to a lack of attention on our part. The path we took brought us back quietly to the paved road where we started. Magnificent view from the pass.

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