Pilon du Roi walks

This short but fairly challenging hike takes you along numerous small paths and immerses you in a fairly wild area. It also allows you to reach the famous Pilon, visible from all over the Aix region.

Starting from the Marseille metropolitan area, a combination of classic trails and lesser-known paths to reach and explore a section of the Chaîne de l'Étoile ridges.

This hike starts at Logis Neuf near Plan-de-Cuques and takes you to Pilon du Roi, climbing up the beautiful valley of the same name. From there, follow the ridges offering magnificent panoramic views of the entire region to reach the Tête du Grand Puech. During the descent, you will discover the Aire de la Moure before returning, after a short climb, to your starting point.

A very challenging circular route to Pilon du Roi, passing through four magnificent valleys: the Vallon de Mauvelle with its large limestone basins to cross, the Vallon du Pilon du Roi with its strangely shaped rocks that sometimes seem to be watching us, the more accessible Vallon de Fontvielle with its caves and springs, and the Vallon des Escombes, sometimes wild, sometimes calm, with its long tunnel of vegetation at the end of the route. A short stretch of tarmac through La Montade to return to the starting point.

In the hills of Marseille, this beautiful hike leads to the Pilon du Roi, a solitary monolith that catches the eye from the plain and offers a splendid view of Marseille and the surrounding mountains. A long stretch along the ridge offering beautiful views, a small, shady and secluded valley, and a few almost forgotten paths are the main attractions of this physically demanding route, despite the overall elevation gain, which may seem insignificant.

Another suggested route to reach the Pilon du Roi via its valley, starting from the Chemin des Gages in Plan-de-Cuques via a beautiful ridge path between the Vallon des Escombes and the Chemin de Mimet. After a round trip to the lookout point and a passage at the foot of the Pilon du Roi, the return route also follows a ridge between the Vallon de Mauvelle and the Vallon du Pilon du Roi, passing via the Caban. Magnificent 360° views throughout the route.

It is a very beautiful hike with a few sections that are a bit tricky for those with sensitive feet and for those who are afraid of heights. It climbs at the start to reach the lookout point via the ridges of Bau Trauqua. It passes by the Tête du Grand Puech and has a circular route that takes it around the Pilon du Roi. Much of the route is exposed, offering stunning scenery, especially on a clear, sunny day.