Forest walk starting from the Col de Turini

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A short circular forest offering views of the mountains towards the Mediterranean, as well as the peaks of the Mercantour.

Details

n°15975100
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.04 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 206 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 206 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,782 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,574 m
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Photos

Cime de l'Escaillou
Forest House
Cime de l'Escaillou
Forest House

Description of the walk

Park in the Col de Turini car park.

(S/E) From the car park, head towards the D 2566 road coming from Moulinet and Sospel. Take the track to the left of the ski lift: marker 184 with signs for Cime de la Calmette and Baisse de Patronel. Continue to the crossroads at marker 32.

(1) Take the path on the right towards Cime de la Calmette. After a fairly steep climb heading south-east, turn right towards the west and continue to the summit of Cime de la Calmette. The summit is actually a large flat area. Make a small detour to the south to reach an orientation table. Enjoy the view over the mountains to the Mediterranean.

(2) Return to the path and continue westwards then south-westwards to reach marker 183, which marks a crossroads.

(3) Continue straight ahead and you will soon reach the Cime de l'Escaillou (marker 182).

(4) Leave the path that leads to Baisse de Patronel. At this point, the path takes a sharp right turn. Descend north-west for just under 100 metres. You will come to a crossroads with two paths.

(5) Leave the most obvious trail heading northeast. Take the trail on the left that descends towards the D 2566. Reach marker 194 at the junction with this road.

(6) Descend onto the D 2566 road (very steep), cross it carefully, and arrive at the clearly visible Maison Forestière.

(7) Retrace your steps and turn left onto the beautiful Croisette forest track. Join theGR®52A, follow it to the Col de Turini, then arrive at the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,604 m - Car park at - Col de Turini (1604m)
  2. 1 : km 0.32 - alt. 1,633 m - Beacon 32, Calmette
  3. 2 : km 1.6 - alt. 1,770 m - Orientation table - Cime de la Calmette (1773m)
  4. 3 : km 2.28 - alt. 1,721 m - Beacon 183
  5. 4 : km 2.52 - alt. 1,717 m - Marker 182 - Cime de l'Escaillou
  6. 5 : km 2.59 - alt. 1,715 m - Path on the left
  7. 6 : km 3.19 - alt. 1,593 m - Marker 194 - junction with D2566
  8. 7 : km 3.31 - alt. 1,584 m - Croisette Forest House
  9. S/E : km 6.04 - alt. 1,604 m - Col de Turini car park.

Notes

Good walking boots.

Worth a visit

  • Turini Pass.
  • Cime de la Calmette.
  • Escaillou Peak.
  • Croisette Forest House.

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.

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Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 15 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
visiorando83
visiorando83

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

We found this hike very pleasant at this time of year. Highly recommended

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dendi
dendi

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

Easy walk, apart from a steep climb at the beginning.
Beautiful view from the summit of La Calmette.

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User 26489855

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An easy hike that is very enjoyable in summer as it is mostly in the forest.
Be careful, there are two signposts numbered 32, which meant that we took the wrong path on the way there. The correct signpost is on the left of the track, then on the right towards the summit of La Calmette.

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Hugues M
Hugues M

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike to do on a fine day so you can enjoy the view from the peaks of Les Calmettes. You can see for miles and it's truly superb. The return journey is not particularly difficult and can be done by someone of average fitness.

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Vir go
Vir go

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

I loved it 😍 Thank you for sharing.
A very pleasant walk surrounded by fir trees all along the way, with beautiful views from the path. It's a bit of a climb at the start, but nothing too difficult. The tree is still on the ground, but as mentioned in the comments, it's easy to get around it.
I always use the GPS track and the route is fine 👌
Dogs are welcome. At this time of year, plan to go early in the day because the return trip is on a damp path and it gets cold quickly.

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Vir go
Vir go

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Great walk, easy level, magnificent views,
You're surrounded by fir trees the whole way.
Dogs are welcome. There is still a fallen tree on the path, but it is easy to get around.

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La linotte
La linotte

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A short walk that climbs steeply at the beginning but is easy going thereafter. Fallen trees have been cut up to make the path easier to navigate. Only one tree remains, but it is easy to get around.

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LaurentS06
LaurentS06
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A very pleasant walk through a beautiful forest in the cool air. There are some lovely unobstructed views of the mountains. When we reached the point (7) (an old forest house), we continued straight ahead (leaving the marked path on our right) for 15-20 minutes and, after a climb, found a clear spot for our picnic (just before reaching the top of the "Tête de Fracha"); logs were waiting for us there!

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grislin Frédéric
grislin Frédéric

Great, and thank you very much for your feedback
Kind regards

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henrigole
henrigole

Hello Frédéric,
It is true that weather conditions are becoming more extreme in many places and causing damage to hiking trails.
For your information, Visorando is developing a new feature (currently being tested in version 3.13.0-beta.9).
This feature will allow Visorando users to report any problems they encounter.
There will be six categories of reports, including "Environmental risk" >> "Fallen branches or trees".
This report will be lifted as soon as another Visorando user has confirmed that the trail has returned to normal and is accessible.

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grislin Frédéric
grislin Frédéric

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

Great hike with lots of shade, the only downside is that many trees have fallen across the path

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peskado
peskado

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful and enjoyable hike in the heart of nature. From the start to the summit of La Calmette, a few pine trees have fallen across the path due to strong winds and must be approached with caution. Otherwise, it is a pleasant walk and, something rare that deserves to be highlighted, there is no litter on the trail. The route description corresponds perfectly to the trail. Otherwise, a few paint marks at certain points along the way would be welcome.

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missouriindiaba
missouriindiaba

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

We thoroughly enjoyed this easy, uncrowded hike with superb views and beautiful forest. Don't miss the orientation table at the summit of La Calmette. We set off at 9am and were back in time for lunch before noon at the picnic tables above the Col de Turini at the starting point, marker 32. Our Visorando track showed a 300 m elevation gain instead of 400 m.

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Clemeste
Clemeste

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A superb short hike with no particular difficulties. Beautiful panoramic views in some places. Ideal for families.

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GGPOLICE
GGPOLICE

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 30, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike that is not too difficult, with stunning views. Completed in 2 hours and 15 minutes, including breaks.

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