Puy de Tourrettes and Pic de Courmettes

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Starting from the small village of Courmes, you will climb up to the Plateau Saint-Barnabé to ascend the Puy de Tourrettes, a mountain whose summit plateau offers views of the Mercantour and the coast.

After a short descent, you will climb back up to the Pic de Courmettes, a pretty viewpoint with a 360° panorama of the Loup valley, the Cheiron massif and the Cap Ferrat coastline in the Estérel.

After a steep descent along the western ridge, you will return to the village at a leisurely pace through the forest.

Details

n°2566345
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.58 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 777 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 771 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,267 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 625 m
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Photos

View of the Mercantour peaks from the summit of Puy de Tourette
Puy de Tourrettes loop Pic de Courmettes
Gorges du Loup
the Mercantour Massif

Description of the walk

Park in the car park at the entrance to the village of Courmes.

(S/E) Head down towards the D503 and turn right, then immediately left to take the path that runs along a low wall above the road, towards the Plateau Saint-Barnabé.

After passing through the forest, the path climbs upwards in hairpin bends with a beautiful view of the Gorges du Loup behind you. Continue to the intersection at signpost 256.

(1) Turn right towards Saint-Barnabé and continue straight ahead until you reach a wayside shrine near marker 255.

(2) Turn right towards Courmes for a few hundred metres until you reach a three-way junction on the edge of the plateau, above the Gorges du Loup.

(3) Take the track that climbs up to the left, crosses a small wood, then becomes a path that climbs steadily to the summit at a large flat area.

Continue to a large cairn on the left marking the highest point.

(4) Take the path that descends gently to the right towards the nearby Pic de Courmettes. The path then becomes steeper and descends to a pass.

Climb back up along the ridge towards the south and join the path coming from the Domaine des Courmettes (on the left) to reach the summit on your right.

(5) Continue on the other side of the Pic de Courmettes to begin the descent on the western ridge, following the main trail marked with a few yellow markings until you reach a forest track at marker 189.

(6) Turn right onto the track towards Courmes until you reach a cistern near marker 190.

(7) Go through the gate and continue on the right along the forest track until you reach a small pool fed by a spring at the Vallon du Bès.

(8) Descend the track on the left, which is steep at first as it descends the valley, then flattens out. Continue to marker 252.

(9) Turn left onto a path dotted with steps. Continue to the entrance to the village.

(10) At marker 251, turn left to make a detour through the centre of the village. Keep left along the low wall to arrive directly at the central square by the church.

Cross the square towards the town hall and turn right to return to the starting point at the entrance to the village. Climb the stairs on the right to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 628 m - at the entrance to the village
  2. 1 : km 2.3 - alt. 891 m - Beacon 256
  3. 2 : km 3.06 - alt. 953 m - Beacon 255 - Plateau Saint-Barnabé
  4. 3 : km 3.45 - alt. 947 m - Three-way junction - Plateau Saint-Barnabé
  5. 4 : km 5.45 - alt. 1,264 m - Puy de Tourrettes
  6. 5 : km 7.39 - alt. 1,245 m - Pic de Courmettes
  7. 6 : km 8.38 - alt. 941 m - Beacon 189
  8. 7 : km 9.02 - alt. 879 m - Cistern
  9. 8 : km 10.08 - alt. 837 m - Source of the Bès
  10. 9 : km 10.79 - alt. 721 m - Beacon 252
  11. 10 : km 11.31 - alt. 641 m - Beacon 251
  12. S/E : km 11.58 - alt. 628 m - Car park available

Notes

Avoid hiking in hot weather.
Water available at (8), spring in the Vallon du Bès.

The Courmettes estate is a 600-hectare private site managed as a nature reserve. The site is open to the public from sunrise to sunset.
The following rules must be observed in order to preserve the exceptional natural diversity found on this site and to respect the conservation work of the A Rocha association, which manages the site, as well as the work of the shepherds:
- stay on the marked paths (3 paths)
- no camping or fires
- no picking of plants or collecting of minerals
- dogs are not allowed
- Mountain bikes and horses are only allowed on DFCI tracks
- Motorised vehicles (including trial bikes) are prohibited
- Picnics are only allowed on the meadows in front of the building (the other meadows are hay meadows)
- Please take your rubbish with you
There are herds and guard dogs on the site, so please check before setting off on a trail!
https://www.courmettes.com/infos-pratiqu...

Worth a visit

Panoramic view of the Gorges du Loup, the Plateau Saint-Barnabé, the Cheiron Massif and, once at the summits, the Mercantour and the Cap Ferrat coastline in the Estérel.

In early autumn, you may hear deer at dawn or sunset.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 32 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
LaGauth
LaGauth
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A very beautiful and accessible hike, with no particular difficulties.
I confirm the direction of the hike as suggested, as the opposite direction seems more difficult to me due to the steep climb.

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LaGauth
LaGauth

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Very beautiful hike, thank you for this itinerary!
I recommend doing it in the direction indicated, as the climb seems more difficult in the other direction.

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Remi_22
Remi_22

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

What a lovely walk! In June, there are flowers everywhere and the view from the summit is magnificent. It's a feast for the eyes.
It's a bit difficult to find the path down from the Puy de Tourettes to the Pic de Courmettes, you have to take a path to the right at the top of the Puy de Tourettes. Apart from that, it's a nice easy walk, except for the descent from the Pic de Courmettes, which can be a bit strenuous at times. The start from the village of Courmes is very well signposted and this loop is very beautiful.

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Jipé… le Vrai
Jipé… le Vrai
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I did this hike on 30 March in the direction indicated. I found the climb pleasant as there were no steps that were too high for my old legs. However, the descent is a bit tricky as the steps are sometimes really high and the path is full of large stones.
So I'm not sure that doing it counterclockwise is a good idea for those who don't like this type of climb. The opposite is true, of course, for everyone else.
The 360-degree view from the top is simply sublime... I won't say any more, I'll let you discover it for yourselves.

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jb_bodin
jb_bodin

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Trail walk completed in 2 hours in winter. Fairly quiet but be careful in spring and summer. Started at 10 a.m. from Courmes, climbed in the shade, peaceful, not a soul in sight. An old sheepfold, terraces and a few oak trees (truffle trees?) surprise you a few hundred metres before you reach Puy de Tourmettes. Sunshine and a sublime panorama from the Puy and then on to the Pic de Courmettes (be careful to stay on the path as you climb towards the peak, I lost it once). No more walkers once you reach the Puy and the Pic. The descent from the Pic is quite steep and requires caution, followed by fairly fast forest paths, although stony, for the last few kilometres to Courmes.

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kikicobra65
kikicobra65

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Pleasant hike in October 2024; fairly steady route to the Pic des Courmettes, although the final ascent is quite steep.
Magnificent views from the summit.
The descent is quite steep, so you need to be careful in places.
It took me 3 hours and 45 minutes to complete the circuit. I am 60 years old.

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Dungal
Dungal

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very pleasant hike
You may feel like you're losing your way at times, but it's easy to find your bearings with the map.

The descent from Pic des Courmettes is quite challenging, but easily manageable and well marked with yellow signs.

Thanks for the discovery!

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RomaneM
RomaneM

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike. The route is well marked except for 50 metres (just before reaching the second peak). The view from the top is stunning, stretching from Fréjus to Italy. The hike is listed as taking 5 hours and 35 minutes, but it actually takes 4 hours. There was no one on the first part of the hike, but there were a lot more people on the second part, on the Pic de Courmettes.
Also, the last descent is more difficult than the rest of the hike

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Fred Car
Fred Car

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Beautiful hike with 360-degree views between the sea and the mountains.
Be careful before reaching the peak of Courmettes: follow the path that climbs upwards, which is a little difficult to find for about a hundred metres.
Otherwise, everything is perfect

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ddragon
ddragon

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike to do on a clear day, as the 360° slideshows are stunning.
Best done when the Mercantour is covered in snow to enjoy the view of the snow-capped peaks.
Take the time to visit Courmes at the end of the hike.
There are no water sources on this hike.

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Fred Car
Fred Car

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very good application

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veridisqvo
veridisqvo
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike that truly deserves its "difficult" rating. I did it with a friend who is more athletic than me, so we went at a faster pace than I would have on my own. It was tough, but I survived. The views are magnificent, both those of the sea and those of the mountains. The karst landscape is beautiful, typical of the region, and very green even in the middle of summer. It's a tough climb, and the last descent is indeed very steep, but although it took my legs a few days to recover and I could feel it in my knees, it's fine if you proceed carefully. The spring is charming, and we drank its water. I see that many people have done the circuit in the opposite direction, so I might try that next time!

One comment for hikers who are not familiar with the area: the road to the starting point is narrow, and on most of it it is impossible to pass another car, so one of the two vehicles has to reverse. Drive slowly and be careful.

Thanks for sharing this route!

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osiris130
osiris130 ★

Good evening, Vernedd,

Thanks for letting us know. The department has probably changed the marker numbers...

I will correct it based on the markings on the IGN map.

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vernedd
vernedd

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

very beautiful hike, well described, but the marker numbers don't match at all!
markers 82, 86, etc. are actually 255, 256, 254, etc.???
Otherwise, very good.

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Sonia 83
Sonia 83

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 05, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The signposting has changed since 2019 and the numbers no longer correspond. I first went to the peak and then to Le Puy, but didn't see anyone on either of the two summits. There were hunters below the Barnabé plateau, but I headed towards the Courmettes area just above (the first signpost had been removed and replaced with precise instructions to follow).
Very nice climb on the left in a well-marked scree slope shortly after the fork.
The junction between the two peaks is on a small path that is not marked at the top but is easy to find, wild and little used. Stay close to the ridge to find the descent on the left, but there are numerous cairns to guide you (none in 2019).
This walk is best done in clear weather and after rainy or windy days to enjoy the magnificent view of Nice and its bay.

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