Roquevaire walks

Mont du Marseillais, which is easily accessible, offers a wonderful 360° panorama of the surrounding mountains and even the Mercantour on a clear day. After passing the small summit of Le Défens, the descent is via Le Grand Vallon to return to the Marseillais valley, where pine trees reign supreme. A beautiful, peaceful loop in unspoilt wilderness, undisturbed by the rare cars that use the tracks.

A walk to the lovely 360° viewpoint of Mont du Marseillais in the hinterland of the Marseille region.

A beautiful hike with cable and chain passages and magnificent 360° views from the top of the Garlaban. Please note that a municipal by-law has prohibited descent via the Dansaires trail since 2010 due to rockfalls.

This short walk on the heights of Auriol was discovered by chance while trying to get as close as possible to the chapel, which stands out immaculately against the blue sky. It's a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon with the family, climbing just 37 metres. From the top, there is a remarkable view of the village and the entire surrounding area, from the northern slopes of the Sainte-Baume mountain range to the east to the Étoile mountain range to the west.

Two distinct atmospheres on this hike: a walk through the steep-sided, shaded Saint-Clair valley, then, after a break at the Petit Tuny refuge, a return along beautiful tracks and a detour to the Saint-Clair Chapel. Varied and magnificent landscapes.

This trail is another way of getting to the Petit Tuny hut. On this trail, you stay off the DFCI tracks as much as possible, by taking non-waymarked paths instead. At the highest point of the route, you will have a wonderful view over Garlaban, the Huveaune Valley and Bertagne Peak.

A demanding route, but not very well travelled. It can be done as a return trip to the Croix de Bassan for a medium level of difficulty. It can also be extended by going to the electricity pylon. Beautiful view of Roquevaire and Sainte-Baume.

An easy, short hike where you can grill your meal.

Overall, this is a very pleasant hike. Especially after passing Cistern 52, where you’ll find a series of outstanding single tracks. The hike takes you along the ridges to discover magnificent scenery.

This walk starts in Auriol and climbs up to the Grotte des Infernets before descending to the Glacière des Encanaux. Most of the walk takes place through pine forests, often alongside a river and accompanied by birdsong.

This is a beautiful loop with a very steady climb through a picturesque valley, under tunnels of vegetation and magnificent suspended rocks. There are splendid views of the Huveaune valley, Géménos, Aubagne and Marseille. Next, pass by the very welcoming Tuny refuge and descend via the Vallon de Saint Clair, which also offers beautiful landscapes of steep rocks.

A splendid walk starting from the Encanaux, near Auriol, along the top of the Infernets and then the Coutronne ravines. At times along the cliffside ravines, similar to some sections of the Gorges du Verdon. From Lare Pass (Col de la Lare), you will have a magnificent view of the Sainte-Baume range and the Pic de Bertagne to the south and Sainte-Victoire Mountain, Mont Olympe and Mont Aurélien to the north.

Hike near Auriol, in the Encanaux and Infernets ravines, with an ascent of two rarely visited peaks, discovery of caves and a visit to the Encanaux ice house.

As soon as you enter the park, you immediately tackle a steep climb. You’ll encounter much narrower paths, as well as unmarked paths and paths that are barely there: it’s a bit like a treasure hunt. So this is for experienced hikers. There will also be DFCI tracks. The off-track sections are no longer than 300 metres, so nothing to worry about. However, you will needto use the GPX track on your GPS. It is a physically demanding but lovely hike. It follows the ridges. It’s a great experience with magnificent scenery. For much of the way, there are also areas of undergrowth to cross, such as the Bois de la Lare, which the route passes through on the descent. The route also takes in the Grottes des Infernets, with views of the spring bubbling up, depending on the time of year.

The Encanaux and Infernets ravines are two remarkable valleys near Auriol. This route will take you up the entire length of the wild Encanaux ravine, which is very quiet and shaded in hot weather. The return journey will take you through the more classic Coutronne and Infernets ravines with their beautiful landscapes.

A short, easy and pleasant hike, alternating between springs, gorges and small caves, with picnic areas along the stream. Moderator's warning on 25/01/2021: Please note! Reviews of this hike indicate that it is preferable to have a GPS device to follow the route correctly and that some paths have been overgrown.

This hike around Peypin will allow you to discover the village, its history and its hills. You will walk along a stream, which is remarkable when in full flow with its small waterfall and pools, and follow paths through shady valleys. The hike ends with a tour of the village's narrow streets and a visit to the castle. If you wish, you can skip this last part (see (8) for things to do nearby).

This hike takes you through the forest and vineyards. Along the way, you will discover the care and attention that winegrowers devote to their vines in order to produce the best wine possible. The icing on the cake is that you can visit the Auriol wine cellars and taste the wines produced from the vines you have just walked through.

Ascent towards Mont du Marseillais, then a walk along a ledge with beautiful views of Sainte Victoire, Mont Ventoux, the Southern Alps, Sainte-Baume, the Huveaune Valley, the Aubagne Plain, the cliffs of Cassis and Marseille. The route also includes a visit to the Baume Sourne Cave.

This isan easy hike with stunningly beautiful views. Overall, you will walk along long stretches of mountainside, some of which are a little tricky and require you to take your time, but which offer truly breathtaking views.

An alternative route to the Grand Vallon other than via Lascours. This route starts from Pichauris, climbs up to Mont du Marseillais, follows the Sentier des Tourdes, then descends to the Pas du Grand Vallon. The ascent of the Grand Vallon is a classic route featuring the famous, highly technical section equipped with chains (see § practical information) before reaching the Col du Régage. The return to the hamlet of Pichauris follows theGRP®2013. Varied and magnificent scenery throughout the route. Please note: there are a few difficult sections; please read the route description carefully.

The main attraction of this route is reaching the summit of Cride de Peypin hill via a path with no truly visible or existing tracks (see § Practical Information). At the top: a cross, the remains of an ancient Gallo-Roman oppidum and, above all, magnificent 360° views of the surrounding hills and villages. Starting from Pichauris, the route passes by the Cride stream and its large limestone potholes and, on the return journey, through a picturesque valley extending from Mau Vallon to reach the hamlet of Le Régage.

Starting from La Bouilladisse station, this hike climbs through oak and pine forests onto a vast plateau, then descends through gorges to the hamlet of Le Pigeonnier and then La Bouillladisse. The hike is accessible via the free public transport network of the Pays d'Aubagne et de l'Étoile. Line 5: La Bouilladisse station stop.

A circular route through ridges and valleys, mostly on well-maintained paths, towards the Collet du Ratier hill. Magnificent scenery throughout the route and old stone quarries to explore. 

Yet another climb towards Garlaban, but this one stands out, firstly because it starts from Camoin, but also because the return route via Pas des Quatre Fers is relatively little used. Jean Camoin was the name of a15th-century landowner who owned a lot of land around Garlaban (hence the name of the locality in Aubagne and the district in Marseille).

Starting from the Micocouliers car park above Pichauris, this beautiful circular route around the Grands Ubacs will take you to the orientation table and beneath the antennas of Mont du Marseillais. You can discover the places where Yves Robert located Marcel Pagnol's holiday home in the film "La Gloire de mon Père" (My Father's Glory).

La Sainte-Baume as you've never seen it before: a ledge at the foot of imposing rocky peaks, a short climb to reach an isolated plateau offering panoramic views of the Alps as far as Cap Sicié. The entire walk is on small, wild trails, just the way I like them. A challenging walk with an 8-metre rock climb, rated 2 at most (easy scrambling).

A beautiful hike above Cadolive that will take you to the summit of Mont Julien, where you can enjoy magnificent panoramic views of Sainte-Victoire, the Alps and the bay of Marseille.

This hike is located near Aubignane, a site at the foot of Garlaban, where Marcel Pagnol built several brick buildings for filming his movies. It is, in a way, our Provençal Hollywood. Only a few ruined houses remain, those used in the films Angèle and Regain, but all these places are steeped in history. In accordance with the illustrious writer's wishes, a few wheat fields are still cultivated there for the exclusive use of local waterfowl.

From the La Font de Mai estate, hike in the Pagnol hills with magnificent views of Marseille and the surrounding mountains.

This is a short, pleasant and easy walk, with very wide paths throughout the route. This route takes you away from the most popular paths to explore Fond de Mai. The area is very green and there are lovely family-friendly areas at the very start of the walk.

A beautiful loop with spectacular views at the top and a return via the Vallon des Piches, which offers views over the whole of Marseille.

This hike will take you above the beautiful Falaise de la Galère cliff with its breathtaking views to the fascinating Grande Baume cave, which you will cross from end to end. Don't be put off by the elevation gain, as it wasn't too difficult for our old legs.