Deffend Trail north of Sainte-Maxime

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A walk in the hills above Sainte-Maxime, rewarded with a superb 360° view from the Estérel to the Maures, taking in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez and, on a clear day, the Alps.

Hike published by Éditions du Chemin des Crêtes: Les plus belles randonnées Visorando Provence Côte d'Azur.

Details

n°2011981
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.20 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 285 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 284 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 335 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 49 m
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Photos

View of the snow-capped Alps from the summit of Deffend
Pine trees and mimosas
Mimosas and reeds along the Saquèdes stream
Viewpoint

Description of the walk

Park at the junction of a small tarmac road and the DFCI road climbing between the Figuière Féré and Saquèdes neighbourhoods.

(S/E) Continue north, following the Ruisseau des Saquèdes stream. Move away from it further on to reach the crossroads of the DFCI track with a cistern at the pass.

(1) Turn left onto the DFCI track and follow the slight incline to the junction with the path leading to the summit of Deffend.

(2) Turn left to reach the summit.
Be careful here: the going gets tough with some steep sections on rocks and stones.

(3) Begin the descent heading south, which is sometimes tricky with steep sections on rocks and stones. Follow a circular track. Do not take it to reach a new track.

(4) Take it on the left and follow it to return to the starting car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 50 m - Car park between Figuière Féré and Les Saquèdes
  2. 1 : km 1.69 - alt. 187 m - DFCI crossroads at the pass
  3. 2 : km 3.4 - alt. 272 m - Chemin du Deffend crossroads
  4. 3 : km 3.97 - alt. 332 m - Summit of Deffend
  5. 4 : km 5.12 - alt. 182 m - DFCI trail junction
  6. S/E : km 7.2 - alt. 51 m - Car park between Figuière Féré and Les Saquèdes

Notes

Parking access: fairly steep but easy slope offering a beautiful view of the gulf and the town of Sainte-Maxime.
Between (1) and (2), enjoy the view on the right of the Maures and, in the background, the Haut Var and Mont Lachens (1,714 m) and, on a clear day, the Southern Alps.
It is strongly recommended that you wear walking shoes or good trainers.
Note about this walk: I think the hike must be easier in the other direction given the profile, and the steep, rocky sections are (for me) easier to climb, and there are only a few of them at the start of the summit on the other side.
To be tried another time.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 21 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
Cricri83120
Cricri83120

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Hike completed on 13 November 2025, extended to the Chanteloup Pass. Very beautiful route.

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User 28123554

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

magnificent view over the Gulf of Saint-Tropez

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MPVR13090
MPVR13090

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

as mentioned elsewhere, do the route in reverse order to that suggested by Visorando.
recommendations: take your walking sticks as some sections are very stony.
Otherwise, it's a very pleasant route, not particularly difficult but demanding with ascents and descents. Be careful on the stony descents.

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caiddesoyats
caiddesoyats

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The description is no longer accurate in relation to the terrain, or signage is in place indicating the route in the opposite direction, which is better, and the route is slightly longer
very beautiful panoramic views

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GETHE
GETHE

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The last 200 metres to reach the orientation table are quite challenging
But this is more than compensated for by the magnificent 360° view

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Co25
Co25

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Very beautiful hike, exceptional views.
Please note: wear sturdy footwear, as there are some steep and very rocky ascents and descents.

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Ryzoune
Ryzoune

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

hike as described. We completed this hike in 2½ hours, stopping frequently to admire the beautiful scenery and take photos

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Gérard687
Gérard687

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

Lovely walk. Starting point not easy to find.

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tyty2525
tyty2525

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

1 difficult descent
otherwise great!

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emma41
emma41

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

On 14 March, we did the circuit in reverse in overcast weather.
On 16 March, we followed the route as described, with sunshine and the panoramic loop as an added bonus. The descent over rocks at the end of the route is more difficult.
Very beautiful views.
Thank you for the publication and the reviews.

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Celtic 1503
Celtic 1503

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant short walk that can be extended by following the "panoramic route" signs
Avoid Sundays when hunting is taking place.
Very well marked, magnificent views.

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Jean-Michel Delcourt
Jean-Michel Delcourt

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Hello, we did the route in reverse, as suggested in other comments. We continued on the panoramic route, which is a bit longer but more touristy. There are many magnificent views. There was a bit of tarmac on the way back, but we didn't encounter any cars.

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Simon1
Simon1

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

As suggested by the hiker himself, the circuit would be better enjoyed in the opposite direction, as the entire beginning of the walk is on an uninteresting tarmac road. (We did it backwards.)
On the other hand, there are magnificent views of Sainte-Maxime, the Bay of Saint-Tropez and the Esterel massif. There is an orientation table at the summit!
The access road to the starting point of the hike is not easy to find from the main avenue in Sainte-Maxime. Turn right after the YES shop and before PICARD

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ANNE2669
ANNE2669

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We walked the trail in the opposite direction, as indicated by the signposts in the town of Sainte-Maxime. We walked the tarmac section downhill at the end of the trail, which we found more pleasant. At the summit, there was a magnificent 360-degree panorama (orientation table) over the entire Gulf of St Tropez, and the snow-capped Mercantour Massif was also visible. The panoramic trail is well marked. A beautiful, exotic walk very close to the town.

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BarbuMamilene
BarbuMamilene

Thank you for your comments

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