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Park in a lay-by at the side of the road below the private housing estate of Saint-Jean-de-Cannes (space for 4 or 5 cars).
(S/E) Head down the track below the road and you’ll soon reach the bottom of the Vallon de Saint-Jean.
(1) Once at the bottom, turn right and head up the valley along a damp path beneath the mimosa trees. Continue along the left bank until you reach a wider spot by the stream at Lac de la Charbonnière (a lake that did not exist in May 2020).
(2) Cross the stream and head up the path opposite. Ignore a track leading up to the left and continue along the main path (track) until you reach a junction with a path leading up from the right.
(3) Head up to the left and you’ll soon reach a wide track at a bend.
(4) Follow the track to the left, climbing in a straight line.
(5) Ignore a small path leading down to the left and stay on the main track.
After a right-hand bend, you’ll reach a Y-junction.
(6) Take the track branching off to the right, right next to a wetland area beneath the eucalyptus trees.
(7) At the end of this track, turn left onto a well-marked path that climbs straight up through the scrub. The path then levels out and takes a sharp right-hand bend before heading south-west and joining a balcony path near the Pas de la Cèpe.
(8) Turn right onto this path and enjoy your first view of the coast and the Lérins Islands.
Follow this path to the foot of the Clavette rocks.
After a hairpin bend to the left, the path gives way to a narrow passage through the rocks where you may need to use your hands. But it’s nothing too difficult.
Then head back down the other side and follow a balcony path leading to Baisse Violette.
(9) At Baisse Violette, take the path on the left that climbs above the cistern, then after a few dozen metres, look out for a cairn marking the path that climbs to the left towards Baisse des Pourraques.
The climb is easy and you reach this pretty, shaded pass after winding your way through a scree slope.
(10) From Baisse des Pourraques, take the very steep path on the left leading to the summit of Marsaou. The summit is a vast grassy area with a view somewhat spoiled by the pine trees.
(11) Turn back to the previous pass at Baisse des Pourraques.
(10) Take the path opposite, on the other side, to climb up to Les Suvières. The distance is longer but the slope is much gentler. A few easy climbing steps are required to reach the summit rocks, from where you’ll enjoy a superb panorama over the entire Estérel massif and the coast from Cap d’Antibes to the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, and on a clear day, the Mercantour in the distance.
(12) Then head back down to the previous pass, the Baisse des Pourraques.
(10) Head down to the right along a track that joins the Ravin des Fabrigouliers. Keep to the left to reach a small road at the Maison Forestière des Trois Termes.
(13) Walk past the house and follow the road to the Col des Trois Termes.
(14) At the pass, turn left onto a track, then at a three-way junction, continue along the main track which descends slightly to the right. Follow this track to the wetland you passed on the way up.
(6) Continue to the right on the track taken at the start of the hike and, after the left-hand bend, look out for a path that heads into the forest on the right.
(5) Turn right onto this path, then head down to the left into a fairly dense forest.
You will then arrive at a clearing near a hunting post. Ignore the path leading off to the right and head down a faint path slightly to the left. Pass a spring (a slightly muddy spot) and rejoin the path on the other side. Continue along this path until you reach the path you took at the start of the hike, just above the “Lac” de la Charbonnière.
(2) Turn right, cross the Vallon de Saint-Jean and follow the route you took on the way out to return to the starting point (S/E).
Visorando Member
Difficult 
Easy 
