On the heights of Ollioules from Châteauvallon

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This walk offers magnificent views of Toulon harbour and the hinterland.

Details

n°879775
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.02 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 322 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 315 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 428 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 116 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Ollioules (83190)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 43.147173° / E 5.873109°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3346OT
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Photos

At the top
Toulon harbour
Fort and hinterland
View of Six Fours

Description of the walk

Park in one of the car parks at Château Vallon and walk to the end on the opposite side of the road.

(S/E) Take the dirt road that starts off flat and climbs gently to the place called Le Détras, where you will find a water source and some ruins.

(1) Take the small path that climbs up to the left into the forest, along the stream, and follow the yellow markings. You will come to a large crossroads where theGR®51arrives.

(2) Follow thisGR® trail to the right (north-west), following the red and white markings towards the pass, until you reach a viewpoint over the bay of Toulon.

(3) Continue on theGR® until you reach the crossroads under Capeu Gros. You will arrive at a 1829 boundary marker marking the boundary between Ollioules and Évenos.

(4) Turn right and follow the blue trail markers. You will reach the edge of the forest, which is also marked by a boundary marker.

(5) Enjoy the magnificent view of Toulon and the beaches of Six Fours.
Continue and head for the small ruin below.

(6) Head south, then west, and follow the trail to theGR®51crossroads you passed earlier.

(2) Take the yellow-marked route back to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 116 m - Château Vallon car park
  2. 1 : km 1.03 - alt. 169 m - Village Le Détras (Ruines)
  3. 2 : km 2.03 - alt. 232 m - GR51 crossroads - Col de la Barre de Taillan
  4. 3 : km 2.85 - alt. 325 m - View of the harbour and the fort
  5. 4 : km 3.69 - alt. 420 m - 1829 cadastral boundary marker Ollioules-Evenos
  6. 5 : km 4.31 - alt. 395 m - Beautiful view of the harbour - Arche d'Alliance
  7. 6 : km 4.63 - alt. 320 m - Small ruin
  8. S/E : km 7.02 - alt. 116 m - Château Vallon car park

Notes

Close to the starting point is a small pond whose size varies depending on the season.

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

4.2 / 5
Based on 46 reviews
Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
User 14306859

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The description and the map don't match: it says to take the path on the right, but point 3 on the map is on the left. So we did the circuit backwards, which wasn't too bad because we climbed up the scree instead of going down it, which was much better for our knees!

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steph7878
steph7878

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

There are some beautiful views along this route.

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N’Rv
N’Rv

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 31, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The entrance is located at the end of a huge car park
The first part up to point No. 2 is uninteresting.
The route is easy to follow. The view of the countryside and the bay is nice.
The return trip via the same trail from point 2... (Best done in summer, when the undergrowth is cool)

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/adjedj
/adjedj
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

I took a group of people who were no longer young
People who aren't used to hiking may be surprised by the climb...
Otherwise, the hike takes place on good paths

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Alice V
Alice V
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with beautiful views. Clear description. Be careful though, the walk is rated "easy" but there is a bit of climbing and it is best to wear good shoes (for scree)! Very large car park at the start of the walk.

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dadbowie
dadbowie

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 19, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb walk with magnificent views
the directions are very clear, it's easy to find your way around. On the way back, we extended the walk along the ridge and took the path that led us back to the trail to "Détras". This makes the walk longer and the slope is gentler...
Good walking shoes are recommended, as there are some rocky sections.

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Georgeline
Georgeline

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very pretty views. This hike should be classified as "easy + +" rather than easy because of the scree on the paths, especially on the descent! Suitable footwear, walking sticks if necessary, and great care are required. There was a broken ankle during the descent....

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jeanyvessimon
jeanyvessimon

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route. The passage between the telegraph (5) and the ridge (6) requires careful attention (difficult scree).

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fredlouze
fredlouze

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant route, a bit challenging: the end of the climb is steep and the descent is technical in places. Make sure you wear the right shoes

The view is magnificent.

The climb is mostly in the shade, which is nice in summer

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Aquariel
Aquariel
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 04, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Beautiful hike, wild landscapes, magnificent views, with a few points of interest. Don't forget to add the 17th-century apiary at the end of the trail. It is indicated on a sign at point 1 and is 3 minutes away on the left as you go up.
There is a slight hesitation at point 2. A red and white cross on the tree on the right seems to indicate that you are leaving the GR, but this is the path to take (and it is the GR, as indicated on the map). There is also a blue mark, so follow that. I should have taken a photo, if anyone can confirm...

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Mhutes
Mhutes

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello, a lovely little impromptu hike thanks to the spring air that morning. Not many people in this forest that I love so much... superb views... a moderately difficult hike for older people and children, but no worries, really! And there are trails everywhere, so you can do this walk again and again with lots of variations... I love it!
Thank you very much for this route.
I'm attaching the short video I filmed along the way: a preview or post-trip treat 😊: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DL1sSx7...
Best regards.
Dominique.

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jafarando
jafarando

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Departure as planned from the Châteauvallon car park - knowing the route, the map and the directions allowed us to make some changes - Numerous viewpoints over the Toulon area, the western islands towards Bandol and La Ciotat, and Saint Anne d'Evenos to the north - We discovered an oppidum - two caves and the site where Chappe's telegraph is located, which invented an aerial communication network used for political and military purposes. Be careful on the route in the scree if you stray from the track

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Pierre rando
Pierre rando

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

After the first climb up to "2", the GR 51 has been downgraded and is no longer marked as a GR (red and white markings have been scratched off).
The difficulty should be "Moderate" rather than "Easy" given the rocky nature of the trail, the occasional random signage and the steepness of the slope in some places.
The ruin marked "5" is an old tower that was used for Chappe's telephone system. The view from this tower is magnificent if you take the loop in reverse, which I recommend in order to enjoy a beautiful view of Evenos.

See Wikipedia:
"The Chappe telegraph (or aerial telegraph) is a visual means of communication (telegraph) using semaphore signals over distances of several hundred kilometres, developed by Claude Chappe in 1794. The semaphores are generally placed on towers known as Chappe towers.
Today, only about twenty examples of the Chappe telegraph remain in France, some of which are in poor condition (mechanism missing)."

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WOSACARE
WOSACARE

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 08, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike on Sunday 7 February despite the light mistral wind, with magnificent views over Toulon harbour, Les Embiez and Le Brusc. An ideal hike with children aged 7 and 11, with several breaks to enjoy the different views and vegetation. It wasn't too crowded and parking was easy. Highly recommended

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Chris-83
Chris-83
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 25, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

In hindsight, I agree with the general opinion that this hike is not "easy". The weather was fine, even with occasional stops to admire the scenery and read the map of the famous Optical Telegraph, but the loop is very rocky with a few climbs and descents which, although not very long, are at least of intermediate level.
We did the hike on a beautiful winter's day with clear blue skies, and we'll do it again in spring to enjoy the warmer weather.

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