The Caderaou Balcony (le balcon de Caderaou)

A hike along the balcony with superb views of the Etang de Berre (a small inland sea called Lake Berre).

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.19 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 255 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 248 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 119 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 0 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park at the Gouin car park opposite No 596 Avenue de Massane.

(S) From the car park, with your back to the lake, take the left on to Avenue de Massane (D52) towards the east (yellow waymarkers).
Go along a small beach, then turn left (Allée de la Plage d’Arthur).

(1) On approaching a small beach, take the stairs which lead to the beach and then cross the 'Place' until you reach a wooden sign indicating the start of the path for discovering the Etang de Berre.
The path goes along the lakeside, then leaves it at the next beach and heads to the right.

(2) At the top of the steep path, don't go to the right, but instead head downwards slightly and then climb upwards again. The path winds upwards and downwards like this.
At an intersection, carry straight on towards a small rocky escarpment. At the top of the plateau, under the shadows of the large pine trees, head to the left.
The path crosses a large path, take the route which heads downwards.
The path alternates again between climbing uphill and then back downhill. On arriving at a track, continue towards the south, ignoring the small path to the right.
50 metres later, the path coming from the right re-joins the track, continue straight on.

(3) The route continues through the pine trees and leads you back downhill towards the lake. At a fork, take the left (still following the yellow waymarkers).
After having reached the bottom of the hill, next take the left heading to the lakeside.

(4) Go along the lakeside, where you will walk across beach after beach full of shells.
After having walked along the beach on one side and a cultivated field on the other side, on approaching a clump of pine trees, the trail leaves to the right and, 50 metres after, to the right again until you reach a wooden sign.

(5) Take the left on to the path which heads towards the hill in the direction of Saint-Mitre. The trail is joined by the GR path (red and white waymarking).
Go around the ruins of Figuerolles and follow the main path.
When the trail bends to the left, don't take the path leaving to the right, instead head to the left (attention - there is no waymarking at this point).
Pass in front of a very pretty centuries-old oak tree.

(6) At the T-junction, turn to the right and follow a very pretty, large path through the pines.
At the 'citerne de la Loubière' (Loubière cistern) (No 358), take the left. 50 metres later you will reach a fork in the path, take the path to the left (a cement path) for 50 metres, then leave it and head to the right.
When the waymarkers appear again on the path, head to the left and at the next fork, take the path which goes downhill to the right.
At the bottom of the hill, take the right towards the herd. The path crosses a cypress hedge and joins a path which leads to a private property, take the left along the cypresses.

(7) At the end of the lane, on approaching the wood, turn to the right to go alongside the herd.
At the fork, take the left on to the tarmacked route and follow it up to the D52.

(8) Cross the D52 and continue on the path straight ahead, which turns into a 'calade' (a Provençal paved street with stones laid edgewise). When the path climbs again, continue first of all towards the left and then after a sharp bend, veer towards the right.

(9) At the next fork, 100 metres later, continue straight on and leave the yellow waymarked trail.
Follow the path with the blue waymarking - it's not very clear. The path goes downhill and then joins another path, follow it to the left. Continue on this path, always heading to the left, in order to finally climb uphill again for a few metres until you reach another path.

(10) Take the right on to the path with the yellow waymarking again, as well as the red and white waymarking of the GR.
Follow it downhill and after a fairly steep slope, ignore the paths to the right and left and continue straight onwards.
When the path comes to the first lot of houses, go past the high voltage cabinet, and continue straight on down Allée Léonard de Vinci which goes downhill to Avenue de Massane. Turn right after 150 metres to return to the car park.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 6 m - Parking Gouin, Avenue Massane
  2. 1 : km 0.93 - alt. 4 m - Left towards the beach - Etang de Berre
  3. 2 : km 1.82 - alt. 61 m - To the left at the top of the steep slope
  4. 3 : km 3.6 - alt. 112 m - Left for the descent
  5. 4 : km 4.87 - alt. 2 m - Edge of the pond
  6. 5 : km 6.01 - alt. 5 m - Left towards Saint-Mitre
  7. 6 : km 6.64 - alt. 50 m - Right on the runway
  8. 7 : km 9.19 - alt. 37 m - To the right in the pines
  9. 8 : km 10.26 - alt. 13 m - Cross the D52
  10. 9 : km 10.78 - alt. 53 m - To the right on the path
  11. 10 : km 11.55 - alt. 69 m - Right on the runway
  12. S/E : km 12.19 - alt. 6 m - Parking Gouin, Avenue Massane

Practical information

The path can become muddy after it's been raining.

From the departure point (S) to point (6), the route is waymarked in the terrain, but it does not appear on the map.

 Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 123 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
User 3842777

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Hello,
We did the route yesterday. The start of the route was very interesting, but we were a little disappointed by the lack of variety. In fact, we cut it short at the end... Maybe it's just a matter of taste.
Nevertheless, if you want to do this hike, there is little shade on most of the route.
In any case, thank you for this great app. We use it regularly in France and abroad. Even though it's free, it's very good quality.

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kris13500
kris13500

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 31, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Super hike, varied and enjoyable.
Done in 3 hours.

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7Leurres
7Leurres

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : May 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

We did this route in the opposite direction to finish by the beaches.
At point 4 we chose to stay close to the coast, but as the path is not very well used, it gets a bit lost, so I don't recommend making this choice; prefer the recommended route.
We had previously done the Figuerolles loop and we ate where the 2 itineraries meet at the water's edge,
That's where we ate.
A word of advice: bring at least 1.5 litres of water per person as there are no refreshments available; especially if it's not very hot.
Beautiful views over the Etang de Berre, the Sainte Victoire and the Sainte Beaume.
Have a good hike!

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jeanFRAN
jeanFRAN

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Varied walks, shellfish beaches, pine forests and pretty village. Things to do

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BrigitteGenolier
BrigitteGenolier

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very interesting walk with a wide variety of landscapes. We really enjoyed it.
The shell beaches are superb.
The end of the route was a bit chaotic as the blue line was almost non-existent. We got a bit lost between the 9th and 10th .... but nothing serious, we found our way back.
My altitude difference was 374 metres and the distance 14 kms.

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viaplata
viaplata

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Starting from Massane beach, you have to take the path to get to the second beach as it's impossible to walk along the coast. The blue line is everywhere along the route, which we followed to the letter, and we continued on to Figuerolles beach to enjoy the picnic area. On the way back, we visited St Mitre les Remparts and then finished the loop.

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ange24
ange24

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very beautiful walk in a very beautiful wild environment. We really enjoyed it

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bridgeclubmartigues
bridgeclubmartigues

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

This walk follows the blue route for most of the way.
However, the distance is 13.6km and the difference in altitude 350m.
Change of the balcony walk from Figuerolles park

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murielinard
murielinard
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Dec 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very nice walk with very little difference in altitude, so it was easy and pleasant. We were a group of 15 good walkers...
with a very pretty shellfish beach, despite the windy weather and a chill of -7°C. We managed to have a picnic on the shellfish beach, which was less exposed to the mistral!

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Denis Navarro 13
Denis Navarro 13

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Magnificent course. The 1st part along the edge of the pond, in the rocks and on the beaches; superb. The 2nd part, in the undergrowth, a different landscape but very pretty too, and a beautiful view of the pond from the top.
The best time to do this is out of season and early in the morning to watch the birds waking up on the pond.

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F13140
F13140

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A beautiful walk with access to magnificent beaches.

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gigirelax
gigirelax

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very nice walk, with very few people along the way. You have to follow the blue route all the way, which is more recent than the yellow route, which is slowly disappearing. Nice lunch break overlooking the Etang de Berre and the Saint Victoire in the distance. Lots of flowers and scents at this time of year. Path partly in the shade

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royalgarden
royalgarden

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very pleasant start to the route, the 2nd part a little less so. Magnificent views of the Etang de Berre.

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Denis Autheman
Denis Autheman

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A beautiful hike with lots of changes of scenery.
A must do.
Notes :
Yellow markers not very visible so difficult to follow.
Rely more on the blue markers (clearly visible).

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piat colette
piat colette

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

very nice hike which varies with the seaside then the circuit in the interior we shortened the hike starting from the point 5 to join the point 7 without difficulty, we took our meal at the edge of the pond between the point 4 and 5 very pleasant
then from 7 to 8 very beautiful plateaus with magnificent trees until the loubiere with a herd of sheep and then just before marker 9 the fountain of the wolf
highly recommended

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