The Castellas de Roquemartine, the Crête du Defens, and the Grottes de Calès caves

A nice hike in the Alpilles to see the ruins of Castellas de Roquemartine (Château de la Reine Jeanne), and end with the caves of Calès, a very interesting cave network.

Technical sheet

105922
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.20 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 366 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 365 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 310 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 99 m

Photos

Description of the walk

(S) Park in the St. Denis spring car park. Continue west where the small paved road becomes a dirt road, passing by all the trails right and left. It runs through a pine and oak wood and along the vineyards.

(1) Cross the D72 and then take a trail opposite that passes in areas of mazets (small, rural, single-room buildings). After a wide right turn, the road continues west along a large cypress hedge to arrive at a crossing.

(2) Continue straight through the ruins. On maps it says ‘’Ruines de Notre-Dame'', but it seems they are on private property. From here one can see the beautiful Castellas Roquemartine to continue in its direction. Pass by a path on the left and continue to the right to get around the rocky outcrop, ignoring a path off to the right.

(3) At the place called "Mas Blanc", at the junction with a road coming from the right, follow the tracks that go left towards the castle. On the way to the castle you can see an amazing ruined tower on the left, which is an old pigeon loft that is worth a look. Continue up to Le Castellas.
‘’Warning: the ruins of the Castellas in danger of collapsing, approach it at your own risk, and it is strongly advised not to stay near the walls and avoid entering the older parts, no matter how sturdy they appear''.

(4) From the castle, turn left, southbound, ignoring two trails to the left and one to the right. Then continue on to the ridge, to the south-east. Find and take a marked trail on the right to reach the D72 road.

(5) Take the road to the right for about 150 m, to find the GR6 on the left, which leads to caves of Calès. Stay on the main trail ignoring all other paths. After about 1 km, this wide trail turns right and begins the climb to the Plateau du Defens, which offers a nice view of Eyguières, Salon-de-Provence and the Etang de Berre.

(6) Continue left on the GR6 (whose markings are not always easy to spot...). Before passing under a power line, pass by a track on the left and continue the path that goes down to the caves of Calès.

(7) At the first tank, continue straight passing by the path that leads to the right. The trail branches off to the left, after approximately 300 m. Then there is a second tank before a wide right turn that leads to the third tank.

(8) Continue on the GR6 to the left to get around the site of Calès. Several options are available to visit the site of ancient cave dwellings. Go right to the southern entrance where a stone staircase leads to the right on a plaza with a statue of the Virgin which overlooks the site.

(9) Go back down and continue visiting the caves. Cross the vast esplanade, pass next to a small forum and then continue a path towards the north by crossing a wall, leading down a few steps and to the Roman chapel of Saint-Denis.

(10) Continue the path to the north, and pass by the paths on the right and left to find the parking area about 400 m further on.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 131 m
  2. 1 : km 2.57 - alt. 105 m - Junction with the D72
  3. 2 : km 3.44 - alt. 104 m - Straight to the ruins
  4. 3 : km 4.94 - alt. 154 m - Crossroads
  5. 4 : km 5.25 - alt. 142 m - Crossroads
  6. 5 : km 5.52 - alt. 183 m
  7. 6 : km 7.08 - alt. 142 m - Arrival on the D72
  8. 7 : km 8.97 - alt. 308 m - Viewpoint
  9. 8 : km 9.98 - alt. 246 m - First tank crossing
  10. 9 : km 11.07 - alt. 211 m - Third tank crossing
  11. 10 : km 12.22 - alt. 206 m - Statue of the Virgin Mary
  12. 11 : km 12.85 - alt. 145 m - Saint-Denis chapel
  13. S/E : km 13.2 - alt. 131 m

Practical information

Period: mid-season, winter (in summer, the trails are closed because of fires),
Equipment: Good shoes, water,
Water point: Lamanon.
Pick up a map of the caves of Calès site at the tourist office of Lamanon.

In the nearby area

A remarkable plane tree in Lamanon,
Old pigeon loft just before the Castellas de Roquemartine.

 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

4.4 / 5
Based on 70 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
marquounet
marquounet
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

I combined three hikes, starting at Calés (at 7 a.m.!) The caves are very busy during the day but are definitely worth a look!
The castle is closed to visitors due to renovation work.

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LEFEVRE DOMINIQUE
LEFEVRE DOMINIQUE

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Castle under renovation but stunning and magnificent. Pleasant ridges. We came across firefighters training on the plateau. No one on the circuit except at the arrival point at the very busy cave site.

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haddad-parfait
haddad-parfait

magnificent hike and finish the hike with the caves it's really worth the diversions and nature is superb in spring

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ALARCON PAT
ALARCON PAT
• Last modified:

Thank you for your comment.
Of course I know the caves of Calès, the dovecote, the chapel and the castle of Roquemartine since 1993.
Yes, this is very annoying for the caves.
You can visit part of the castle.
But the hall, which is in good condition, is closed off by a gate.
They are restoring some parts of it but not all of it.
To do this properly, the roof would have to be removed as it collapsed on entering the castle, but this would require expensive archaeological excavations.
Information that I received following the open day on 22 September 2024 in Roquemartine.
However .
Otherwise, despite the problems with the Grottes de Calès, I always enjoy going there.

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Gene30
Gene30

Hello everyone,
I created this hike almost 10 years ago and things have obviously changed since then. Roquemartine is off-limits, as is part of the Grottes de Calès, which is a shame. Always a walker, the site has dissuaded me from creating other circuits. Good walking to you all,

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ALARCON PAT
ALARCON PAT
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

It was a very nice tour.
But unfortunately a very interesting part of the caves of Lamanon have been closed for risk of rockfall since 2019.
As a result, there is a barrier with a decree asking you not to go beyond it.
Of course in the centre of the passage if you stay between the 2 summits there is no risk. But the ban was put in place especially for children who might get too close to high-risk areas.
So I went round the caves to resume the other part of the hike, which is still authorised.
As far as the Château de Roquemartine is concerned, you can get close but you can't visit all the rooms as there is some restoration work going on.
The chapel below the castle is currently being restored and the roof is being redone.
You can only visit the inside of the chapel and the château during the Heritage Open Days.

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bmxrider84
bmxrider84

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : No

Be careful! To follow the route, you have to pass through private hunting grounds, which is not very pleasant with the hunting season open at the moment. What's more, access to the castle ruins is forbidden and the passage to the Callas caves (troglodyte houses) is also blocked by municipal by-law.

The walk itself isn't bad, but all the points of interest are inaccessible, which spoils it a bit.

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krirando
krirando

Overall rating : 1 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 23, 2023
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Busy trail : No

Why continue to publish this hike?
- Dangerous point and under municipal by-law.
- Crossing of private property duly notified between 4 and 5 (and in all the massif around the castle, outside the marked path.

Visorando does not give a good image by allowing such hikes to go through forbidden, published areas.

CR: Breveté Randonnée Animateur Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre

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fifidech
fifidech

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

It was a lovely walk, but unfortunately it was marred by heavy weather, blazing sun and slightly misty landscapes.
We were still able to enjoy the different viewpoints.
Definitely worth doing again.

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Petalugue
Petalugue

Overall rating : 2.3 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Busy trail : No

Poor signposting and, above all, in the middle of hunting territory on Sunday, shooting a gun nearby was very dangerous.

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Monsieur C
Monsieur C

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

The first part is a little monotonous, but as soon as you reach the castle ruins, the walk becomes more interesting. The same applies to the rest of the route.

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PierreCecile
PierreCecile

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very pretty walk between vineyards, poppy fields and hills. A good idea before the heat. The Calès caves are no longer open to visitors, but can be seen from a distance. We didn't bring a picnic.

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SOLRAC 30
SOLRAC 30
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Following works at Roquemartine castle, climbing up to the castle is prohibited.

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Sanny
Sanny

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : Dec 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

The first part is a little long but not too interesting before crossing the road to take in some pretty scenery and arriving at the foot of the château de la reine Jeanne and the crêtes du defens. Unfortunately, the calés caves are closed to visitors.

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lacomtesse
lacomtesse

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 09, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very nice walk with lovely views of the Alpilles, the Castellas de Roquemartine and Eyguières. There were very few people on the Calès site, which is very interesting (hike done during the week).

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