Tour of the Montmirail Dentelles

Gigondas is renowned for its vineyards and lace.
There are climbing routes for enthusiasts of this sport. The tour of the lace-like rock formations offers a view of the immensity of the vineyards from above.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 18.23 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 960 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 960 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 730 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 252 m

Photos

Description of the walk

From Gigondas, drive to Les Florets on the D229 and park at the end of the road.

Follow the track that continues along the D221 to the Col du Cayron.

(1) Turn left, heading north-east, at the three-way junction that follows, keep left (Chemin Suzette) and head for the climbing site.

(2) Climb the path on the left to ascend the Trois Yeux and continue to reach the ridge. Dominant view over the Romane park. Continue to the right and reach a fork (elevation 538).

(3) Continue on the path on the left that follows the summit and joins a track.

(4) Descend to the right and quickly turn left towards Les Pradas. Go around the vineyards on the right and climb up to a crossroads of tracks suitable for vehicles.

(5) Follow the track to the left for 200 m until you reach a sharp left turn. Take the path on the right marked by a small cairn. After a fairly steep climb, you will reach Saint-Amand with its pylons.

(6) At the top, enjoy a 360° view of Mont Ventoux and the vineyards. Descend the track towards Lafare to the east (passing close to the pylons) and atthe fourth bend , ignore the path on the right marked by a cairn. There is one last sharp bend before you reach a crossroads.

(7) Turn right to continue downhill. After about a kilometre and two beautiful bends, the path turns into a small road at a house.

(8) At the fork, turn right and continue along this road for 1 km on flat ground. After crossing a small stream, you will come to a path on the left.

(9) Take this road on the left, which passes above the house. At the next junction, turn left and after 500 m you will reach a road. Follow it to the right and you will arrive at Château Neuf Redortier.

(10) Go down to the right for 100 m, turn left and follow the path straight ahead, heading south, until you reach a pass between two fields.

(11) Continue for a few metres, then take the path that branches off to the left and follows the top of the ridge. Pass between the rocks and cross over to the opposite slope to reach the Chapelle Saint-Christophe.

(12) Continue downhill on the path leading to the chapel. At the road, turn right, then take the path on the left, just after the track. Join the confluence of two streams.

(13) Follow the Vallat de l'Aiguille valley (stream) and climb between the Dentelles Sarrazines and the Grand Montmirail. Keep the end of the cliffs on your left and continue to the track at the Col d'Alsau.

(14) Turn right, then take the path on the right as you exit the bend. Climb up to the ridge and descend on the left at the summit. At the track, walk a few metres to the left, then turn right and head for the Rocher du Midi (viewpoint).

(15) Return to the track and turn left to reach the Col du Cayron.

(1) Turn left and return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 311 m - Car park
  2. 1 : km 0.68 - alt. 398 m - Col du Cayron
  3. 2 : km 1.08 - alt. 386 m - Path on the left
  4. 3 : km 2.7 - alt. 536 m - Path on the left
  5. 4 : km 4.12 - alt. 475 m - Path on the right
  6. 5 : km 4.83 - alt. 548 m - Crossroads: left
  7. 6 : km 5.68 - alt. 730 m - Viewpoint of Saint-Amand
  8. 7 : km 7.13 - alt. 563 m - Fork, right
  9. 8 : km 7.94 - alt. 475 m - Three-way junction, right
  10. 9 : km 8.6 - alt. 495 m - Path on the left
  11. 10 : km 9.76 - alt. 463 m - Château Neuf, on the right
  12. 11 : km 11.41 - alt. 331 m - Col
  13. 12 : km 12.04 - alt. 328 m - Chapelle Saint-Christophe
  14. 13 : km 12.59 - alt. 252 m - Confluence of streams - Cascade de Lafare
  15. 14 : km 15.08 - alt. 446 m - Col d'Alsau
  16. 15 : km 16.27 - alt. 467 m - Rocher du Midi
  17. S/E : km 18.23 - alt. 311 m - Parking

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 58 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.2 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
BRUYERE56
BRUYERE56

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Having led a group of 13 fairly experienced hikers on 18 September in very hot weather, the great difficulty in following the route (almost impossible to follow without GPS or a smartphone app, and two of us were using the GPX track) due to both the light signage for the marked sections and the explanations on Visorando, which could be more precise, as well as the often difficult quality of the trails, resulted in our group's very slow progress, which led me to have to abandon the hike from the St Christophe chapel to go directly to the Col du Cayron. This was a real shame because, despite everything, the scenery was magnificent.
Suggestion: why start from the foot of the Col de Cayron for this round trip, which adds to the difficulty of the route without offering any additional interest, rather than considering a start from the Col d'Aslau car park, for example, which we were unable to explore? Honestly, during a week of hiking between Baronnies and Mont Ventoux, I was very disappointed by this hike, even though I had been looking forward to it, as it offered the spectacular Dentelles de Montmirail.
Kind regards
bruyer56

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emmanuelwicker
emmanuelwicker

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This hike is very beautiful, but the route description needs to be updated and clarified in several places. The inaccuracies mean you have to keep your eyes glued to your GPS. And even then, we got lost twice.
First point: the current car park is located about 1 km further down than indicated on the route.
Point 4: To follow the route, we had to climb over an electric fence and cross private land!
Between points 9 and 10, we got lost because the passage at the foot of the wall was poorly marked. We had to go through the undergrowth in a very steep area to reach the ST Christophe chapel. The route really needs to be reviewed.
Point 11: We couldn't find the passage in the Dentelles to swing over to the Rocher du Midi. Fortunately, there was a blue marker that took us away from the route towards the Brèche du Turc, but allowed us to descend directly to the Col de Cayron.

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Cavadore
Cavadore

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb landscapes and an original route allowing you to appreciate all the beauty of this unique site in France! Not to be missed!

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sbrandes
sbrandes

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

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

Hello,
this route is very poorly signposted and we lost our way several times. As I am not a fan of GPS assistance, I find this unacceptable. Will we need a machine to go hiking in 2024? In the past, a good old IGN paper map was enough, and at least you knew where you were and didn't have to blindly obey a computer.

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Anibac
Anibac

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I did this hike as an addition to a hike specifically located on the Turkish Rock. It allowed me to discover different viewpoints and experience different atmospheres: rocks, paths, the summit of St Armand, vineyards, cherry trees, etc. Every time I started to find the time long and get bored, the route offered a variation. It was very enjoyable. I finished at the Turkish Rock (point 10) without continuing along the forest road (I didn't do the Midi Rock as I had done it the day before on another walk, but I don't regret my choice), which brought me to an altitude of 1,000 metres. This hike was a beautiful sight. I used the app and only encountered one difficulty: finding the St Christophe chapel (point 10). I lost my way and had to climb back up through thorny broom to find myself below the chapel, so I had to climb the rocks to reach it. I see that other hikers have also lost their way, so be careful on this section, which is not easy to navigate.

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kikidu13
kikidu13

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike with magnificent views

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Moriconi
Moriconi

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

More details are needed in the written description.

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La Barunle
La Barunle

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : May 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

When climbing back up from the Col d'Alsau car park towards the Rocher du Turc, the trail indicates to turn left towards the Rocher du Midi. However, the passage is marked with a blue cross, and I doubt that this route is still passable, except perhaps by very experienced climbers.
The reasonable solution with a group is to follow the blue dots to reach Rocher du Turc and return to Gigondas

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chanterve
chanterve

we improvised... thanks to Géoportail!

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chanterve
chanterve

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

description too brief, lack of details about this hike, which does not follow the signposts and overlaps existing signposts... a shame!

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Pierredu04
Pierredu04

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike in lovely weather, with no wind and temperatures around 15°C.
If you're feeling fit, don't hesitate to approach the Rocher du Turc from the Col d'Alsau (small path) for a superb view (the valley floor was shrouded in mist that day).
Otherwise, about 250 m after the goat's pass (4), I took a short path on the left towards point (5) because I wanted to avoid the tarmac and crossing the village.

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HUPAT
HUPAT

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 26, 2022
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A magnificent circuit where nothing is missing: the trails, the sites and even the paved section, which is not busy, is pleasant.
A truly unusual tour of the Dentelles.
I also couldn't find the trail that leads to the St Christophe chapel near the large rocks.
19 km from the mandatory car park at Les Florets.
I did it with a Garmin GPS and the VISORANDO app without any problems.

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mattdel
mattdel

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This hike is truly superb. There are no major difficulties, but the path to St Christophe Chapel is really hard to find, as there are few markings and the trail is not always marked. I think it is essential to follow the GPS route.
Alternatively, you can avoid this point (number 10) by taking the track.

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yvesgosuin
yvesgosuin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 17, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The hike was very good, quite difficult in the first part of the route.
Please note that the Cayron car park, the theoretical starting point for the hike, is no longer accessible by car (barrier).
You have to stop at the Florets car park, which is about 700 m further on the way there and 700 m further on the way back, with an additional 70 m of elevation gain.

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Franck D
Franck D

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 27, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello
We did the hike in reverse, returning in the late afternoon with the sun... which we never saw. But I think that meant we didn't see many people
When you look at the map, it looks like there are wide trails everywhere, but in reality it's the opposite: thank you for finding these little paths.
Given the weather, we didn't climb up to the antennas: it's possible to cut between points 4 and 8

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