Tour of Napoule

Easy circular hike leaving from Rague port.

The hike starts by climbing up towards Mont Thurney at the entrance to the Estérel, then going downhill through a dry valley then a forest (eucalyptus and then pine trees) before reaching San Peyre and its 360° orientation table (panoramic view over the Îles de Lérins, Cannes bay and the Mercantour).

Go down through Napoule and then take the coastal path alongside the château until you reach Raguette and Rague beaches.

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.53 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 233 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 237 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 130 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Start at the path behind Rague Port just downhill from the D6098.

(S) Take the path heading westwards until you reach a boat repair building.
At the end of this hangar, there is a no entry sign for vehicles (white circle encircled with red). Behind this sign, there is a furrowed path heading in a north-easterly direction. Take this path for a few dozen metres. You will arrive at another path on a balcony, turn left heading west.
Follow this path and climb up the ridge of Mont Turney to the ref. point at 94m via a few zigzags.
On the ridge, the view clearly emerges towards the Îles de Lérins and the Cannes hinterland. Continue to the left in a south-west direction on this ridge up to an obvious intersection marked with 2 cairns.

(1) At this intersection, go back downhill to the right in a north-east direction. You can see out over a valley, then go through an amazing eucalyptus forest and then a pine forest.
When you reach a very pretty, very slender, cairn, go back downhill on the left towards a stream, then climb upwards again until you reach the D2098a.

(2) Cross the road and take the path opposite which climbs in a northerly direction. Follow this track up to a small road at the entrance of the San Peyre Regional Park.

(3) To go up to the San Peyre orientation table and back: continue left on the road, then climb up the steps on the left which lead you easily to the orientation table (above a chapel in ruins) where you will have a magnificent 360° panoramic view over Cannes bay, the Îles de Lérins, Théoule, the Estérel, the hinterland of Cannes, the Mercantour, etc.

Return to the crossroads (3) via the same path...then follow the path on the right which goes around San Peyre via the north.

(4) On arriving at the road, turn left and then go downhill on the right via the 'Montée des Cigales' steps. Go downhill into Napoule on the right, turn left at the post office, then cross the car park towards the left in order to go under the station and arrive at the entrance of the Napoule Château.
Go around the château via the left and go along the front of it in order to return to the beach and the coastal path.

(5) Take the coastal path in the direction of Raguette beach, Rague beach and Rague Port.
Wonderful location with small beaches and clear waters!
Go past Raguette beach and then climb towards the Rocher des Pendus before going back downhill towards Rague beach.
Cross the latter, heading south, in order to reach Rague port.

(6) Go along the port in a westerly direction and go below the road to return to the departure point (E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 7 m - Runway behind Port de la Rague
  2. 1 : km 1.55 - alt. 96 m - Intersection with 2 cairns
  3. 2 : km 2.82 - alt. 25 m - RD 2098bis
  4. 3 : km 3.16 - alt. 60 m - San Peyre Park
  5. 4 : km 4.67 - alt. 57 m - Montée des Cigales staircase
  6. 5 : km 5.24 - alt. 1 m - Château de la Napoule
  7. 6 : km 6.05 - alt. 1 m - Port de la Rague
  8. S/E : km 6.53 - alt. 7 m - Runway behind Port de la Rague

Practical information

Stony paths, it's important to have good shoes.

Take water with you in the summer.

In the nearby area

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 55 reviews

Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Clarity of route map
4 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
TineDo
TineDo

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : May 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

It's a lovely route that climbs up to higher ground on a gentle slope, allowing you to admire the sea views.
The GPS application saved us from missing a few junctions on the way up from the start.
Unfortunately, the summit of San Peyre and its orientation table were not accessible due to a construction ban. We had a bit of trouble finding the start of the walk because we had parked before the (paying) car park at the port, but once we got going, it was perfect.
Note that at point 2, there is only one cairn left.
At point 4, don't hesitate to follow the signposted path under the station (note the beautiful Jules Verne frescoes in the underground passageway) despite the fact that part of it appears to be the restaurant terrace 😁
Very pleasant finish on the coastal path at the foot of the château where you can picnic in the shade.
It's a (tiny!) part of the Camino de Compostela.
Thanks, we had a great time 🙂

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TineDo
TineDo

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

It's a lovely route that climbs up to higher ground on a gentle slope, allowing you to admire the sea views.
The GPS application saved us from missing a few junctions on the way up from the start.
Unfortunately, the summit of San Peyre and its orientation table were not accessible due to a construction ban. We had a bit of trouble finding the start of the walk because we had parked before the (paying) car park at the port, but once we got going, it was perfect.
Note that at point 2, there is only one cairn left.
At point 4, don't hesitate to follow the signposted path under the station (note the beautiful Jules Verne frescoes in the underground passageway) despite the fact that part of it appears to be the restaurant terrace 😁
Very pleasant finish on the coastal path at the foot of the château where you can picnic in the shade.
This is a (tiny!) part of the Camino de Compostela.
Thank you, we enjoyed ourselves 🙂

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Le nouveau passionné de rando
Le nouveau passionné de rando

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A lovely walk with beautiful views of the snow-capped peaks of the Maritime Alps, the Lérin islands and the Bay of Cannes... However, at the start of the hike, you need to be careful to check the itinerary as there are quite a few bends that you can easily miss if you're not careful. I wasn't careful and had to walk for several extra minutes to get back on the planned route.

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pacetiso
pacetiso

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Nice hike, very pretty climb up to Roc Rouge. Need to be well shod.
Changes to be made:
- between the start and point 1, there is only one cairn instead of 2 at the crossroads.
- Between point 1 and 2, there is no slender cairn as indicated (unless you missed it!).
Yellow markings on part of the route.

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Laurence MB
Laurence MB

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very nice walk, with no difficulties, unmarked but perfect if you follow the signs. Beautiful harmony of mineral and vegetal landscapes. Ends with the magnificent coastal path of Mandelieu and its castle! A pleasure to do again!

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RandonEure06
RandonEure06

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Clarity of route map : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

The route is not signposted!

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Di 2
Di 2

Overall rating : 1.5 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Clarity of route map : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : N/A
Busy trail : No

We weren't able to follow the itinerary because we only discovered the small path on the way down.
However, we did make it up to the holiday centre and discovered a beautiful view.
All that's needed is for the little path to be well signposted.

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RandonEure06
RandonEure06

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : No

A short stroll along the seafront and through the forest.

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Rosa13400
Rosa13400

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : May 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very nice route

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Youmino9172
Youmino9172

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Nice, well-marked walk, even if we missed the little path on the right 200m after the start. Quick return to the correct route. The first climb is steep but far from insurmountable. At the top, there's a fine view over the bay of Mandelieu and l'Estérel. The short loop back and forth towards the middle of the route brings you to a viewpoint with a magnificent view. There is a picnic table. The rest of the walk is easy, with the seaside path offering lovely views and passing by some beautiful beaches.
All in all, a pleasant, shady walk that can be done in summer, with the only difficulty being the first climb a few minutes after the start.

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AnneSo78
AnneSo78
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A very pretty spot to discover, with an incredible view of the port of La Napoule! However, to follow the itinerary, we had to use our phone several times, or even carry it in our hands throughout the walk, as there were hardly any signs to help us find our way.

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mariecatou
mariecatou

Thank you for future hikers :☺️

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osiris130
osiris130 ★

Good evening Mariecatou,

I understand how you feel. Sorry for the inconvenience.
I've changed the difficulty level of the walk.

Have a nice evening.

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mariecatou
mariecatou
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A fantastic walk with a wide variety of landscapes (forest, rock, etc.) and an incredible viewpoint.
The only problem is the start! It's signposted "easy", so I took my 80-year-old mum along (although she's a keen hiker). But it turns out that it's almost climbing all the way up. And there's no way we're going back down! Too dangerous!
She managed it, but I had to hoist her up quite a few times. My 9-year-old dog also had a hard time.
In short, we were all very happy to get to the top, although we were worried that there might be another place just like the one we'd just climbed, but there wasn't. The rest is simple. The rest is simple.
It would be good to point that out.

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Peterla77fr
Peterla77fr

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Nice walk, not very busy... the beginning is a bit unsettling because of the many tracks... but you have to trust yourself and climb...
Unlucky for us, the access roads between the last beaches were closed for renovation... so we had to return by road (which was pointless)... and I wasn't able to find out how long the work lasted.

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