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Park in the car park of the Parc Départemental de la Tour d'Arbois.
(S/E) Cross the area with a map of the region and a model of the park. At the Y-shaped fork, choose the steep, short climb on the right or the longer, easier path on the left. In any case, all of these initial paths converge to cross the TGV bridge. Once you have crossed the bridge, you may see the Marseille Canal on your left. Look for a trail junction (300 m after the bridge) that allows you to descend and connect with the Marseille Canal.
(1) Leave the path via the trail on the left that descends to the canal. Cross it and take the bank on your right. The canal is marked (red markings). You will arrive at the canal at marker 339. Follow the banks to marker 350.
The canal passes under the TGV line and goes through a few small tunnels, which you will need to go around. Each tunnel is preceded by a path that climbs up and allows you to pass over the hill. These tunnels, as well as the footbridges that span the canal, provide an opportunity to alternate between the right and left sides of the canal and vary the views on your hike. You can leave the canal banks at either the right or left side. Reach marker 350, which marks the end of the canal.
(2) Just after marker 350 and as you approach a mini-tunnel, take the path that climbs above the canal and follow the path to the right marked PRV 697.6. Continue along this path, which climbs and passes over the TGV line. Continue straight on to the ruins of La Bastide Neuve.
(3) Go around the ruins to the south (right-hand side). North of the ruins, do not take the first small path (IGN map) which heads north but quickly becomes impassable due to vegetation. Continue around the ruins and take thesecond path heading north. When you reach a T-junction, turn right and then, after a hundred metres, take the path on the left. Continue until you reach an X-junction.
(4) Turn left towards the north-west. After a few hundred metres and after passing a path on the right, you will come to a T-junction.
(5) Continue straight ahead along a small track, not shown on IGN maps, which joins a well-marked path after a few metres. Take this path on the left. After about 100 metres, turn right at the fork.
At the end of a long straight stretch, ignore the first path that branches off to the left and continue along the path which, after 50 metres, also turns left (the two paths join up anyway). Continue straight ahead, passing under the high-voltage power line until you reach the main path. Continue along this path for 200 metres.
(6) Look out for an even wider parallel path on the left, which you can easily join, particularly at the red fire hydrant.
Alternative: To shorten the hike, continue along the path and after 50 metres turn right onto a path that leads directly to the ruins of the hamlet of Mion and halves (roughly) the duration of the hike, but you will then lose the view of the Étang de Berre.
Otherwise, join this very wide path and take a few steps to the left to cross it and continue straight ahead to reach the western end of the Arbois plateau. At the edge of the cliff (enjoy the view), take the path on the right. Follow this path for about 600 metres until you reach a Y-shaped fork.
(7) This fork between two small paths offers two options:
- right (route and length suggested in this description): after a few metres, the path joins a wide track that moves away from the cliff but still reaches the end of the plateau, allowing you to enjoy all the superb views,
- left (route not tested but follows an IGN path): at this point, the cliff curves southwards, extending the proposed route by a good kilometre.
Once the two paths meet, follow the main path or a trail that runs along the cliff, both of which head north until you reach the watchtower after 1 km.
(8) Leave the watchtower and the path that follows the cliff by taking the central path that heads east. After passing under the high-voltage line, turn right at the fork and, after about 100 metres, turn right onto the path. Look out for the start of a path on the left after barely 100 metres, which is difficult to see at first.
(9) Here, begin the descent towards the Mion valley. To do this, take the small path that descends and gradually widens. Continue straight ahead after about 100 metres at the crossroads with another path. Continue for about 800 metres until you reach another crossroads.
(10) There are two alternatives, but neither has much impact:
- either take the path on the left, which is less well marked at the beginning and crosses the valley. This easier path follows the bottom of the valley and leads to the ruins of the hamlet of Mion.
- or continue straight ahead on the path and continue on the right side of the hill.
This also leads to the ruins of the hamlet of Mion. The suggested route stays to the right of the valley.
(11) At the Mion farm, the path appears to be closed by a gate. The ruins are indeed fenced off and access is prohibited. However, a track on the right allows you to join the next path while crossing the farm.
Follow this path down to the bottom of the farm and continue down the valley on the right. After a long straight stretch, do not continue on the uphill path but turn left. The path passes by a car park for Les Noisetiers hunters. Continue down the valley on the right. The valley forms an S shape and the path passes on the left-hand side before reaching a crossroads marked by a small hunters' hut on the right.
(12) Leave the main path, which goes left uphill, and continue straight ahead on a slightly smaller path. Continue down the valley. At the Y-junction, take the path that goes up to the left (the view is prettier and the path on the right is likely to be muddy when it rains). The path gradually turns into a trail and then joins the Canal de Marseille.
(1) Turn left, cross the canal and follow the same route as on the way there in the opposite direction to return to the car park of the Parc Départemental de la Tour d'Arbois (S/E).
Visorando member
Easy 
Association / Club / Walk leader
Difficult 
