Remains of the past between Le Défens and Mont Menu

This walk in the Alpilles Regional Nature Park is located near Eyguières and Lamanon in the Bouches-du-Rhône. This circular route takes you to the foothills of the Défends and Mont Menu and will allow you to discover caves, a watchtower, a dovecote, and the remains of chapels and castles. Along the way, you will also enjoy beautiful, unobstructed views of the Crau plain, the Alpilles, the Luberon and Mont Ventoux.

Details

26716101
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 20.50 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 636 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 632 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 309 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 99 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the dirt car park at Fontaine Gilouse in Eyguières.

Notes: this walk follows unmarked routes. I recommend using the app with GPS enabled.
This hike is strongly discouraged during the hunting season. Live ammunition is used to hunt wild boar on the Roquemartine estate.

(S/E) Take theGR®6opposite the car park; a few hundred metres further on, you will reach a crossroads of paths.

(1) Leave theGR® here and continue along the path opposite. Carry on uphill, then pass under a power line. Join theGR® 6 directly opposite this line.

(2) Turn right here back onto theGR®. Follow another power line and reach the summit of Défends d'Eyguières (marked by an antenna).

(3) Head downhill and at the first junction (where there is a water tank), take a path on the right, under the trees and running parallel to the track, to reach the Calès de Lamanon caves.

(4) From the Calès Caves site, follow the GPS route carefully until you return to the car. Leave theGR® 6 and walk around the Calès Caves cirque, skirting it on the right. Note the following along the way: the statue of the Virgin Mary, the remains of the feudal castle, the watchtower and the orientation table, the remains of the Chapel of Sainte-Marie and Saint Jean, the Chapel of Saint-Denis, and finally the Saint-Denis fountain. From here, head to the Saint-Denis car park.

(5) Turn left onto the track and follow it for about a hundred metres.

(6) Leave the track and turn left onto a path running parallel beneath the trees. After a right-angle bend, rejoin the previous track at a multi-way junction on the D72.

(7) Cross this road and continue straight ahead along the path running alongside the edge of the woods, then through the vineyards. At the hamlet of Notre-Dame, under the power lines, take the path straight ahead towards Château de Roquemartine.

(8) Note: access to the Château de Roquemartine site is strictly prohibited. Until it opens to the public, you must go round the rock and the château at the bottom.
=> Continue along the track. At the bend, take a path on the left towards the D569 road. Follow the track through the grass southwards, parallel to the road, until you reach the crossroads.
- I have left the route that is currently closed in brackets.
(Take a path on the left, passing by an old dovecote. Go round the castle ruins on the left and head down towards Mas du Moulin, passing between the Chapelle Saint Sauveur and the castle. Join the D569).

(9) Cross this road with care, then follow a path alongside the D25. Turn left off the path and make a wide circular loop to arrive directly beneath a high-voltage power line. As you enter the trees, take the path on the left marked with red and white dots. Head straight ahead, climbing through a holm oak wood up an increasingly steep slope to reach the secret cave of Sainte-Cécile. Cross the cave via a narrow passage on the right to emerge onto a ledge (watch out for the drop), then climb towards the ridges of Mont Menu.

(10) Before the summit of Mont Menu, descend via a path more or less clearly marked by cairns, then climb back up alongside the power line. When you reach the electricity pylon, turn left, then descend to the right into the valley. Join the D569 by staying on the track that runs past the waste collection centre.

(11) Carefully walk northwards along the D-road, keeping to the verge, sometimes on the left, sometimes on the right. Take the track on the right, behind the hotel-restaurant, then climb up a steep path. Once on the ridge, follow it to the right as far as the White Cross.

(12) From there, head down towards the D72, cross it to reach a multi-way junction including theGR® 6.

(13) At the cistern, turn right, continue down the slope, then climb back up to reach the original junction you passed on the way out.

(1) Turn right and retrace your steps along the route you took on the way there to return to the Fontaine Gilouse car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 106 m - Fontaine Gilouse car park
  2. 1 : km 0.4 - alt. 151 m - Crossroads of the circular loop
  3. 2 : km 1.79 - alt. 200 m - Back to GR
  4. 3 : km 2.81 - alt. 307 m - Branch
  5. 4 : km 5.34 - alt. 178 m - Calès Caves
  6. 5 : km 6.91 - alt. 129 m - Saint Denis fountain car park
  7. 6 : km 7.5 - alt. 125 m - Crossroads between track and footpath
  8. 7 : km 10.02 - alt. 105 m - D72 road
  9. 8 : km 11.83 - alt. 140 m - Former dovecote
  10. 9 : km 13.27 - alt. 121 m - Junction with the D569 road
  11. 10 : km 15.05 - alt. 278 m - Crête du Mont Menu
  12. 11 : km 17.09 - alt. 109 m - D569 road
  13. 12 : km 18.46 - alt. 203 m - White Cross
  14. 13 : km 19.37 - alt. 171 m - Back to GR
  15. S/E : km 20.5 - alt. 107 m - Fontaine Gilouse car park

Notes

- I have classified this hike as difficult due to its length and total elevation gain.
- A new decree was issued in 2022, No. 99/2022: access to the area known as Cirque de Calès in Lamanon is prohibited.
- After (8) Pending the completion of works and the opening to the public, visiting the ruins of Queen Jeanne’s castle (Roquemartine) in the commune of Eyguières is strictly prohibited. This site is on private property. Stay on the paths.

Worth a visit

- (S/E) The Gilouse Fountain dates from 1774 and supplied water to three fountains in the village.
- (4) The Calès de Lamanon caves have been inhabited since the Neolithic period, 3500 BC.
- Between (8) and (9) Former dovecote. Ruins of Queen Jeanne’s castle (Roquemartine) dating from the 12th century. Saint Sauveur Chapel: inside, on the right as you enter, the remains of medieval paintings are still visible on the walls.
- The secret cave of Sainte-Cécile dating from the Neolithic period

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

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

Reviews and comments

4.1 / 5
Based on 7 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.9 / 5
Route interest
4.1 / 5
Gilles13
Gilles13

Hello
Hike repeated on 17 February 2024.
Note:
- Access to the Virgin Mary statue and the Calès cave complex is once again open to the public. Safety works have been completed. Access to the interior of the caves is at your own risk. The local council has left the prohibition signs in place to absolve itself of liability in the event of an accident.
- Work at Queen Jeanne’s Castle (Roquemartine) is not yet complete. Access remains prohibited. Until the site reopens to the public, please stay on the route marked on the app.

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Afrançoise
Afrançoise

Good evening, thank you very much for your prompt response. Kind regards, Afrançoise

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Gilles13
Gilles13

Hello, Afrançoise.
I’ve amended the routes and descriptions between points 8/9 and 10/11 to avoid private property.
Sorry for the inconvenience.

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Afrançoise
Afrançoise
• Edited:

Good evening, just a quick note for the person who described this walk. In the final third of the route, between point 10 and point 11, you suggest suddenly veering sharply to the left and crossing an olive grove, but this is private property. You then end up on a path that you take to the right, which is also a private track providing access to the olive groves only. It’s a nuisance, and as you can see from the reviews, the owners aren’t exactly happy about it. This stretch of path right in the middle of an olive grove is a track worn down over time by frequent use and is by no means official; however, as the land hadn’t been farmed for a long time, it wasn’t an issue. However, this land has recently been bought, and the new owner has fenced off their land to farm it. The other owners do not want the route to be diverted onto their property. Personally, we have surrounded our land with a large quantity of pruned branches from our olive trees to discourage people from crossing it, and we hope they will respect these natural barriers. Ideally, walkers should stay on the track that leads down from point 10 and pass by the waste collection point to reach the main road a little further south. Thank you.

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Gilles13
Gilles13
• Edited:

Hello Charline1
Following your comments regarding the condition of the path, I went to take a look.

Beyond the point (4), safety works are currently underway at the top of the rock where the statue of the Virgin Mary stands. This section remains safe, but until the works are completed, it may be preferable to go round the rock from below and to the right to rejoin the route a little further on. Access to the Cirque des Grottes de Calés remains prohibited.

Between point (8) and (9), you are correct: due to works, access to the Château de Roquemartine site is strictly prohibited. Until it reopens to the public, you must go round the rock and the castle from below.

Point (10) is located between the crossing of the Sainte-Cécile cave and the summit of Mont Menu. A few cairns are in place. To avoid any mistakes, we recommend using the app with GPS enabled.

As for the time taken, this depends on the length of breaks, motivation and each person’s fitness level.

I have updated the description of this hike based on your comments… Thank you.

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Charline1
Charline1

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

I didn’t think it was great; at the caves (point 4), access is strictly prohibited – there’s renovation work going on and a risk of falling rocks. Further on, there’s another section where access to the castle ruins is prohibited; I had to climb over a barrier and pass through the renovation site again. You also end up on private property. Finally, I couldn’t get to point 10; I couldn’t find the path (it actually looked blocked), so I turned back and took a shortcut to rejoin the route after point 10
Otherwise, it’s not a very difficult hike; the scenery in the first part was very beautiful, but I won’t be doing it again
I completed it in 4½ hours with a few breaks

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Calme et nature
Calme et nature

I can confirm that we stayed well and truly on the path and were very respectful of the area.
The owner we met was rather aggressive at first (not towards us...) but quickly calmed down, leading to a rather constructive and amicable conversation.
From what you’ve said, there is either a misunderstanding or a lack of knowledge on his part.

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Gilles13
Gilles13

Hello
In 2022, the Castellas de Roquemartine was designated an iconic site of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region by the Mission Patrimoine for the preservation of endangered heritage, led by Stéphane BERN. An agreement has been reached between the department, the heritage foundation, the owner and the Association des Amis du Castellas de Roquemartine to open this site to the public and to create botanical and educational trails. Consolidation work has begun. Access to the ruins remains prohibited due to the risk of falling rocks. If you have not strayed from the path, I do not understand the owner’s reaction.
https://www.fondation-patrimoine.org/les...

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Calme et nature
Calme et nature

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The route passes through private land about halfway along the way. We had a long conversation with a landowner who was very unhappy with us, with hikers in general, and with the websites that recommend this route... In fact, he hopes the route will be removed from the website.
The first part of the route is very pleasant, the second part a little less so.
We used the GPX tracks, so we had no real trouble following the route.

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Ma Mie
Ma Mie
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A really interesting and varied walk. We really enjoyed it.
Lots of ruins to explore. A surprising dovecote with countless cells – we’d never seen anything like it.
And of course, the views. We climbed to the summit of Mont Menu, then followed the path back down.
On leaving the Sainte-Cécile cave, those prone to vertigo should take care.
A GPS is useful.

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brice s
brice s

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

There are no signposts between points 10 and 11, so you must be equipped with navigation aids as it is easy to get lost

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nanou13430
nanou13430

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A lovely walk. The Calès caves are a marvel.

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AHMED REMAL
AHMED REMAL
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike, a lovely route.
As I was short on time, I took the 8–12 alternative route, but I plan to come back and do the full route.
I hope the Calès caves will reopen to the public soon.

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Gilles13
Gilles13
• Edited:

Hello.
I’m delighted that you enjoyed this walk, and that you had the added bonus of meeting two lovely fellow walkers. I’ve posted another, easier walk online that might interest you if you like old buildings from the past: ‘Gorges de la Touloubre, hilltop village and dry stone walls’ in Cornillon-Confoux. Thank you for your comment.

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Randonneur du dimanche
Randonneur du dimanche

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A pleasant and varied walk,
featuring some surprising spots well worth a detour: the Calès caves, Roquemartine Castle, and the (unavoidable) passage through the Sainte-Cécile cave.
For the descent from Mont Menu, you have to follow the trail... and your instincts
No particular difficulties on this route, which I completed (in part) with two friendly ladies who had chosen to do this hike at exactly the same time as me (we don’t know each other).

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