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Estérel: Hiking around a Wolf

This time last year on the French Riviera, we had cold wet weather. This week feels like a summer, with plenty of sun, only a lazier sun that goes down sooner and leaves the air fresh and crisp enough for a light jacket.

Perfect time to lace the hiking boots and head to the Estérel Mountains, these rugged rebellious-looking pitons and peaks behind the coast of Cannes.

We decided to hike around the wolf, the mountain of la Louve.

The nice thing about the rocky peak of La Louve is that you can get to it quickly from Fréjus or from Saint-Raphäel. Great when you're around Fréjus this time of year, when the afternoons are short.

You reach the entrance to this side of the Estérel by the Valescure neighborhood. Take the Oratoire de Guérin into the Estérel fire road, and you're basically on the GR49 hiking path. You can park further up at the roundabout with the half dozen cork oaks.

Agrandir le plan

The Estérel paths around la Louve aren't well-marked and, unless you have a hiking guide, I recommend you get a regional IGN map (TOP 25) before heading out on anything more than a short stroll. Or, just head straight, don't venture off-path too far and return the same way you came.

Need more brief on-foot adventures? Try the latest English-language regional hiking guide to the western French Riviera.

 

Estérel: Hiking the Cap-Roux

This week was the Semaine de la Randonnée Pedestre in the Var on the French Riviera. Towns and communes of the Var organized guided hikes for any and all.

The drizzly weather mid-week canceled some of the interesting hikes such as the climb up the Rocher de Roquebrune by Roquebrune-sur-Argens or the trek across the Mont Vinaigre in the Estérel.

But today, the sun allowed us to lace our hiking shoes. We hiked with organizer Stéphane at the Adrets-de-l'Esterel tourism board and Hélène to visit old Estérel friends: the Sainte-Baume, the Saint Pilon and the Cap Roux.

On a clear day, this is my favorite short walk (2 hrs) in the Estérel Mountains.

You begin with a climb up to the humbling sides of the sheered St Pilon rocks. There, a stage of red volcanic pitons rise over the sea like pipes on a pipe organ.

A few steps up to the Cap Roux lead you to an old viewing table gifted by the Touring Club de France. You peer over the Bay of La Napoule to the north-east, the islands of St Honorat and Ste Marguerite, Le Trayas, Agay, St Raphael further south, les Issambres and its finger of land pointing into the sea and the cape of St Tropez in the southern most distance. No views of Corsica today...

My usual trek back forms a loop around the Cap Roux, but the group decided to turn on our heels and enjoy the more bushy and more shaded trail on the northern side of the hill that lead us up here.No one complained. We were having a ball.

"This has got to be my favorite hiking loop in the Estérel; I've trekked it a dozen times over the years, and never tire of its over-arching views over sea and mountains," I told Hélène, our hiking lead.

"Tiens," said Helène "my favorite is the Ecureuil hike down belowin the gorge. Perhaps it's a thing with domination."

Never looked at it that way, I said as we laughed. Hiking never fails to bring a new point de vue.

We returned replenished to our starting point at the base of the Ste Baume mountain.

For directions, click here.

For more hikes in the Estérel Mountains, take a look at our Esterel selection of articles on azuralive.com.

Questions? Drop us an email (see Contact info to the side) or leave a comment below.

And check out our guide below for some great hikes on the western French Riviera, with maps and photos.

Interested in more half-day hikes on the French Riviera? Check out our highly-acclaimed hiking guide below on Amazon.com (and Amazon.co.uk too!)

 

Hiking the Estérel: Around the Cantonniers Forester's House

Hike: Around the Pas d'Adam

Hiking Distance:  7.01 kilometers

Min Elevation: 240 m
Max Elevation: 422 m
Terrain: Nothing tricky but rocky; you'll need good hiking shoes.

Getting there (link to ViaMichelin directions)

The Estérel Mountains stretch for about 30 kilometers from St Raphael or Fréjus to Cannes, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Endre Valley.

While it seems small enough when seen from Google Earth, the Estérel counts enough large fire roads & smaller footpaths to keep our weekly hiking group busy for the year without tromping the same terrain twice.

If you're new to the region and without prior info or maps, you could get lost in the Estérel. Just remember the main reference points: the Mont Vinaigre with its watch tower is toward the north side of the Estérel; the Pic de l'Ours with its white and red striped antenna, faces east; St Raphael and its immense bay is to the south.

Hiking by the Cantonniers

We parked at the Cantonniers forester's road and headed up the H74 path called L'Aigre.

A few steps up and we reached and crossroad with an old worn-out post saying Pas d'Adam. We headed left here and up on the north-bound path.

At the Y intersection with the Belvedere de l'Aigre, we decided to continue straight/right. The weather wasn't clear enough just yet to enjoy the view from the top of the Aigre hill.

When we reached the Route d'Italie car road, we turned right and immediately reached the H64 Porfait fire path which we took. Nice regrowth of mimosa or acacia trees. These will be in full yellow bloom in Februrary.

On a roll from a downhill, we reached the "Place du Porfait." We checked out the old post from the Forester Administration (ONF) telling us we're 11 km from St Raphael and 24.8 from Le Trayas.

We took the right-most path from there and reached the Carrefour des Roches Noires, after heading around the mountain along its flank on a wide path. The carrefour or intersection is like a wild roundabout with a cork oak tree planted in the middle. The sign by it was too worn out to be readable.

We headed for a gentle uphill adventure onto the smallest uphill path on the right. It's a single lane track that skirts the side of the mountain. The sumacs were fiery red there on this autumn day.

At an intersection, we took the path straight ahead with a red and white cross (indicating this is no longer the main GR path).

It lead us back to the starting path which we took going left back to the Pas d'Adam. At the Pas d'Adam, we took the path to the right that heads down to the MF des cantonniers.

 

Sweet Peas of the Estérel Mountains

Each time we hike the Estérel Mountains, we find something new.

In this early part of June, we met with a sprinkle of bright pink fresh fragrant Sweet Peas (Lathyrus odoratus or in French, Pois de Senteur) along these rocky footpaths of the French Côte d'Azur.

The sun-loving creatures are also called "blissful pleasure"or "queen of annuals," for their dashing colors and honey fragrance. They may appear tender and delicate, but they're pretty hardy. They love the sun and are native to the eastern Mediterranean region.

We discovered them on our weekly Estérel treks, on the side of the footpath before the Carrefour de Castelli. They wore very bright pink.They'll also wear white, purple, sometimes a blueish pink. 

They belong to the pea family, but they're not the edible kind! Their seeds are highly toxic.

Their gentle pose even inspired poet John Keats:

"Here are sweet peas,on tip-toe for a flight
  With wings of gentle flusho'er delicate white,
  And taper fingers catching at all things
  To bind them all about with tiny rings."

Happy trails on the French Côte d'Azur!

Interested in exploring the Estérel Mountains of the western Côte d'Azur on your own?  Find out all about the 5 best  hikes in the Estérel with the hiking guidebook:  26 Gorgeous Hikes on the Western Côte d'Azur. The new book includes commentary, directions, user-friendly map and all the needed details on hiking paths. Available now on all international Amazon sites, including Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Germany, Amazon France. If you're already on the French Côte d'Azur, copies can be delivered to your nearest Tourism Board. Just ask us for details!

Esterel: Hiking for St Honorat

Pilgrims Hike to the Esterel Mountains

Hundreds of hikers walked from the town of St Raphael (and a few all the way from the Basque Country...) to the Ste Baume grotto in the Esterel Mountains for the yearly St Honorat (St Honoratus) pilgrimage. 

OK, it wasn't exactly a strenuous trek. In fact, we hiked about 5km under blue skies with a gentle breeze to cool us off. From the Maison Forestiere du Gratadis to the Ste Baume grotto area, two ONF foresters lead the way on horseback while  jolly Provençal musicians played three-holed flutes or galoubets and drums or tambourins to cheer us on.

After this light hike, mass was given in Provençal language in the Esplanade Santo Baoumo (Sainte Baume) by Don Bruno Attuyt. To close the ceremony, Bruno Attuyt chose the Coupo Santo cup of wine hymn, which earned him the title of "curé très sympa". We then feasted on aioli, danced a bit and enjoyed a little sieste before heading back along the footpath.

Interested in participating in this yearly event? The festive "pilgrimage" takes place the first Sunday in May. Check out the Saint-Raphael's Tourism Board's web site

Tucked between the towns of Cannes and Saint-Raphael in the French Cote d'Azur (French Riviera), the Estérel Mountains strike their visitors with their red rocks and their jagged crest lines and pitons over the Mediterranean Sea. The Esterel Mountains were born (250 Million years ago) from a few active volcanoes that centered around the current Mont Vinaigre and the Dramont.

The Esterel sports an intricate network of hiking trails. Find out more about them with the acclaimed hiking guide to the French Riviera: "26 Gorgeous Hikes on the Western Côte d'Azur".

      
                

Getting to one of the Esterel entances:         By car -- N98 coastal road from Saint-Raphael (going east) or from Cannes (going west). At the main roundabout in Agay, turn inland on the D100, heading toward Valescure. After less than 2km, turn right into a small road with a sign that indicates "Massif de l'Esterel." Continue straight, pass the vineyard on your left, the cement ford and reach the Maison Forestière de Gratadis.

A Gift from the Esterel Mountains of the Cote d'Azur

The Western Côte d'Azur has been promised a third Réserve Biologique, a protected wilderness area dedicated to research for conservation. In the  generously built-up French Riviera, such natural spots are gems to hikers and to nature lovers.

Where will this nature reserve be located?

The Estérel's Reserve Biologique will cover 800 hectares of forest and maquis shrubs growing among the jagged red peaks of the Estérel Mountains, around the Cap Roux mountain  north-east from the seaside resort town of Agay.

The site will continue to be open to the public, of course.

What are some of the other reserves biologiques in the Var?

The Maures Moutains and Plains area includes such a reserve (for 2008: 2500 hectares) and so does the Sainte-Baume area (for 2009: 500 hectares).

Where can I hike, bike or just stroll in the future reserve biologique de l'Esterel?

Hike in the Estérel along the wide and comfortable footpath (open to bikers too) that sets out from the Plateau d'Anthéor to Saint-Barthélemy and beyond. This is an easy most flat trail that opens up both mountain and sea views. No water fountains, so come prepared.

This stretch of Estérel trail will soon include botanical panels posted along the footpath from the Plateau d'Anthéor and the Saint-Barthélemy rock. On your walk along this Estérel footpath, learn more about rosemary and lavender as you admire the viewpoints over the Mediterranean Sea and the volcanic peaks of the Estérel. Note: plans are to change these informational panels yearly and to remove them after June 30th when the blooming is done.

Click below to look at our latest hiking guide to the French Riviera: "26 Gorgeous Hikes on the Western Côte d'Azur".

The color guidebook includes hikes in the Estérel (among others), complete with detailed maps, photos and site descriptions.

Available at all of the international Amazon.com sites (US, UK, Germany, France, Japan) and at the following local bookstore: Cannes English Bookshop.

Hiking the Estérel: Col de l'Esquillon

Hiking the Esterel Mountains: Col de l'Esquillon

Our plans changed yesterday, as Mediterranean plans often do. We were going to hike in the Maures Mountains, around La Gaillarde just above the seaside resort towns of Saint-Aygulf and Les Issambres on this western edge of the Cote d'Azur. The weather was cool and sunny. The Mistral wind had finally tired down. T'was perfect for a drive along the coast and a hike up to views of the Med.

So we headed east, to the "other side" of the Côte d'Azur into the department of the Alpes Maritimes. We skirted up above Pierre Cardin's Palais Bulles bubble-like house, walked above the coast of Théoule, with the bay of La Napoule and Cannes and the islands of Lérins in the distance. After a turn left into a pined area, we trekked up inland.

We soon discovered the metallic sculpture by Evangeliste of Notre-Dame de l'Afrique that towers over the sea and looks to Algeria. The original bronze sculpture of Notre-Dame d'Afrique stands in the St Eugene basilica across the sea in Alger, Algeria. It overlooks Alger and its bay, much like the replica here in the Esterel overlooks the bay of Théoule-sur-Mer and Cannes. The Esterel replica was intended as a bridge of understanding and friendship between the two countries.

We headed back into the reconciliating hills of the Esterel to the Col de Théoule. We took a sharp turn left back to the Col de l'Esquillon.

While the area never feels crowded, this eastern side of the Esterel sees more humans trekking its rocky soil that the Esterel spots further west such as the Baisse de la Grosse Vache.

We're close to Cannes here, and the coast sports many restaurants with many stars to their names. Four stars means très gourmet and out of our price range, but even a simple café crème on the terrace of the highly praised Etoile des Mers restaurant would make a nice reward... next time. 

If you're interested in discovering the French Riviera through gentle hikes, take a look at out latest hiking guide: 26 Gorgeous Hikes on the Western Côte d'Azur. It sure beats the usual tourist tracks.

      
                         

What:         Col de L'Esquillon Hike      Where:       The Esterel mountains, Cote d'Azur, France      How Long:  The full hike is 5 km long and takes about 2 hours.      Note:           As for most Esterel hikes, 'Esquillon is not recommended during hot summer days. When fire risks run high in the summer, parts of the Esterel may close. Check with the Tourism Office before heading out.

      
                         

Getting there:         By car -- N98 coastal road from Agay (west) or from Cannes (east). Turn away from the sea into Boulevard de l'Esterel. It's smaller than its name implies, so keep an eye out. It's about 4.4 kilometers west of Théoule-sur-Mer, in front of the Hotel Tour de l'Esquillon. Turns up sharpely. Park before the private gated properties at the end of the road (not in front of property or you may get angry faces and possibly more). There is a bus stop close by. If anyone catches the bus stop and line number, drop me a line.      Hiking Directions:          Begin at the Col de l'Esquillon on the path that runs parallel to the sea. This path used to link Théoule to Saint-Raphael. Must have made a gorgeous long hike. You'll hike on a few cement steps and on a rocky path. The path veers left into a pine forest and leads you to the statue of N.D.d'Afrique. Behind the statue, continue on the fire path DFCI des Saoumes that heads left or south. Take the path that heads down and indicates the "Col de Théoule." Hike down the winding path to the Col de Théoule, At the Col de Théoule, make a sharp left to the path marked "Col de l'Esquillon" that leads you to your starting point.

Hiking the Estérel: l'Aigre

One of my favorite places on the Côte d'Azur for hiking is the Estérel Mountain range. Only a few miles away from the Mediterranean Sea, between the towns of Saint Raphael and Cannes, the Estérel brandishes its red volcanic rocks close to the coast. Inland, it displays rounded hills, man-made lakes, covers of cork oak trees and short spiky maquis shrub that smell like a crumpled mixture of tea leaves and lavender.

Last Monday, my hiking group walked up to l'Aigre on the Northern side of the Estérel Mountain range. The view from the Aigre crest line stretched all the way to the sea in the distance and the entire Esterel mountains.

Hiking to l'Aigre:

Note: If you're completely unfamiliar with the Estérel, we recommend you start with an easier hike. See below hiking guide our recommended hikes with plenty of photos, comments and detailed maps. The l'Aigle hike isn't difficult, but its directions are not obvious for the new Esterel trekker.

Click on the below button to read our latest hiking guide to the Cote d'Azur. It includes our favorite 5 hikes in the Estérel Mountains.

The hike begins at the Col du Testanier, off of the N7 road (also called Route de Cannes) east of Saint-Raphael. Unfortunately, there's no convenient way of getting there other than driving or biking. When driving, watch out for road bikes as the road turns like a cork screw. You can park at the Cold du Testanier, where the N7 and the Route du Malpey intersect.

Right at the intersection of the N7 and the Route du Malpey, a narrow foot trail heads up into a forest of Eucalyptus trees. Trek up the path and let the tree vapors tickle your sinuses. After going up, you'll be heading back down and to your right, to re-join the Route du Malpey. Watch out, this is a car road.

Pass the forester's house, Maison Forestiere du Malpey. Continue briefly on the Route d'Italie. The take the H74 footpath named "l'Aigle" on the GR49. You'll be walking on the Aigre crest line, with a view of the Mont Vinaigre to the North East. You'll recognize the Mont Vinaigre as it's the highest mountain of the Esterel. It also sports an antenna and adjacent watch tower.

Continue down the GR49 and turn right at the next sharp intersection. You'll soon pass the Maison Forstiere des Cantonniers. Leave the forester's house to your left and head down the road a while (car road). You'll reach a footpath to your left from which you can see the cars below at the Col du Testanier. Take this shaded footpath all the way to your starting point.

      
                         

What:         L'Aigre hike           Where:       The Esterel mountains           How Long:  The full hike is 6.2 km long and takes about 2 hours. This hike is not recommended when very hot - a section of it on the Aigre crest line takes place without any foliage cover.

Location of the l'Aigre, Esterel, on Wikimapia. Move around, zoom in, zoom out as you please:

Hiking the Estérel: The Rastel d'Agay

You can spot it clearly from the seaside resort town of Agay, between St.Raphael and Cannes. Look inland from Agay's lake-like bay.

From the coast, the Rastel d'Agay looks like a wall of red clay, short and clumped with strides, like the side of a sand castle where the grooves of the slapping fingers still show.

Although it's part of the Estérel Mountain Range, a good chunk of the Rastel d'Agay sits on private property, owned the "Groupement Forestier de l'Ubac". Rumors have it that the land belongs to the Count of Agay, a relative of the aviator and writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who crashed his plane close to Agay in 1944 while tracking German troop movements in the area.

To experience the Rastel from the other end means taking a short hike up. It also means savoring the panorama of the rusty and jagged Estérel mountains, and the bay of Agay like a ruby below. With the Estérel mountains protected from construction, you'll see pretty much what Saint-Exupéry saw it during his local flights (though he often flew at night fall).

To get there, drive inland from Agay on the D100 and turn right into the "Massif de l'Estérel" road after the Rastel d'Agay Campground. Head towards the Rocher St.Barthélémy. Stop at the Plateau d'Anthéor where a little dirt road allows 2-3 cars to park. A sign says "H33 Le Rastel".

Hike up the path, pass the SRL13 water cistern, then continue to the SRL14 cistern. Head left to the Rendez-Vous cross-road. You'll spot an oratory (St.Honorat Oratory) to your right.

Take the narrow winding path in front of the oratory, to head up to the top of the Rastel hills. You'll find an old orientation table, too worn out from the elements to describe much of anything. Thankfully, the sites speak for themselves.

The Côte d'Azur may be fast and glitzy, but to the walker who know where to go, it's close to paradise.
Discover the Côte d'Azur's gorgeous panoramic footpaths.
Order your copy of the new guidebook "26 Gorgeous Hikes on the Western Côte d’Azur" on Amazon.com today! 160 pages - over 100 color photos - 32 user-friendly maps - written by local hiker.

Hiking the Estérel: La Baisse de la Grosse Vache

After lunch on Monday, our hiking group decided it was too sunny to stay indoors. We went hiking around the Baisse de la Grosse Vache, in the Estérel Mountains between Cannes and St Raphael.

As usual, the Estérel displayed its ravines and its low-lying hills like a green sea. You find no cement buildings that block the sun here. Just rocky footpaths surrounded by cork oaks, up-swept branches of heath trees, bushes of rock roses and Spanish broom that turn yellow in the Spring.

You walk to the rhythmic crunch of boots on rocks with a wide green expanse around you, prickly fresh air on your face and the maquis' still fragrant bushes of cistus and strawberry trees.

On our return leg on this 7 km hike, we walked with the Perthus mountain of the Estérel to our right, a sheer wall like a block of carved clay.

"C'est comme le Colorado," said someone up front, looking at the auburn cliff of the Perthus.

Getting there:

Enter the Massif de l'Estérel from the seaside town of Agay, heading inland at the roundabout and then turning right about 1.5km from Agay.

Continue to the Col de Belle Barbe. Continue beyond this Col to the next one, the Col du Mistral. Park there and begin your hike at the footpath to the right.

Hiking Details:

6.7 km round-trip.
Accessible year-round, although the Estérel can close in the summer when fire risks run high.

Want to escape the crowds of the Côte d'Azur to stroll on the region's most gorgeous footpaths?
Check out our latest hiking guide.