Hiking
The hikes below are in the immediate area and are "simple" but require good shoes and a lot of water!
In France you do not usually describe hiking in kilometers as it is usually hilly (or very hilly!) But instead in time. We have made approximate times based on fairly slow walk.
The walks are briefly described so a warm recommendation is to buy a map. There are several variants both digital and paper variants. There are excellent paper maps from IGN Rando (IGNrando.fr). The maps are in 1:25000, which is recommended, and can be purchased at most major grocery stores and newspaper outlets in the area. There are also good apps, such as ViewRanger. It costs a euro or so per map area but works very well (our choice). If you want a free app (without location information) then you can test "Géoportail".
Some of the hikes are also described on
tourisme-dracenie.com.
Callas - Bargemon
The hike begins at the house. Go down to the village and pass the post and continue towards the school. Go past the school (a minor road below the larger road to Bargemon), follow the minor road until you come up to the larger road and the crossroad, Bargemon-Clavier. Take the large road towards Clavier about 300 m until you reach a U-turn left, follow the road for another 200 m and then turn left on a small dirt road. You are then a few meters below the larger road towards Bargemon. Then follow the dirt road up through the valley to Bargemon. You will have the village in the eye several times and also see Clavier in the upper right. As you approach the village you have several options, choose a road / path into the village. You have now walked about 6 km. Maybe try one of the restaurants or just wander around the village, don't miss the view from the fountain (a bit along the road towards Callas). Take the same route down again, it is now most downhill!
Up / down: 700 m
Time: about 1 hour 30 min up and a little less down.
Clavier - Chapelle Sainte-Anne
Park the car at the entrance to the village. Go straight through the village past the school which is on the outskirts. After school you will find a sign for Chap Ste-Anne. You first go through a villa area in a few serpentines before you reach a water reservoir. There you take the path into the forest up the hill. You then follow the path in serpentines up to a plateau where you find the chapel. Up at the chapel you have wonderful views and the lunch bag is best eaten in a south facing position with a view towards Clavier. When you are satisfied take the same route down or take the longer road by following the ridge due east for 1.5 km and then head south and follow the gravel road back to the water reservoir.
Up / down: 330 m
Time: about 1 hour up and a little less down
Bargemon - View point 1032 m
TTake the car to Bargemon and choose route de Bravés D25 towards Bargème. Drive about 2.5 km towards Col du Bel homme. At a sharp left curve turn right onto a dirt road and park the car directly. There is a picture showing the walk (see picture below). In the beginning you follow a dirt road and soon see a cliff that you have to pass behind up on a plateau. After a short distance up the plateau you come to a sign that shows you left up towards Table d'orientation 1032m. Up at the vantage point you can see wild sheep and goats and surely feel a nice little cooler breeze! Then select the same route down again.
Up / down: 400 m
Time: about 1 hour 15 min up and a little less down
