Hiking on the Nerthes Trail at the Massif du Gros Cerveau

Beautiful family hike on the heights of Ollioules and Sanary, offering magnificent views of the bays of Bandol, Sanary and the Sainte-Baume mountain range. At the top, you can observe the work of the Gros Cerveau point.

Description

Departure/Arrival: Chemin de Sainte Trinide, parking at the foot of the Garden of Olives, near the Animal and Botanical Park ZOA.

BUILDINGS : blue

To reach the start of the hike, from Sanary in the direction of Bandol, follow the indications "Jardin exotique". Pass under the highway bridge, after the barrier, park on the side of the road at the Conservatoire du Jardin des oliviers.

At the beginning of the itinerary, take the road "Chemin de Sainte-Trinide", direction North-East, following the blue markings.
At the intersection, continue straight ahead on the road to "la Piole Paul Venel". A few hundred meters further on, be careful: the circuit leaves the asphalt. Turn left onto a path lined with cranks.
There is an information panel at the entrance. Follow this path and pass in front of an old lime kiln. Continue straight ahead.
At the next intersection, take the path on the left and continue uphill to the Gros Cerveau road.

Cross the road and take the trail on the left through the firewall towards the west. Continue on the paved road.

Stay alert! In a right turn, take the trail going down on your left. At this point, following the asphalt road, you can go back and forth for a few meters to discover the work of the Pointe du Gros Cerveau and the panorama.

At the bottom of this path, at the intersection with the track, turn left for a few meters and in the right hairpin, at the level of the cistern, take the path on the left. Go down.
At the end of this descent, turn right and after 150 m, take the path on your left. Follow it to the next intersection, then take the trail on the right that will bring you back to the starting point of the loop.

At this point, take the starting route in the opposite direction, which takes you back to the parking lot.

Environments

• Close to GR footpath

Rates

Free access.

Good deals

🥾 Precautions to take: Make sure to bring enough water and extra food. 📱 Equip yourself with good walking shoes and a fully charged phone. 🆘 In case of emergency, dial 112.

⚠️ Every summer, the Var Prefecture regulates the access, circulation, and parking on certain roads leading to the 9 forested areas in the Var region. This system informs walkers about access possibilities to the forest areas and ongoing work in the forests.

In summer, always check the Var forest access map before going on any hike.
➡️ https://www.risque-prevention-incendie.fr/var/index.html

Itinerary

• Distance 8km
• Type of itinerary LOOP
• Elevation gain 300m
• Elevation drop 300m
• Duration 04h00
• Marked trail Yes
• Nature of the land Non-groomed itinerary, Stone, Ground, Grit, Not suitable for strollers

Opening time

All year round.
Attention, as every year during the summer, from mid-June to the end of September, the Var Prefecture regulates access, circulation, and parking on certain roads leading to the 9 forested areas in the Var region.

🚫 The Gros Cerveau massif is inaccessible by car during this period. Information is updated daily during the summer period: https://www.risque-prevention-incendie.fr/var/index.html.

Location

Documents

• Hiking on the Nerthes Trail at the Massif du Gros Cerveau (pdf)

Pets

Pets allowed : Yes

Themes

• Tips : 🥾 Precautions to take: Make sure to bring enough water and extra food. 📱 Equip yourself with good walking shoes and a fully charged phone. 🆘 In case of emergency, dial 112.
  
  ⚠️ Every summer, the Var Prefecture regulates the access, circulation, and parking on certain roads leading to the 9 forested areas in the Var region. This system informs walkers about access possibilities to the forest areas and ongoing work in the forests.
  
  In summer, always check the Var forest access map before going on any hike.
  ➡️ https://www.risque-prevention-incendie.fr/var/index.html