Walking And Hiking Near Cannes

The area behind Cannes between the sea and ranging up into the mountains is an ideal place for walkers and hikers. The terrain ranges from the ambivalent forest walks through to the full hiking experience in the mountains of the Mercantour.

The Valmasque forest is a protected area, a so called Park Departmental where there are marked paths and tracks suitable for walkers and hikers, with some tracks also marked for use by mountain bikers. It extends from the northern edge if Cannes, starting in Mougins, and extends pastMouans Sartoux in the west to Biot and beyond in the east. Although some roads cut through the area, bridges and tunnels ensure enjoyment is unrestricted by having to walk on roads for the most part, except perhaps on the borders.

With thousands of acres of forests, hills, rivers and wonderful views, theValmasque is a fantastic resource which is well cared for by the authorities. The most popular routes emanate out from Mougins in the area known as Stade, where many routes are marked either by signposts or often by coloured markers.

Stade also has an interesting circular exercise track with different exercises recommended as part of a circuit. This may be a bit toopopulous for some people, but believe me, it takes less than 10 minutes to be deep in the forest, as there are so many tracks fanning out.

The trees vary from oak and cork and pine, and one can even find the occasional fig tree which is very welcome in late September when the fig is in season.

In spring and particularly autumn there is a very strong tradition of mushroom picking. This is partly because of the varied types of fungi available, which has led to increased local knowledge if what is dangerous and what is edible. This tradition is helped by the very fine law that all pharmacies must have someone who can advise on if they edible or otherwise of any mushrooms or toad stalls collected. This advice must be given for free.

One can walk over to Valbonne which is about 5 miles away and from there, for the stout-hearted, one can follow the Brague river all the way down to Biot and on to the coast, some six miles further on.

Both Valbonne and Biot are very attractive Provencal villages with much to offer the tired and thirsty walker. Valbonne has a particularly attractive 12th century square with half a dozen restaurants and cafe's surrounding it, and is easily accessible directly from the Valmasque with only one small road to cross,

From Valbonne there are similar opportunities to fan out and explore the region.

Biot is slightly more difficult to walk into but is similarly well endowed with cafe's and restaurants from where one can enjoy a cold beer or a glass of rose.

Further inland there are a number of much tougher walks and hikes around the village of Gurdon and up into the lower hills of theMercantour. These walks often involve some steep inclines but the rewards come in the form of the most spectacular views from the hills above and indeed below Gurdon, as there is a very steep track up from the valley below. This commences at Bar Sur Loup, and should only be undertaken with a decent supply of water.

Further up in the Mercantour you come to the ski areas which, at up to 2000 metres. (Over 6000 feet) are cooler in summer but snow-coveredin the winter. These are more the domain of the serious walker or hiker.

In order to enjoy these walks to their fullest, it is probably best to stay in the area, rather than a hotel, many people plump for renting private villa. There is a great range of such properties available. Also there are a number of specialists in the area who will find you the perfect villa. Many have spectacular views and many also have swimming pools and large gardens in which to spread out and relax.

To get to the area, one needs a car, and the A8 motorway runs between Cannes and Mougins with Nice airport barely 20 minutes drive.