The coast around Toulon, in France, is very jagged, and still full of enchanting natural and landscape stretches. We had the opportunity to appreciate part of it, following the track that leads to the Chapelle de Notre Dame de Mai, on top of the Cap Siciè promontory.

Trekking: Notre Dame de Mai - Cap Sicié (Six Fours, France)

Our itinerary begins along the D2816 road, from the point where the road is blocked and closed to traffic during the summer season (see our map below). You can park your car in the spaces, aside of the road, before the barrier. Many arrive here by bicycle (a racing one, MTB, or E-Bike), and continue along one of the many cycle routes that cross the promontory.

The route of our walk begins along the asphalt road, past the barrier, in the shade of plant species typical of the Mediterranean bush, which offer a bit of shielding from the sun and refreshment. However, it is best to avoid doing the route in the summer, during the central hours of the day.

After 1 km from the start, you finally leave the asphalt road (see our map below), turn right (South), and begin to climb along a clear and wide path that goes up towards the crest of the promontory, which will then lead up to the little church at the top. There is no signage, but only some circles and signs in (yellow) paint on trees and boulders, which confirm you're on the route. We also helped ourselves with Komoot maps and tracks.

The path climbs with some steep sections, but without excessive slopes. After 700 meters from the turn, you then reach the crest, beyond which the blue expanse of the sea appears. You then turn left (East) and start following the ridge (north side), generally uphill, but with some ups and downs. Every now and then, you come to a panoramic point that shows both the slope that goes south towards the sea, and increasingly wider views of the Gulf of Bandol and the Ile des Embiez. But the most spectacular view will be enjoyed from the chapel at the top of Cap Sicié.

The chapel at the summit (390 meters above sea level) can be reached quickly, without particular difficulty, after approximately 1 hour of walking, and 2.9 km from the start. Shortly before the summit, the path links to the asphalt road again (Chem. Notre Dame de Bonne Garde, branch of the D2816), via which you can reach the chapel with a longer and more tortuous route, followed by cyclists.

From the summit, the view also extends over the bay of Toulon and the Plage de la Sablettes, but above all, towards the east, over the bay of Almanarre, the Giens Peninsula and the Porquerolles, which appeared to us under a magnificent silver light, in mid-morning . The 360 ​​degree view is magnificent.

Towards the South East, you can also glimpse the remains of the Ancien Sémaphore du Cap Sicié, which can be reached with a nice track, following the ridge that continues towards the tip of Cap Sicié (signage just below the Chapel).

In front of the chapel, there are also the remains of a watchtower dating back to 1352!

Having planned a windsurfing session at the Coudouliere in the afternoon, we did not continue further, but went back down to the car, without exactly repeating the outward route. We followed the road up to an electric cabin, to then take a clear path to the left (West - see our track), which allowed us to save a good chunk of road, going down into the woods, and to return to the asphalted path, shortly before the bar.

We really liked the area, and will definitely return to explore it further.

Good walk. Fabio