Hiking in the Mercantour

This blog is in French, except for the hike to the Mont Pelat, but as a lot of English speaking folks visit the Côte d'Azur and invariably see from the beach our fantastic mountains, I felt it was a good idea to introduce them to you.

After the Alex storm in October 2020, a lot of roads are still closed in June 2021. Check our Accès routier été 2021 page (in French) for more information.

We are here in the Southern end of the Alps, with a few summits over 3,000 meters, a National Park to protect wildlife, and many impressive places even non-sporty people can visit.

Even if you are in the Nice area without a car, you can still get up there: the Rando Bus will take you up there on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, for a 10 € return fare. I recommend Friday, there will be less locals, and aiming either for le Boréon or la Madone de Fenestre (more below about those places).

And if you have a car, there are a few dozen places to visit, after a one to two hour drive from the coast.

If you are only going to be spending one day in the Mercantour, I highly recommend getting up to the Madone de Fenestre, at 1,900 meters high. Any road GPS will get you to Saint-Martin-Vésubie, a charming village you have to visit, perhaps in the end of the afternoon. Just after the centre of the village, spot on your right the small road with an old signpost "Madone de Fenestre". The road is initially quite narrow, but it widens as it goes up the valley. Right at the top, you arrive at a sanctuary, with plenty of parking space along the road.

In front of you, there is the highest mountain in the Alpes-Maritimes, the Cime du Gélas (3,143 meters), the impressive rocky Caïre de la Madone, and on the left, under the Cime de l'Agnellière, you might spot some chamois. Ready to hike? Clear wooden signposts will put you on the track towards the Lac de Fenestre, 2 kilometers and 360 meters uphill away. From this charming lake, the bravest will go up to the Col de Fenestre, for another 700 meters in distance and 200 meters uphill. On your way up from the lake, it is nearly guaranteed that you will meet ibex with their large horns, amongst the fortifications of the last world war. At the Col the Fenestre, you are on the border with Italy, in a very alpine environment. To review the hike, but in French: Lac et Col de Fenestre.

Not into hiking, or with very young kids? Then, from Saint-Martin-Vésubie, drive up to the Lac du Boréon. You can have a stroll around the lake, and see wolves at the Parc Alpha.

Another nice place to visit is Valberg, a traditional skiing resort, with plenty of activities in summer: mountain biking, trout fishing, a summer sledge, plenty of shops and restaurants. And a nice walk called the Planetary Trail, mixing art, astronomy and fantastic landscapes.

Looking for other ideas? This blog contains nearly 250 trails. Search by distance, uphill distance and starting point from our search page or dive in to the interactive map.

To finish this introduction to the Mercantour, a little list of Q&As, with the questions people often ask me.

Are there specific restrictions in the Mercantour park ?

Yes. You will know you are entering the heart of the park when seeing signposts showing what you are not allowed to do. Mainly bringing in your pet, bike or drone, picking flowers, shouting or playing music, and less obviously for the French, carrying fire arms. There are a hundred guards hiding in the bushes, and they will fine you, up to 1,500 €. A little tricky one is camping: you can plant your tent between 7 PM and 9 AM, providing you walked at least one hour from the closest road or entrance of the park to your camping spot.

What about the weather? Does it compare to the weather on the coast?

Never go very far without checking the weather, and only from Météo France (forget that sexy weather app on your phone). Look at what is forecasted between 2 and 5 PM: thunderstorms in the afternoon are very frequent, and sunny conditions can transform into a nightmare in 30 minutes, with a lot (really a lot) of rain, temperature dropping close to 0°C, and impressive lightnings.

Can I get lost?

If you follow the standard trails, with the wooden signposts, not really. If you leave the major paths, and if you are not used to being in the mountains, things can get more tricky, or even dangerous (nights are cold up there).

What happens if I'm injured?

You might or might not be able to reach the emergency services by dialing 112, because the Mercantour only has very partial cellphone coverage. But if you are on a standard trail in the middle of summer, there will be plenty of people to help you and go and call the emergency services. Who will probably turn up in a yellow helicopter to save you, and that is free of charge.

How do I dress to hike?

Quick summary of our blog post Comment s'équiper pour randonner dans le Mercantour ?: go to Decathlon, buy the cheapest (yes) hiking shoes and 10 liter backpack, add a waterproof jacket and a hat. Put 1 to 2 liters of water, a sandwich, a few snacks and some SPF50 sun cream in the backpack, and on you go!

Can I visit the famous Vallée des Merveilles?

There are road signposts which give you the wrong impression that you can just drive in to the Vallée des Merveilles. But the easiest hike to just reach the entrance of the archaeological area is 7 kilometers long and 700 meters uphill, from the Lac des Mesches near Casterino. To actually see the engravings, you need a local guide, first because you will not find them yourself, and secondly because without an approved guide, you are not allowed to walk off the paths in that area. And you can't really go up, visit and get back from the Vallée des Merveilles in one day, so start by booking a night at the Refuge des Merveilles.

More questions? Just drop a comment here below, and I will most probably get back to you within a few days.