Explore-Share logo and link to home

Sainte-Baume day hike in Provence, near Marseille

Sainte-Baume day hike in Provence
Sainte-Baume day hike in Provence
Sainte-Baume day hike in Provence5
Sainte-Baume day hike in Provence

Join Fabrice, an experienced UIMLA-certified Mountain Leader, on this day hike in Provence to Sainte-Baume, the highest peak in the region. Enjoy spectacular views, visit a forest and a unique sacred cave!

Private

Alps

1 Day

Jan - Jun, Sep - Dec

Occasional

Intermediate


Highlights

* Discover one of the most famous hikes in the area

* Enjoy wonderful wide views from the top of the mountain

* Visit a centenary forest and an impressive pilgrimage sanctuary

Description

Sainte-Baume (meaning «holy cave» in French) is the highest mountain near Marseille, culminating at 1148 meters (3766 feet). The wide views from the top of the mountain, one of the nicest forests in the region and a spectacular cave and sanctuary are the highlights of this famous local hike near Marseille and Aix-en-Provence. 

Hiking to Sainte-Baume’s mountain top is not difficult and provide wide panoramic views over the whole region, from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern French Alps mountain range.

In Sainte-Baume we find a wonderful cave in the cliff, where Mary Magdalene is said to have retired after she was expelled by persecutions from the Holy Land. It became a sanctuary where many popes or French kings came to visit, such as Louis 14th of France.

As we start the hike, we visit one of nicest forests in the region, with centenary oaktrees, beeches, yews, among other species. Nature lovers always really enjoy this place.

We can easily adjust the lenght and level of this excursion, as we can do just an easy ascent to the sanctuary or the mountain ridge and then we can go further and higher for sporty hikers. So, depending on the group level and wishes, we can hike from 3 to 5 or 6 hours, and from 300 meters to 600 meters ascent (900 to 2000 feet).

This hike is possible during the winter, spring and fall, and it is better to avoid it in summer, from mid June to late September, due to high temperatures.

If you would like to discover this unique location near Marseille, just send me a request and book your trip! Come join me and spend a great hiking day in Provence.

You can check out my profile page for other great hiking tours in Provence, in the Verdon gorge, Calanques and in the French Riviera.

Price includes

- Guiding fee

Price details

Price per person for groups from 8 to 10 people: 35 EUR / Price per person for groups of 11people: 28 EUR / Price p/pers. for groups of 12: 25 EUR // The price includes guiding fee and a little snack. Picnic is not included./ For bigger groups, please contact us for conditions and prices.


Details

More info

Equipment: Walking boots. Micro fleece mountain t-shirts (if possible, avoid cotton t-shirts). Cap. Water bottle (1 liter/pers). Sun protection, eye protection.

Meeting point

Plan-d'Aups-Sainte-Baume (1 hour from Aix en Provence, 1h45 min from Nice, 1h from Marseille)

FAQs

What are some recommended accommodations near our adventure location?

We understand that finding the perfect place to stay is an essential part of your adventure experience. To help you with this, we’ve curated a list of three highly recommended hotels that offer comfort, convenience, and a touch of local charm. These accommodations are well-suited for adventurers looking to relax and rejuvenate after an exciting day of exploration
Hotel La Residence Du Vieux Port Marseille France
See rooms
Hôtel C2 Marseille France
See rooms
Grand Hotel Beauvau Marseille Vieux Port MGallery Marseille France
See rooms

About the guide

Guide profile image

Fabrice

4.90

(42)

Mountain Leader

I am a hiking guide (International Mountain Leader) who has been working all over France (including Provence and the Alps), Italy and Portugal since 2001. I speak fluent English due to my frequent trips to Taos Ski Valley (in New Mexico, USA where my family runs a great hotel and ski school), and my hiking trips in the American Southwest.

I live mainly in Nice (French Riviera), but I also move all over the Alps working in different alpine valleys. I often visit Martinique (French Caribbean island), where I enjoy rainforest and tropical hikes.

When I´m not guiding, I also work as a photographer, and like to climb, ski, play tennis, or kitesurf in my spare time. Additionally, I really enjoy botany and history.

I can guide you for a half day or for as many days as you like. I´ll take you to discover my favourite French Riviera alpine region, and the wild and large Mercantour National Park (counting 8 different valleys) near Nice, Monte Carlo and Cannes.

In my region we can enjoy the Mediterranean landscape at sea level. As we move into higher altitudes, we will discover alpine lakes, larch or pine forests, orchids and alpine flowers, open meadows, spectacular medieval perched villages and old baroque chapels and churches, with great historic value.

We can also discover the hiking hotspots in Provence such as Calanques National Park, Verdon gorges, Sainte Victoire and the Var region, with Saint Tropez a particular highlight.

I also love to hike in Italy in the very famous world heritage Cinque Terre (the amazing national park of the "Five Lands"), or in Liguria near San Remo.

And finally, I always enjoy taking my guests to the northern Alps: to Chamonix and Mont Blanc´s amazingly large panoramas or to the great Vanoise National Park, the largest in the heart of French Alps.

Languages

French | English

Certificates

UIMLA

Request more information

What people are saying about Fabrice

Mark

5.00

Highly recommend hiring Fabrice as your guide for exploring southern France. As someone unfamiliar with the region, I wasn't up to the task of planning a hike on my own. Particularly a hike in the winter. Fabrice made it all easy. He is incredibly knowledgeable of the region's geography and weather and so was able to tailor a hike just based on the next day's weather forecast. A critical skill for hiking in December. I learned about the natural landscape, vegetation and even how to hike with less stress on my knees. He also taught me about Nordic hiking which is something I definitely want to try again. For sure, I'll be hiring Fabrice again on my next trip to France.

Sue

5.00

Fabrice is a first-class guide! Taking into account last-minute weather changes and after assessing our fitness, he quickly customised an exciting itinerary that led us from the Préalpes to the beautiful hilltop villages of Gourdon, Tourettes-sur-Loup and Saint-Paul-de-Vence. He pointed out great photo opportunities, so we managed to take plenty of nicely-framed photos on our smartphones. Fabrice also introduced us to the game of pétanque and thanks to him, we were able to understand and appreciate the games as they were being played by the locals during our trip.

Daniel

5.00

Fabrice was a wonderful guide with a wide knowledge of not only the history of the area but the flora and fauna of the French Mediterranean coast. The hike provided beautiful views of the cities along the coast as well as the mountains behind them. Highly recommend both the hike and the guide.

matthew

4.00

Fabrice is an adept guide. He took us on some amazing hikes. We were happy to have him guide us to get the most out of our 3 days in Chamonix.

Elias

5.00

Had a wonderful hike with Fabrice as our hiking guide. Highly recommend! If you are from the East Coast of the U.S., recommend going one skill level down from what you think is the right fit for you, since the elevation/altitude of the Alps makes the hike harder than you are likely used to (less oxygen in the air). I did the "moderate plus" thinking it would be easy for me--it was a serious workout! :)


You may also like

Join our newsletter!

Stay up-to-date on the best adventures.