Huveaune springs loop

This is the emblematic hike of Nans-les-Pins. It starts in the village centre, follows for a while the old pilgrimage route to the Sainte-Baume, then climbs the valley where the Huveaune rises in a string of clear travertine basins. The site is a biological reserve: one of the most fragile places in the massif, and one of the most beautiful.

The route

The walk is signposted "Sources de l'Huveaune" from the car park to the entrance of the reserve. You first cross the village along the cours Général-de-Gaulle and the Grand-Rue, past the Saint-Laurent church, up to the Miséricorde chapel. There begins the chemin de l'Orge, shared by the GR 9A and the yellow waymarks: it passes an oratory, runs alongside the old sanatorium buildings, then joins the chemin rural des Rois, heir to the chemin des Roys that pilgrims followed to the grotto.

After a stretch of forest track, a path plunges into the woods and reaches the sign marking the entrance to the biological reserve. The path then follows the river from above, over the travertine pools, with two interpretation panels on the Castelette valley and the formation of the tufa, then a viewpoint. A footbridge crosses the stream: a few metres upstream you can see the resurgence, the point where the Huveaune comes out of the ground. The return follows the other bank and then the tracks back to the village.

Getting there

Start from the parking de la Ferrage, in the centre of Nans-les-Pins, or from the parking des Sources de l'Huveaune. The village is served by line 92 of the Zou network (Aubagne–Brignoles), La Ferrage stop.

Advice

The bed of the Huveaune is fragile even when dry: swimming, mountain biking and dogs, even on a lead, are forbidden. Stay on the paths and the boardwalks. The pools are often dry in summer; spring and autumn, after rain, are the best seasons. From 21 June to 20 September, access to the massif is regulated according to the fire risk: check the daily access map of the Var prefecture before setting off.