7 of the best hiking routes in France
Multi-day pilgrimages, walks to hidden beach bars only accessible on foot and mountain trails to convent breweries; France is a country made to be explored on two feet.
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The Camino de Santiago
The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela has many routes and many different starting points, but one of the most popular is the Camino Francés, which starts from Le Puy-en-Velay in the Auvergne. The whole thing (941 miles / 1,515 km) takes two to three months to complete... or just tackle the first day.
Rising with the lark is a must, and most hikers attend a special early morning mass at Le Puy-en-Velay's Cathédrale Notre-Dame before setting off, where they receive a silver scallop shell charm and a blessing. Seeing a full church congregation dressed in Gore-Tex is a surreal experience.
The first scenic 10.5 miles / 17 km through villages containing little more than churches takes you to Montbonnet, where buses run back to Le Puy-en-Velay; the last one leaves shortly after 2 pm.
The Ridges of Pilat Regional Park
Often overshadowed by famous neighbours, Pilat has quiet, verdant trails and some surprisingly scrambly ridges. The highest point, Crêt de la Perdrix (Partridge Ridge), sits at 1,434 m, so it's no mountain giant, but views from the top take in the Alps, the Auvergne and the fertile Rhône Valley.
Parking at the Auberge de la Jasserie has two advantages. First, it's the start point of a 9-mile / 14-km loop, which covers six ridges. Second, it's a foodie paradise. This former convent is now a gîte and restaurant.
As well as selling an impressive range of artisanal beer from the region, they make anything and everything with local blueberries; jam, liquor and fat, oozing slabs of blueberry tart.
The Postman's Trail
Pity the poor postman who had to undertake this, but for hikers, the 'Sentier du Facteur' to Girolata is a delight.
In western Corsica, this undulating trail hugs the cliffs, climbing through thick forest to plunge to hidden beaches, culminating in a tiny congregation of seaside buildings fringed by palm trees and muddy little canals.
The fishing village of Girolata is crowned with a little fortress the colour of shortbread, the oldest parts of which were built in the 16th century.
Locals generally arrive by boat, greeted upon arrival by skinny-haunched cows patrolling the sands. The beach bar, selling local beer Pietra, looks like it was made for grog-swilling pirates.
A there-and-back trail of 6.8 miles / 11 km, this also forms part of one of Corsica's Mare è Monti trails (sea and summit trails which cross the island horizontally).
Croix Fry
If you want your hiking panoramas to reach new heights, literally, tackle this trail from Thônes, near Annecy. A shuttle bus runs from Thônes to Croix Fry car park, from where a trail takes you through a peat bog natural reserve, through dense pine tree coverage, to be rewarded by an epic view of Mont-Blanc at the summit.
It's 5 miles / 8 km long, rising 350 m in altitude, but can easily be extended to spend a night in alpine chalet La Ferme des Vonezins. From here, a second day hike of the same distance again takes you up to the Croix de Colomban, with lush views over the Beauregard plateau. To hire a guide, contact the Bureau des Guides de Thônes Manigod.
Île-aux-Moines (Monk Island)
On Brittany's wild, tempestuous west coast, the heavily tidal Gulf of Morbihan sees fickle weather and storms, which only add to the dramatic landscape.
There are some 40 islands in the bay, although local legends like to say there are as many islands as there are days of the year, and many get submerged by the sea at high tide.
The largest is Île-aux-Moines, and when the winds and waves come rolling in, the best way to explore it is on the hiking trail, which goes all around the island perimeter.
A 10.5-mile / 17-km loop from the arrival jetty gives views of the Gulf of Morbihan from every angle. In fine weather, factor in the whole day to swim at quiet little white sand beaches, and to enjoy freshly dredged oysters at one of the numerous seafood shacks.
This trail is largely well-marked and easy to follow, but use the map provided by Morbihan's tourist office if in doubt.
The Canigou
Legend has it that the Canigou in the Pyrenees is home to a dragon, which lies asleep under the 2,785 m summit. It's very Tolkienian, but dragons or not, the views from the top are spectacular.
Summiting the Canigou is one very long day hike, or can be split over two days with an overnight stop at either Chalet des Cortalets or Refuge de Mariailles, and there are different routes to choose from (see Canigó Tourism's website).
For a more leisurely stroll, park in Casteil and walk 0.9 miles / 1.5 km to Abbey Saint Martin du Canigou, an 11th-century monastery still inhabited by Benedictine monks. Cradled by the mountains, it looks as though it was carved into the rock face.
Ault to Bois de Cise on the coastal path
It's seabirds wheeling overhead rather than bluebirds, but France's chalky cliffs are just as spectacular as the UK's, and some see very little footfall. Ault to Bois de Cise, Hauts-de-France, is just 3 miles / 5 km one way, and it isn't as taxing as you'd expect.
There's an initial steep scramble to reach the clifftop, and the same to descend the other side, but other than that, the hiking trail runs along a plateau, through fields of grazing cows.
The beach at Ault, lined with pinstriped beach huts and with long, flat sands, is very pleasant, but don't linger at Bois de Cise, where the beach is shingle and the cliffs heavily graffitied.
Cimate in France
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum daytime temperature °C |  6 |
7 |
 11 |
 14 |
 18 |
21 |
 24 |
 23 |
20 |
 16 |
10 |
7 |
| Hours of sunshine (daily) | ||||||||||||
| Days with some rainfall |  17 |
 14 |
16 |
15 |
15 |
13 |
 11 |
12 |
12 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
The above guide shows the climate in Paris. To find out what conditions are like in destinations across the country, please visit our complete guide to the climate in France.
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