Cycle tour or hike to Barrage de Trapan dam
Featured in Nos Coins de Paradis® (Our Corners of Paradise), Barrage du Trapan dam is a discreet little gem poised between wooded hills and bubbling streams, offering a very different atmosphere from the usual Côte d’Azur picture postcards.
By bike: north-south loop from La Londe
This cycle tour is perfectly doable as long as you’re a motivated holidaymaker, but features enough variety and relief to please hiking fans too. Suitable for regular cyclists (but not recommended for young children), the loop takes between 1.5 and 2.5 hours according to your pace and number of breaks. What’s more, the route departs directly from our 4-star campsite Les Jardins de La Pascalinette®!
Via La Londe-les-Maures
From the campsite, take the D559A road to La Londe. The road is wide, easy-going and pretty safe, although traffic can be dense in summer especially if you’re riding with a family. After around 3 km, you can continue on the coastal cycle path all the way to Trapan lake.
The final ascent to Barrage du Trapan dam is short but quite intense. The reward? A peaceful panoramic view, devoid of traffic noise, and a lake hidden away between the hills. The perfect place for a rejuvenating stop-off in the heart of nature, just half an hour from the campsite! We love this site at the end of winter, when the mimosa lining the route is in bloom – but the setting is fabulous whatever the season!
Return via the south (Chemin du Ruisseau du Pellegrin)
It’s time to leave the tarmac behind and head onto the rustic, but unchallenging path stretching alongside Pellegrin stream, alternating shaded areas, woodland and small clearings.
This is the most beautiful section of the loop and a paradise for nature lovers. It is ideal for families, as long as you are kitted out with suitable bikes. The atmosphere is peaceful and refreshing, with little openings in the lush vegetation unveiling glimpses of the valley. The return journey to La Londe is peaceful too.
On foot: dam and summits
An easy hike (less than 10 km) in the gorgeous Maures hills. A car park awaits you near the entrance to the dam and the walk boasts breathtaking panoramic vistas over the Golden Islands, La Londe, Giens and all the way to the mounts of Toulon.
This little artificial lake, typical of the hydraulic infrastructures found in the Maures hills, is both astonishing and magically simple in design.
In short
A picturesque, modular and very doable cycling loop for holidaymakers keen to head inland from the coast. With the dam as your target, a cycle path for peaceful pedalling and delightfully scenic return journey along Pellegrin stream, it promises a simple and efficient day out redolent with a “Mediterranean holiday” feel – but off the beaten track.
If you’re exploring on foot with all the family, it’s an ideal opportunity to enjoy an idyllic and picturesque picnic in the country. A nice change from the beach!
NB: forest access may be restricted in the event of a forest fire alert