The Collet Path in Saint Martin-Vésubie

Saint Martin-Vésubie, in the French Maritime Alps, is as ideal a location for people who enjoy a gentle Alpine walk as it is for hardcore hikers.

This is a blog for those of you in the first category.

Having already written about one of the more strenuous walking trails from Saint Martin

Vésubie, the six-hour and 1,200m elevation hike to the Cime de la Palu, we wanted to share a little about one of the less challenging walks too.

This is our short guide to walking the Collet Path.

If it sounds like a hike you’d like to do and you want to know more about staying in Saint Martin-Vésubie, find out more on our guide to visiting.

What to know about this hike:

• According to the Saint Martin-Vésubie’s tourism information office guide, a copy of which we strongly recommend you pick up on arrival in the village, the end point of this short hike is 420m higher than the starting point. The guide is written in French, so use a translation app if you don’t speak the language.

• The Collet Path is an out and back (“aller/retour” in French) hike. For those not familiar with the term, that means you’ll be walking back on the same path you take on the way out.

• The tourism office guide estimates the walk will take 3 hours to complete, including the hike up and the return journey. This was true for us… but most will finish the hike sooner. We took longer as we had heavy backpacks on (having arrived too early to check into our hotel before setting off), were wearing our everyday trainers rather than hiking boots, and we stopped a few times to take photos and enjoy our first look at the mountains around us.

• The hike is uphill all the way, but not particularly steep. Paths are wide enough to walk along comfortably without causing any nerves for less experienced hikers.

• While the Collet Path not as special a walk as the much longer Cime de la Palu hike we went on the next day, we really enjoyed walking it. It was perfect for passing an easy couple of hours after exploring Saint Martin-Vésubie village, with the top of the walk offering views of the village and its pretty old buildings as well as a more expansive look into the Vésubie valley and surrounding mountains than you'll get from the village centre.

Notes on directions

Roughly translated, the directions provided by the tourism office read:

“From the Town Hall square, take Rue Dr Cagnoli (the street with the stream) to marker 60 (fountain); turn left onto the small road along the upper edge of the grounds of the “La Chataigneraie” hotel. Upon reaching marker 61, turn right and take the steep stairs leading to Boulevard Ste. Marthe. Cross the road (marker 76) and ascend the winding Collet Path, which skirts a hairpin turn in the track before reaching a wide plateau (1300m elevation). Continue for a while through the forest on the track until you reach marker 387 (1,380m elevation), then retrace your steps to return.”

Saint Martin-Vésubie dates back at least as far as the 12th Century

A couple of notes that might help you.

• It’s very hard to get lost on this trail. There are signposts and painted yellow marks on trees and rocks to keep you heading in the right direction.

• Keep an eye out for the “hairpin bend”. At this point, you reach a junction with one branch of the path continuing forward and the other doubling back behind you. It’s the latter which you’ll need to follow. You’ll come across the hairpin fairly soon after crossing Boulevard Ste. Marthe, where you join the footpath.

• The only time we were unsure whether we’d somehow taken a wrong turn was early in the hike, as it’s not obvious how far the “La Chataigneraie hotel” grounds stretch. If you’ve walked all the way up Rue Dr Cagnoli and kept walking until you’re on the Chemin des Collettes, you’re going the right way.

• Don’t look at those elevations in the directions and worry about how far you have to climb. You’re already very close to a kilometre in elevation before you start your walk.

If you bring lunch, you can stop to eat at this convenient picnic bench when you reach the "wide plateau"

Anything else a less experienced hiker should know?

• Forgive me if you’ve already read our guide to the Cime de la Palu, but it’s worth repeating that Spring-Autumn is tick season in the Alps. The Collet Path has long grass along much of the route, so bring a decent insect repellent and wear long clothing.

• The walk is partly in sun and partly in shade. Make sure you’ve applied sun cream before setting off.

• You don’t need to bring food with you to fuel up, but a couple of snacks is never a bad idea in case you start to feel tired. The Carrefour and Casino stores in the village sell fruit, cereal bars and other quick bites. Make sure to bring water too.

• My phone had strong signal throughout the hike.

Any cool wildlife?

• Yes, though there’s no chance of spotting some of the cooler wildlife that you might see at higher elevation – an ibex, for instance – at this low altitude.

• But you can still spot vultures, other birds, snakes, skinks, butterflies, and many other things.

• If you’re quiet and very lucky, you might be fortunate enough to see a delightfully fluffy Black Squirrel – a red squirrel whose darker colour is better adapted to the mountains in which they live.

Final thoughts

Saint Martin-Vésubie is a hiker’s dream. Consider walking the Collet Path on your first day before checking into your hotel, or as a way to pass a relaxing afternoon after some exploring the historic old parts of the village and indulging at the village bakery.

An easy walk, the Collet Path is a great introduction to Saint Martin-Vésubie and unlikely to tire you out so much that you can’t take on a more challenging hike the next day.