Dry stones around Saint-Pantaleon

A small circuit that reveals many dry-stone ruins: the Romanesque church and its cemetery, many Bories (dry-wall shelters), livestock enclosures, as well as beautiful views of Gordes and the Luberon.

Technical sheet

4098561
A Saint-Pantaléon (Vaucluse) walk posted on 11/10/15 by LB_Neil. Last update : 22/02/18
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.57 km
  • ◔
    Calculated time: 3h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 244 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 243 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 326 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 202 m
Borie

Description

Car park behind the town hall of Saint-Pantaléon.

(S) From the car park, right up the street that runs alongside the toilet and joined the town hall. Turn right on Rue des Magnans which joins the main street. Continue climbing to the right as far as the junction with the D104.
Go visit the twelfth century Roman church on the left and its stone necropolis.

‘’Yellow markings’’

(1) Leave the church and continue on the D104 opposite for 100 m to the markings indicating Saint Pantaleon.
Turn left in the direction of Daumas. Stay on the main road ignoring all other paths that are just for access to housing.
At a Y-junction (ruin opposite), turn right downhill. Pass by a path immediately to the right and continue for 100 m to the Les Daumas sign.

(2) Leave the road and go left towards Le Touron, on a path between oaks. At the next fork, turn left and continue along the vineyards and then in a forest to a small cross.

‘’No markings''

Find a small path on the left that leads down a few stone steps and sinks in the oaks. 50 m further on, we see a boulder about 5 metres high which seems as if it had been placed there. As you approach it, a 2-metre deep and about 1 meter in diameter reservoir can be seen, which appears to be an old press.
Continue the path on the right along other blocks and dry stone ruins to reach a higher path.
Continue left on the trail to get to the side of a well and the remains of an old farm on your left.
Continue straight until you find a concrete path.

(3) Turn right on this road that goes along the cherry orchard with views of the valley. A little higher up, head around a fence and turn right just after a small path that climbs steeply to find the same path.
Turn right to find a beautiful borie. Leave the path, head around the borie on the left and follow a path that goes right along the cliff (take care). Many viewpoints are dotted along the trail letting you discover further magnificent views of Gordes opposite.
The track bends to the left (west) and 400 m further on arrives at a crossing.

(4) Continue straight ahead, passing by a narrow trail (not depicted on the map) and reach a fork about 80 m away.
Leave the main trail and make a return trip to the right on a small track reaches stone walls. Turn right behind a wall down towards the terraces that seem to be former livestock pens. Note that in some walls have pierced stones in them that were used to tie up animals.
Go up via the same path and join the main trail.
Turn right and continue on the trail that becomes a path, pass a poorly visible path on the right and reach a crossroads. Head right between the walls for about 150 m to find a cross with a beautiful renovated Borie opposite and a fire hydrant on the right.
Leave the road to the left and continue opposite along the property to the next crossroads which is distinguished by its carved stone cross.

Yellow + Orange markings

(5) Turn sharply to the right, pass the path that goes immediately to the right and continue on the way down. Reach a paved road at a small house. Take a close look at this house to see a spring that flows in its basement, called “sous-terre" by locals.

(6) Head to the right on the road as far as the crossing 500 m away.

‘’Yellow markings’’

(7) Turn right past the house and take the stabilised path that goes uphill. Arrive on a plateau, in a cherry orchard, and you have the option to make a round trip on the right to see a tomb. Cross the cherry orchard to head to a hedge to see a platform that is supposedly the tomb of St. Pantaleon.
Head back onto the road and continue to the right. Pass by a path further down to the left (not marked on the map) and continue climbing. The trail will at times become a calade (a paved slope), return to the plateau and reach a crossroads.

‘’No markings''

(8) Turn right and go on a fairly flat road which meets a crossroads passed on the outbound journey.

(4) Continue opposite for about 150 m and then turn left. At the next junction (not shown on the map), turn left again to reach another crossroads marked as a dead end on a stone marker (“voie sans issue”).

(9) Go right on a concrete path that meets a path on its left. Continue between the walls to find some bories and reach a T-junction.

(10) Turn left onto the road that becomes paved lower down towards the D104. Turn left to find the crossing where the church is located. Turn right towards the village and the car park.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 206 m
  2. 1 : km 0.31 - alt. 223 m - Eglise Saint-Pantaléon de Gordes
  3. 2 : km 1.38 - alt. 264 m - Leave the road and go left
  4. 3 : km 2.33 - alt. 281 m - Turn right on this road
  5. 4 : km 3.75 - alt. 315 m - Continue straight ahead
  6. 5 : km 4.67 - alt. 284 m - Turn right
  7. 6 : km 5.25 - alt. 219 m - Continue to the right
  8. 7 : km 5.8 - alt. 202 m - Turn right opposite the house
  9. 8 : km 6.76 - alt. 301 m - Turn right
  10. 9 : km 7.64 - alt. 314 m - Turn right
  11. 10 : km 8.41 - alt. 275 m - Continue to the left
  12. S/E : km 9.57 - alt. 206 m

Useful Information

Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

During the walk or to do/see around

The twelfth century Roman church.

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