Paradou: Circular Walk and Cultural Heritage

Paradou offers two distinct ways to plan a trip: a historic tour with numbered panels and a circular hike with a specified distance and duration. The area also offers landscape and cultural heritage themes—from the protected Ilon area to a miniature Provençal village. Which of these highlights you choose to focus on can shape your stay.

Hiking: historic tour and circular hike

The historic tour of Paradou comprises 15 numbered panels. Three additional points lie outside the main route. This allows you to distinguish between the tour stops and the additional points when planning your stay. The panels give the tour a clear sequence; the three other points are not part of the main route.

The “Défends de Sousteyran” circular hike is 11.2 kilometers long and takes 3.5 hours. It starts and ends at the Parking des écoles in Paradou. The route leads to the Rochers de la Pène and the Tours de Castillon located there; along the way, it offers views of the southern foothills of the Alpilles. Unlike the tour with its numbered panels, this hike is described as a loop with a specific distance and duration. This can make it easier to decide if you want to include a set hiking segment in your trip plans.

You can reach the hike by public transport on ZOU! bus line 702 to the “Les Plouvinons” stop. Check the line’s timetable before you travel so you can plan your journey accordingly.

Landscape and history around Paradou

The Ilon Regional Nature Reserve comprises 176 hectares of protected natural area within the municipalities of Paradou and Arles. Its landscape features include marshes, old-growth forests, and Coussouls de Crau. The different habitats offer a distinctive way to experience the landscape: alongside hiking destinations and historic stops, you can also include this protected natural area in your trip plans.

Since July 3, 1914, the Canal de la vallée des Baux has run along the southern foothills of the Alpilles. Several canal bridges were built in the municipalities of Maussane-les-Alpilles and Paradou. The canal and these structures add an aspect of waterway history to the landscape. These are several canal bridges in the two municipalities, not a description of one specific bridge.

Castillon also offers a historic perspective on the region. In the 11th century, under the Lords of Les Baux, the site became a strategic location. It was used to defend their territory and monitor the routes. This history is a different focus from the viewpoints along the circular hike: it explains the site’s former significance, while the route leads to the Rochers de la Pène and the Tours de Castillon.

Cultural stops and events

La Croix des Clapiers is a historic religious heritage site and wayside cross in Paradou. It was erected in 1660. A text from 981 also mentions the church of Saint-Martin-en-Félaurie in Paradou. These two references offer different perspectives on the past: the wayside cross is associated with a specific year of construction, while the mention of the church reaches far back into medieval history.

La Petite Provence du Paradou displays nearly 400 santons in a 500-square-meter miniature Provençal village. It offers temporary exhibitions, workshops for adults and children, and guided tours. Check which of these activities are currently available before your visit. This allows you to distinguish the permanent exhibition from the changing program when planning, without assuming the same visiting conditions apply to all activities.

Events can also add a seasonal highlight: in 2024, the second edition of the Transhumance, featuring folk dancing, took place in Paradou.

When choosing a hotel in Paradou, you can first consider which themes you want to shape your stay: the 11.2-kilometer circular hike, the landscape, or the historic and cultural stops. This lets you tailor your search to your planned itinerary rather than combining different attractions into a single route.

Discover more destinations: Châteauneuf-Les-Martigues, Meyreuil, Port-De-Bouc, Rognac, Aigues-Mortes, Le Tholonet, Saint-Chamas, La Ciotat

For the broader travel overview: Bouches Du Rhone.