Botanical loop of the plain of Carro
Pedestrian sports, Hiking itinerary InterdepartmentalItinéraire
Departure/Arrival
Point of interest
Circuit n° 1
Access condition: Between June 1 and September 30, access to forest areas is regulated by prefectural decree and may be by municipal decree, for your safety and the preservation of sensitive sites. Before you follow your “stroll desires”, call 0811 20 13 13. Each day, you will be able to find out whether the site where you want to walk is free access all day, open only in the morning, or completely closed. Depending on the weather conditions, the “forest fire” danger level (orange-red-black) is known no later than 6 pm for the next day.
Point 1 - Les Arnettes car park - Botanical loop of the Carro plain
Cross the waterfront parking lot and pass between the two rock blocks at the bottom of the parking lot and enter the heart of the area burned in the fire on July 26, 2017.
You can observe there: Aleppo pine, Kermes oak, spurge characias, cistus, asparagus, brachipods, filaria, wild pear trees.
You can observe there: Aleppo pine, Kermes oak, spurge characias, cistus, asparagus, brachipods, filaria, wild pear trees.
Point 2 - Wastewater treatment plant - Botanical loop of the Carro plain
Continue straight on and then at the intersection turn right onto the blue marked path.
At the crossroads continue straight towards the wastewater treatment plant (the path turns slightly to the left).
In front of the station, turn left and enter the biotope of the garrigue (yellow Coronilla, cord, rosemary, characias spurge, thyme, cistus, iris, Kermes oak, olive tree, thistle, Phenician juniper, lavender, valerian, orchid, asparagus, Aleppo pine, gorse).
Take the first right.
At the crossroads, follow the path on the right and enter the biotope of the olive grove colonized by pines, then into the biotope of the pine forest.
At the crossroads continue straight towards the wastewater treatment plant (the path turns slightly to the left).
In front of the station, turn left and enter the biotope of the garrigue (yellow Coronilla, cord, rosemary, characias spurge, thyme, cistus, iris, Kermes oak, olive tree, thistle, Phenician juniper, lavender, valerian, orchid, asparagus, Aleppo pine, gorse).
Take the first right.
At the crossroads, follow the path on the right and enter the biotope of the olive grove colonized by pines, then into the biotope of the pine forest.
Point 3 - Bonnieu Casemate - Botanical loop of the plain of Carro
Pass the German bunker at Bonnieu dating from WWII.
Bonnieu's position participated in the defense of the coast against "a coup de main" on Arnette's Cove to the south and in conjunction with the Laurons position to the north. It also contributes to the close protection of the Arnettes battery. In its southern part, the position of Bonnieu had a medium caliber cannon in casemate (firing axis towards Carro), a searchlight, a grenade launcher and several machine guns. It was protected to the south by a network of still visible trenches.
Go around it and take the path marked in blue on the left. Climb onto the plateau and enter the brachipod meadow.
Pass to the left of the ammunition compartment then take the path on the right.
In the descent, go straight towards Bonnieu.
At the crossroads, stay to your right and walk along the area covered by the Prefectural Biotope Protection Decree put in place to protect the natural environment of Merendera filifolia.
Merendera filifolia Cambess. (Colchicum filifolium) named after the botanist Mérender who lived in the 18th century. It is a perennial plant with thread-like leaves, pink flowers 5 to 15 centimeters in size and flowering in September and October.
Turn left towards the Bonnieu sud car park. Follow the path on your right (behind the boulders) then follow the path parallel to the road towards La Donnelle.
Bonnieu's position participated in the defense of the coast against "a coup de main" on Arnette's Cove to the south and in conjunction with the Laurons position to the north. It also contributes to the close protection of the Arnettes battery. In its southern part, the position of Bonnieu had a medium caliber cannon in casemate (firing axis towards Carro), a searchlight, a grenade launcher and several machine guns. It was protected to the south by a network of still visible trenches.
Go around it and take the path marked in blue on the left. Climb onto the plateau and enter the brachipod meadow.
Pass to the left of the ammunition compartment then take the path on the right.
In the descent, go straight towards Bonnieu.
At the crossroads, stay to your right and walk along the area covered by the Prefectural Biotope Protection Decree put in place to protect the natural environment of Merendera filifolia.
Merendera filifolia Cambess. (Colchicum filifolium) named after the botanist Mérender who lived in the 18th century. It is a perennial plant with thread-like leaves, pink flowers 5 to 15 centimeters in size and flowering in September and October.
Turn left towards the Bonnieu sud car park. Follow the path on your right (behind the boulders) then follow the path parallel to the road towards La Donnelle.
Point 4 - Naturist camp - Botanical loop of the plain of Carro
At the naturist camp, continue your road to the left along the Bonnieu wetland and take the green way towards Carro. You will follow the coastal strip.
It is a transitional space between land and sea where we can distinguish 3 floors: the sea, the waves and the spray. It is characterized by extremely difficult living conditions where perfectly adapted species can survive: limpet, littorine, barnacle, anemone, crab, monodont.
Then you will arrive in the Arnettes cove where halophilic plants grow but also in water, posidonia.
A halophilic organism likes salty environments (halophyte vegetation), qualifies land plants that tolerate salt well. Halophytes are abundant in the upper fringes of beaches. One of the most famous halophytes is the salicornia, but we also find on salty soils: saladelle, obione, sea fennel, dune grasshopper, horned poppy, sharp rush, stag horn plantin , false criste inula, maritime beet.
Continue on the green lane to reach your starting point.
It is a transitional space between land and sea where we can distinguish 3 floors: the sea, the waves and the spray. It is characterized by extremely difficult living conditions where perfectly adapted species can survive: limpet, littorine, barnacle, anemone, crab, monodont.
Then you will arrive in the Arnettes cove where halophilic plants grow but also in water, posidonia.
A halophilic organism likes salty environments (halophyte vegetation), qualifies land plants that tolerate salt well. Halophytes are abundant in the upper fringes of beaches. One of the most famous halophytes is the salicornia, but we also find on salty soils: saladelle, obione, sea fennel, dune grasshopper, horned poppy, sharp rush, stag horn plantin , false criste inula, maritime beet.
Continue on the green lane to reach your starting point.
Presentation
The Plaine de Carro botanical path is intended for original and educational walks to discover all the natural beauty of the Côte Bleue.
The Plaine de Carro is an important site for its flora, largely due to original substratum with deposits of Miocene molasse and Burdigalian calcarenite.
The floral species include 8 protected vascular plants:
Posidonia: an endemic Mediterranean species. It is not an algae, but a phanerogam, or flowering plant, which left the land to live in the sea over 120 million years ago. It has brown woody climbing rhizomes between 1 and 2 cm wide where rhizomes grow. The rhizomes end in groups of 4 to 8 sheathed leaves about 1 cm large and 20 to 100 cm long.
They develop roots which attach to the underlying substratum. As the rhizomes grow upwards in reaction to the sediment deposits, Posidonia forms a mat on the ground consisting of an interwoven mesh of rhizomes and roots compacted by the sediment. The mat can reach several metres in depth, growing up to one metre per century. Posidonia develops into meadows of different sizes which can reach several hundred hectares without interruption. The regression of meadows due to pollution or other disturbance results in expanses of dead mat which is slowly covered by sediment.
The floral species include 8 protected vascular plants:
Posidonia: an endemic Mediterranean species. It is not an algae, but a phanerogam, or flowering plant, which left the land to live in the sea over 120 million years ago. It has brown woody climbing rhizomes between 1 and 2 cm wide where rhizomes grow. The rhizomes end in groups of 4 to 8 sheathed leaves about 1 cm large and 20 to 100 cm long.
They develop roots which attach to the underlying substratum. As the rhizomes grow upwards in reaction to the sediment deposits, Posidonia forms a mat on the ground consisting of an interwoven mesh of rhizomes and roots compacted by the sediment. The mat can reach several metres in depth, growing up to one metre per century. Posidonia develops into meadows of different sizes which can reach several hundred hectares without interruption. The regression of meadows due to pollution or other disturbance results in expanses of dead mat which is slowly covered by sediment.
Opening period (s)All year round.
Subject to favorable weather.
Subject to favorable weather.
Practical information
- Route :
- Signposted route
- Distance (km) : 4
- Route : BOUCLE
- Route : 45
- Parking :
- Free car park
- Levels of sporting experience :
- For beginners / novice
Features/Theme
- Environments :
- In the country
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