Courmes brings together hiking destinations, scenery and architectural heritage as different reasons to stay. When choosing accommodation as a base for your trip, you can first consider whether you are mainly looking for routes and viewpoints or would also like to explore dry-stone architecture and historical traces. This makes it possible to assess Courmes according to the focus of your trip without treating the different experiences as interchangeable.
Hikes between traverses and viewpoints
The GR51 long-distance hiking trail passes through Courmes; check its route before setting off. Courmes is also a starting point for hikes to the Plateau de Saint-Barnabé. The hike from Courmes to Puy de Tourrettes leads to this plateau, a viewpoint with views from the mountain peaks to the coast. The hike to Pic de Courmettes offers a panorama over the Préalpes and the Mediterranean coast. When choosing a route, it helps to consider the type of destination: the GR51 passes through the village, while the plateau is a named destination on the hike to Puy de Tourrettes; Pic de Courmettes offers another panoramic setting. Conditions on the trails to the plateau can vary seasonally; take this into account when planning.
Dry-stone architecture and local history
On the “Randonnée pierre sèche avec Cap Azur” activity, Jean Capitant leads a hike exploring the rural dry-stone architecture typical of the Préalpes d’Azur. Dry-stone construction is a building technique in which stones are fitted together without mortar. The focus here is on architectural heritage, while the other hiking destinations mentioned are characterised by viewpoints and panoramas.
The medieval village of Courmes was once located north of the present-day settlement, at Les Combes, where ruins remain. A fortified settlement called Courmes is mentioned in the first half of the 13th century. This gives you two historical points of reference: the surviving ruins at the former village site and the dated mention of a fortified settlement.
The Church of Sainte-Madeleine dates from the 17th century and has been very well restored. This adds another dated building to the picture. Access to the interior may vary; check before visiting.
Gorges du Loup and natural features
Below Courmes, the Gorges du Loup provide a refuge for numerous animal and plant species. 15% of the area is covered by the Natura 2000 inventory, and 66% by the ecological ZNIEFF inventory. The difference between these percentages shows that the two inventories cover areas of different sizes; their figures may be revised when the inventories are updated in future. The Cascade de Courmes is 20 metres high and adds another distinctive natural feature. The Gorges are notable for their role as a habitat; the hikes to the plateau and Pic are defined by viewpoints and panoramas.
Discover more destinations: Mandelieu-La-Napoule, La Turbie, Marie, Cimiez, Saint-Sauveur-Sur-Tinée, La Roquette-Sur-Siagne, Gattiéres, Saint-Blaise
For the broader travel overview: Alpes-Maritimes.
