Much of the village of Barjols sits in a bowl, but one part is higher up on a small plain to the north. Here was the site of the old railway station, and the EV8 naturally follows the route of the old line. So what are the options for getting into and out of Barjols?
is a hillside village with a lower part and an upper part situated to the north on a small plateau.
Coming from Varages
If you are coming from the west, and using our recommended route from Varages, you will hit the outskirts of Barjols after exiting a curved tunnel. Proceed roughly a km until you cycle under a bridge and 100m later you see a tenement-like building on your left and a municipal notice board on your right.
Turn off the EV8 here to access Barjols with minimal traffic
Here you turn right onto a little path that is only used by a few local residents. Follow this until you come to a T- junction where you take a sharp right and cycle downhill, past the small allotments on your left, to Barjols.
Sharp turn down to Barjols – Allotments on left
At the bottom is the main road and Ledesma, Barjols’ builders’ merchants and d-i-y shop. From here you are just 100 metres from the village centre.
Coming from Pontevès (Sillans la Cascade)
If you are coming from the east and Pontevès, you can save a lot of effort by using the railway cutting instead of the signed route. You can spot it just after passing the sign that announces you are in Barjols. On the right, and before you descend down a steep series of bends on the main road, there is a large gravel area where lorries and cars often stop.
Entrance (right) to the cutting that takes you down towards Barjols
Here is the entrance to the cutting. There are concrete blocks at either end but you can get a normal bicycle through without any trouble. Follow the track down a gentle slope (this was the old railway line) until you come out at a roundabout.
The railway cutting has recently been resurfaced.
Go straight over and down to the main road, where you turn right and downhill towards the village. Once over the next roundabout, as the main road goes round a left bend, there is a small road on the right. Turn sharp right here, and follow the road down to Ledesma.
Bottom end of the Anciennne Route de Draguignan.
In both these cases, you end up on the “Ancienne route de Draguignan”. If you look back, you see that this has a no entry sign at the bottom, by Ledesma, but it is so quiet compared to the D560 it is safer cycling up anyway – when you want to go up to the station.
Out of Barjols
Remember: To carry on east or west, take the sharp left turn at the top of the allotments, and follow the path to the tenement buildings mentioned above. Turn left for Varages and the west, and you are on the recommended route to Varages. Turn right for Pontevès and the east, and you are on the recommended route to Sillans-la-Cascade.
What to see in Barjols:
INTERACTIVE GPS MAP