Les Mees: Apartments and Holiday Homes

Les Mées is home to the marked 3.6-kilometre Chemin de l’Olivier, a trail leading to the discovery of olive trees several centuries old. Your travel plans may include renting a holiday apartment in Les Mees.

Nature

The Pénitents des Mées were formed by erosion from a type of rock made of cemented gravel, known as poudingue. Its deposition took place over a period of approximately 2 to 12 million years. The Pénitents des Mées were classified by ministerial decree in 1941 and designated as an Espace naturel sensible. The area is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna, including the protected late-flowering purple moor-grass species Molinia tardiva; eagle owls breed in the cliffs on the northern slope.

Nature and trails also come together at Lac Joël Siguret, where there are two footpaths, a skateboard park and a fitness trail. The lake also serves as a nesting area for numerous migratory birds.

Trails

The Sentier de découverte des Pénitents is an easy 4.3-kilometre circular trail with a walking time of two hours and 207 metres of ascent and descent respectively. It leads to the Chapelle Saint-Roch and its viewpoint, over the ridge of the Pénitents and then back towards the village along the shady slope.

The Carré des pins is a natural and recreational area with an informative footpath accessible from the centre of Les Mées. The circular trail provides historical information about flood protection measures on the Torrent de la Combe, including the 300-metre-long tunnel « la mine », driven through the rock between 1782 and 1788. The trail also provides information about the local vegetation and rare species, including the Montpellier maple. The La Colle mountain-bike circuit allows you to discover the largest olive plantation in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.

Culture

The Musée de l’Olivier is housed in the Moulin des Pénitents. It displays old tools, explains the production of olive oil and contains a stone mill dating from the 19th century. The Musée de l’Olivier offers free self-guided or guided tours; a visit to the mill and olive museum takes 45 minutes.

The « Chemin des insurgés » traces the history of the people of the Bas-Alpes who sought to prevent Louis Napoléon Bonaparte’s coup d’état in 1851. Festivoix is a music festival founded in 1990 that hosts three concerts in the Notre Dame de l’Olivier church in September or October.

Olive Oil

The reception area of the Domaine Salvator mill presents four olive oil cuvées that differ according to the olive varieties and production methods used. At Domaine Salvator’s « bar à huiles », visitors can taste the various olive oil cuvées.

Other destinations: Castellane, Saint-Jean, Saint-Vincent-Les-Forts, Revest-des-Brousses, Dabisse-Les Mees, Allemagne-En-Provence, Auzet, Faucon-De-Barcelonnette.

To the higher-level travel overview: Alpes-De-Haute-Provence.