Garlaban, Limestone mountain summit in Bouches-du-Rhône, France

Garlaban is a limestone summit in the Bouches-du-Rhône that rises to 714 metres and overlooks the town and plain of Aubagne. Its upper part is a pale grey, horizontally banded rock face with a broad, nearly level top edge, while steep flanks of the same pale stone descend in ledges and irregular outcrops. Dark green scrub covers the lower slopes. The summit of the Massif du Garlaban is actually the Butte des Pinsots at 731 metres.

Sailors from Marseille used the mountain's distinctive profile as a navigation reference in past centuries to guide their vessels safely. It served as an essential landmark for maritime orientation in the region.

Marcel Pagnol opens La Gloire de mon père with the line "Je suis né dans la ville d'Aubagne, sous le Garlaban couronné de chèvres", recalling the last goatherds of his childhood. Simone de Beauvoir, spelling it "Gardaban", mentions hikes there during her time teaching in Marseille in La Force de l'âge.

Multiple hiking paths lead to the summit from Aubagne and surrounding towns with varying difficulty levels. Plan your route beforehand and bring sufficient water along with appropriate footwear for the rocky terrain.

The summit stands at 714 metres, while the highest point of the Massif du Garlaban is the Butte des Pinsots at 731 metres. Marcel Pagnol opens La Gloire de mon père with a description of the peak as a huge tower of blue rock rising above the Plan de l'Aigle.