Gorges du Verdon or Grand Canyon du Verdon is one of the biggest canyons in Europe and for sure one of the most beautiful places in France. It is located in south-eastern France on the border between the departments Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (in the north) and Var (in the south). In this Gorges du Verdon travel guide you will find all the information you need about this beautiful region, including tips about things to do and places to visit in the area.
We chose Gorges du Verdon as a setting for our summer holidays – 2 weeks of exploring this region of Provence with mesmerizing views and picturesque villages. I wish we had more time as this place has so much to offer: from sunbathing at the shores of the Lake of Sainte Croix to rafting in the wild waters of the river Verdon, or hiking, bird-watching, paragliding, quaint villages and a lot more…
If you want to detox from the city life and find some peace, and recover from your stressful corporate 9 to 5 job, the Gorges du Verdon is what you need.
Find out all the information you need about the things to do and the things to see in my complete travel guide of Gorges du Verdon.
Contents
- How to get to Gorges du Verdon
- What is Gorges du Verdon
- Road trip in the Gorges du Verdon
- Places to visit in Gorges du Verdon
- Day trips from Gorges du Verdon
- Hiking in the Gorges du Verdon
- Rafting in the Gorges du Verdon
- Water activities on Lake of Sainte-Croix
- The best viewpoints in Gorges du Verdon
- Where to stay in the Gorges du Verdon
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How to get to Gorges du Verdon
The best way to travel to Gorges du Verdon is by car. If you rely on public transportation, the options will be limited and you won’t be able to explore the area.
The nearest international airports are in Nice or Marseille. If you drive from Paris to Les Salles-sur-Verdon, for example, the trip is about 850 km. So it’s not advisable to start your journey in France’s capital.
What is Gorges du Verdon
The Canyon
The Grand Canyon du Verdon or the Verdon Gorge (Gorges du Verdon in French) is the deepest canyon in Europe and for sure one of the most beautiful ones. It was formed during the Quaternary period through erosion and fracturing of the limestone deposits in an area which some 200 M years ago was covered by a sea. The canyon is 25 km long and 700 m deep.
The Verdon River
Gorges du Verdon was formed by the Verdon River. The river starts its journey in the south-western Alps and flows for 166 km before it joins the Durance near Vinon-sur-Verdon. You will be hypnotized by the emerald green waters of Verdon!
This unique colour is not due to any magic or to your imagination, the waters are emerald green because of the fluoride and a certain type of micro algae present in the river.
The Lake of Sainte-Croix
Not all beauty in the region of Verdon is natural, the man has also contributed to enhancing the landscape. There are five artificial lakes built on the river, the most famous of which is the Lake of Sainte-Croix.
The Lake of Sainte-Croix appeared after the valley was flooded as a result of building the Dam of Sainte-Croix. Besides being one of the biggest man-made lakes in France (about 10 km long and 3 km wide), Lake of Sainte-Croix is also one of the newest. It’s been standing there since the 1970s.
Besides, serving pure economic purposes – being a fresh water reservoir for the whole Provence and securing electricity for the region, the lake has become also a popular touristic attraction. There are numerous sand beaches on the turquoise waters of the lake and the lake is also quite popular among the water-sport fans. The beautiful turquoise colour of the lake is due to the clay deposits.
Road trip in the Gorges du Verdon
The canyon is easily accessible by car. You can make a complete loop around Gorges du Verdon, which will take a whole day, as you will need to cover some 100 km. There are two options: you can either take first the south rim (rive gauche – Route de la Corniche Sublime) travelling anticlockwise, or clockwise starting with the north rim (rive droite).
You can start this trip wherever it suites you depending on your accommodation. However, there’s a section of the north rim at Palud-sur-Verdon (Loop road – D23 – Route de Crêtes), which can be taken only clockwise.
Read more: Discover more beautiful road trips in France here!
Places to visit in Gorges du Verdon
Gorges du Verdon are dotted with cute little villages where you can savour the special charm of Provence. Start with Bauduen-sur-Verdon, a sleepy little place, which once stood on a top of hill and today lies on the shore of the lake.
The most famous of all villages in Gorges du Verdon is Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, it’s also included on the list of the most beautiful villages in France. In Moustiers, make sure you climb all the stairs to the Chapel of Notre-Dame de Beauvoir for the most beautiful views of the village and the area.
Another place worth visiting in Gorges du Verdon is Castellane with the chapel of Notre-Dame du Roc.
Day trips from Gorges du Verdon
If you are prepared to travel a bit more, like an hour and a half – two hours, you can take a day trip to some of the most beautiful places on the French Riviera.
Thus you can enjoy a day in Saint Tropez (92 km / 1 hr 50 min), Cassis (135 km / 2 hrs), Marseille (140 km / 2 hrs), Nice (135 km / 2 hrs), Cannes (110 km / 1 hr 45 min), or Antibes (120 km / 1 hr 50 min).
We however managed to visit only Saint Tropez, as 2 weeks turned to be a pretty short time to travel extensively in Southern France.
From Gorges du Verdon you actually explore the whole of Provence. Any place is to be reached in less than 3 hours: Camargue (200 km / 2 hrs 30 min), Aix-en-Provence (110 km / 1 hr 40 min), Avignon (175 km / 2 hrs 30 min), Arles (185 km / 2 hrs 15 min), Orange (185 km / 2 hrs 30 min), Grasse (100 km / 2 hrs).
Have you ever dreamed of the lavender fields of Provence? You can drive to Valensole (45 km / 1 hr), where you can find those waves of purplish-blue lavender following each curve of the plateau.
Hiking in the Gorges du Verdon
If you are a nature lover or you enjoy dramatic views, the Gorges du Verdon are the perfect place for your holidays. The region is very popular for its hiking trails, the two most famous ones being the Sentier Martel and the Sentier Imbut.
During our holidays we did the Blanc-Martel trail (Sentier Blanc-Martel). It’s a part of the bigger GR4 route (Grande Randonnée 4) and is one of the most famous hiking trails in Europe. It is named after Édouard-Alfred Martel, the father of the French speleology, and to Isidore Blanc, a teacher from Rougoun who guided the expedition in the French Grand Canyon.
Walking the Blanc-Martel trail takes about 7-8 hours, depending on whether you will include 1 hour detour to the Mescla, and of course on how many times you are going to stop for taking pictures, picnicking, or simply enjoying the scenery.
Rafting in the Gorges du Verdon
The Gorges du Verdon are the perfect place for those who love water sports. The choice is great: you can do kayaking, canoeing, rafting, hydrospeed or take an air boat. If you love water adventure you can go for water rambling – super fun as you will float down the river.
Verdon is popular among the whitewater sports fans for the various activities that you can do – rafting, canoeing, kayaking and many more. If you love water adventure, this region is just right for you.
Water activities on Lake of Sainte-Croix
Water sports on the lake are less dynamic. You can hire a canoe, kayak or a pedal boat. You can also wind-surf in the lake or sail. Motor boats are not allowed on the lake.
We hired a canoe near Pont du Galetas and went all the way from the lake into the Gorges du Verdon. We enjoyed immensely the ride, but it can be overwhelming if there are too many people and you have to watch out for the “traffic”.
The best viewpoints in Gorges du Verdon
One of the most beautiful views of the canyon are from the ring road. On the South Rim you have to pull over at Pont de l’Artuby fort some stunning views of the canyon. The bridge over the Artuby River is 182 m high and is the highest place in Europe from where you can jump with a bungee.
A bit further down the road is the viewpoint at Balcons de la Mescla – the place where the river Artuby flows into the Verdon.
On the North rim, the most beautiful views are from Point Sublime. In general, the whole North rim offers a pretty scenic drive, especially the loop road with its 14 belvederes.
At Pont de Galetas you can enjoy the gorgeous entrance of the Groges du Verdon at one side and the turquoise waters of the lake of Sainte-Croix at the other.
For a breathtaking bird-eye panorama of the Lake of Sainte-Croix you should stop at the tiny village of Aiguines and climb the road toward the Camping de l’Aigle.
Where to stay in the Gorges du Verdon
Being quite touristy and popular, there are numerous accommodation opportunities in the Gorges du Verdon region: campings, gîtes, hotels and auberges.
Most of the tourists stay at Salles-sur-Verdon, directly on the lake, where all the amenities are. But if you want to escape the crowds, I would suggest staying in Aiguines or Bauduen. For a short stay Moustiers will be perfect.
We stayed in a camping above the small village of Aiguines, from where we had those amazing views on the Lake of Saint-Croix.
Hello,
what a great post!
Next time, come to do rafting with me!
Regards,
Cyril.
Thanks, Cyril! Good recommendation for rafting!
I love exploring places like this, so now I have a new one to add to my list! Such incredible views, and i have to agree that bridge is stunning 🙂
Such a beautiful place. I had no idea that a magical place like this was in France!! I have added it to my bucket list. We love hiking, this would be a perfect holiday.
I love these kind of water bodies. Give me a place up there in the mountains and I could look at the lake forever. Although the dam formation took 4 years, but it must have brought so much changes. The lake looks wonderful.
Wow, I had no idea that the Gorges du Verdon was so stunning!What a beautiful area to explore. Love all the handy maps that you’ve included in this post.
Wow…this place looks like paradise. I would love to go kayaking in those blue waters. It would be great to paddle across surrounded by those huge cliffs. The pictures look stunning.
Take me there now! How could somewhere be so beautiful! This is definitely on my dream destination list now! I’m incredibly impressed and inspired. Thank you!
Never heard of this place, but after reading your post i am completely in love with it. and those stunning pictures, it seems the place would be more amazing.Love such a detailed guide
Ooohhh… Gorgeous place! This is a new place to add on my bucketlist. It looks amazing! 🙂 I’m sure paragliding here is incredible with these views!
What an absolutely gorgeous place! I love the greenery! That man-made lake sure has a lot of purpose there. I think I could spend an entire summer there. It would be so fun!
You got me with that first photo, it looks amazing! Didn’t know that there is such a gorge in France, and even more so that it’s among the biggest canyons in Europe. I really enjoy landscapes like this one, so would have to keep this in mind next time I come to France. 😉
Thanks! And you won’t be disappointed!
Ohh I’m totally pinning this! I love road trips and haven’t done one in France yet. That bridge is iconic! Reminds me of Big Sur in California
You should do it one day, especially the loop road! It is breathtaking. I myself haven’t been to Big Sur, will check it out.
Ohh wow what a complete guide! Bravo! We almost got there this summer but instead we stop half way because we decided that it was to far for our two years old to sit in the car. It doesnt matter because we will be there one day and ahe will be older so she could enjoy it more. What I like about the Verdon de gorges area is that it is close to everything around. Just a few hours drive to the sea and the famous lavander field. I will pin it!❤️
I’m happy you liked my guide! I’m so in love with this region 🙂 Well, you should certainly return to this area one day.
Yes I surely will!❤️
Before reading this post I had never even heard of the Gorges du Verdon so thanks for opening my eyes to this beautiful place!! I would love to spend some time here and would especially like to try some water sports on the lake. That blue water is out of this world! I loved this guide so much I wanted to pin it but I didn’t see a little button on the photo to do so, just thought you should know! 🙂
detourswithdaisey.com
The funny part about the water is that the lake is blue and the river is green. Absolute magic when you move from the lake to the river. Thanks for mentioning about the pinning button. I’ll check why it doesn’t show on the picture.
I think I never read such a detailed and so nicely put guide before ! That’s some really good job. Gorges du Verdon have been on my bucket list since last year to go hiking, but I still didn’t manage to visit your guide makes me even more eager to visit now ! But
Also your photos are beautiful !
Thanks Lyne! I hope one day you will be able to visit the place. The thing with bucket lists is that instead with going smaller with the time, they grow bigger.. At least with me 🙂
Oh my gosh!! I didn’t even know this canyon existed! This is seriously so beautiful. Your pictures are incredible!
Thanks, Megan!
I always love reading post about my own country 😉 Your photos have perfectly captured the beauty of this region ! This gorge is very popular with tourists, who can drive around its rim, rent kayaks to travel on the river, or hike… The natural canyon that was notably carved by the now turquoise-green Verdon River is a splendid area that attracts visitors from all walks of life. It is an outstanding destination which is worth visiting 🙂
Thanks! I appreciate your words. France is a top destination, at least for Dutch tourists 🙂
Wow! Thats super comprehensive! Saving it 🙂
Thanks!
Everyone always talks about the city life in France, so I LOVED that you highlighted the beautiful nature this country has to offer! The Lake of Sainte-Croix is probably one of the BLUEST lakes I’ve ever seen!
Thanks Miranda! I like to go off-the-beaten track. And France is so much more than cities…, which I also love 🙂
This guide is amazing! I have not been to France and was fascinated to see such a rugged landscape.
Thanks! The landscape in France is so diverse and I was just showing a tiny bit of it. I hope one day you will be able to visit the country.
You photos are gorgeous! I love places like this, so, one day I need to go there. There is so much to do in Provence. I feel like I need to months to see all the towns, villages and natural places I want to visit (and I keep discovering more). #blogpostsaturday
Your photos have captured the beauty of this region perfect! I cannot get over how blue Lake Sainte-Croix is. Just unbelievable! The architecture is so unique and charming too. I adore France, but clearly missed out on a lot. I will absolutely need to return to check out these spots.
Love this post. I visited Provence including Gorges du Verdon 2 years ago and absolutely loved it! Did not have time to do any water sports however. I also visited the villages surrounding the lake and my favourites were Aiguines and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
omgosh! How beautiful is this area! This is hiker/kayaker heaven and I need to book another visit to France!
Such a thorough and helpful guide about Gorges du Verdon and the surrounding area! I had never heard of the canyon before, but after reading your post, I would definitely love to visit it.
Thanks! It’s an amazing place to visit. I am only the messenger :).