One of the most amazing road trips in France without a doubt is in the Gorges du Verdon or Grand Canyon du Verdon, one of the biggest canyons in Europe. The canyon is located in the south-eastern part of France on the border between the departments Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (in the north) and Var (in the south).
Gorges du Verdon 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, which makes it the deepest canyon in Europe. At the bottom the canyon is from 6 to 100 m wide and at the rim – from 200 to 1500 m.
Read more:
1. A complete guide to Gorges du Verdon – the Grand Canyon of Verdon
2. 11 ideas for road trips in France
3. Most beautiful villages in Provence
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How to get to Gorges du Verdon
The nearest airports to Gorges du Verdon are those in Nice and Marseille. From there you can rent a car and explore the whole region of Provence and include the road trip in Gorges du Verdon as a part of the itinerary.
If you don’t drive or yo don’t want to drive yourself, you can still make this road trip (or parts of it) with an organized tour from Nice, Cannes or Aix-en-Provence. Here is a selection of tours to Gorges du Verdon. Some of them can be combined with a visit to the lavender fields if you are travelling in lavender season (July/August).
- from Nice: Gorges du Verdon and Lavender Fields Tour
- From Nice: Gorges du Verdon, Castellane, Moustiers and the Lavender Fields
- from Aix-en-Provence: Gorges du Verdon and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
- from Cannes: Gorges du Verdon and Lavender Fields
Making a loop trip in Gorges du Verdon
You can make a complete loop around the canyon, 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, which can be taken only clockwise (the so-called Loop Road).
Here I have mapped the whole road trip in Gorges du Verdon with all stops and sections. You can download the map in Google MyPlaces and use it even offline.
South rim – ‘rive gauche’ – Route de la Corniche Sublime
We did this trip in one day, starting at at Aiguines as we were staying there. If you start somewhere else, you should stop at this small village to enjoy a breathtaking 360° almost bird-view panorama of the Lake of Sainte-Croix. Don’t miss it!
From Aiguines head anticlockwise following road D71 to Pont de l’Artuby. Along the way stop at Col d’Illoire for a beautiful view down on the river Verdon from an altitude of 967 m. Then continue via the Fayet tunnel (this is the highest point of the south rim) to the bridge on the Artuby River.
Pont de l’Artuby, also known as Pont de Chaulière, stands 182 m above the river bed and it is the highest place in Europe from where you can jump with a bungee. Stop at the bridge for some stunning views. Then continue following the road to Balcons de la Mescla – the place where the river Artuby flows into the Verdon River. Needless to say, the views are just spectacular!
After Balcons de la Mescla you can either continue on D71 to Comps-sur-Artuby, then take D21 and D102 to Castellane, or turn right on D71 to D90 towards Trigance, then on D955 and D952 to Castellane. If you choose the second option you will travel twice a part of the D952 on your way back to Moustiers.
North rim – rive droite
From the lovely village of Castellane continue on D952 all the way to Point Sublime. From here you can make a small detour to the tiny village of Rougon. Otherwise stop at Point Sublime for a breathtaking panorama of the canyon and then continue to La Palud-sur-Verdon. The section to Point Sublime follows the rim of the canyon with some amazing views.
At Point Sublime you can drive further to Couloir Samson and Chalet de la Maline, where the hiking route Blanc-Martel (Le sentier Blanc–Martel) begins.
Before Palud-sur-Verdon you can opt for the loop road (see the section below), or otherwise continue all the way along this scenic route on the north rim to Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. If you do the loop road, you will be back at Palud-sur-Verdon.
When at Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, spend some time there to explore this lovely village. Moustiers is included on the official list of the Most Beautiful Villages in France (Les Plus Beaux Villages de France).
After Moustiers, take D957 all the way to the Lake of Sainte-Croix (Lac de Sainte-Croix). Pont du Galetas bridge offers one of the most beautiful views of the lake and the entrance of the Gorges du Verdon.
The Lake of Sainte-Croix has appeared after the valley was flooded as a result of building the Dam of Sainte-Croix. It is one of the biggest man-made lakes in France (about 10 km long and 3 km wide). The beautiful turquoise colour of the lake is due to the clay deposits.
After stopping at Pont du Galetas, continue further on D957 and at Chabassole turn left on D19 which will bring you all the way up to Aiguines, where we started our journey.
Loop road – D23 – Route de Crêtes
Just before you arrive in La Palud-sur-Verdon you can take D23 (Route de Crêtes). D23 is one of the most famous balcony roads in the world. It is as narrow as beautiful, offering some epic views on the Gorges du Verdon.
Route de Crêtes is not for the beginning driver, as it meanders and twists and hides surprises after each hairpin turn. Just drive carefully and you will witness one of the most beautiful sceneries with vertiginous drops, gaping crevices and mesmerizing views.
There are 14 belvedere lookouts on this 23 km long road. In the summer it can be quite busy with long queues of cars and caravans, so be prepared.
Tips about taking a road trip in Gorges du Verdon
- It is possible to take this road trip in one day, including the loop road. The whole length is about 130 km. If you decide to do it all in one day, start early in the morning.
- Another option will be to chose one place as a base and make day trips to the villages Aiguines, La Palud, Castellane, or Moustiers, covering different sections of the road trip.
- I would highly advise you to break up the road trip in an itinerary of a few days. Let’s say if you start from Aiguines, then you can do:
- Day 1: Aiguines – Trigance (stay in Trigance)
- Day 2: Trigance – Castellane (stay in Castellane)
- Day 3: Castellane – Rougon (stay in Rougon)
- Day 4: take a break and walk the Martel-Blanc Trail (stay in La Palud)
- Day 5: Palud sur Verdon – Loop Road – Moustiers-Sainte-Marie (stay in Moustiers)
- Day 6: Moustiers-Sainte Marie – Lake of Sainte-Croix – Aiguines (stay in Aiguines)
- If you are a beginning driver, do not venture on the D23 Loop Road.
