Route through the grand Canyon of the Verdon

Follow the Route des Crêtes which hugs the Corniche Sublime, a winding road with a grandiose panorama that will plunge you into the depths of the Parc Naturel Régional du Verdon. If you look 800 m below, you will see the rivière du Verdon. On the road, you will pass near the breath-taking Pont de la Mariée. Out of the corner of your eye, you will hardly dare to watch brave people launching themselves into the void, held only by an elastic band.

Just before you branch off to Trigance via the D90, the Balcons de la Mescla offer a panoramic view of the broadened valley and the emerald river. If you stop there, the environment is wild and raw. The Verdon takes wide turns to make its way through the rock and cliffs that can reach up to 500m high.

Trigance, perched like an eagle’s nest with its closely packed houses, this typical Provençal village leads you onto the D955 to the right bank of the Verdon. You will first go along the waterfront on a road often cut into the rock. A Jurassic vibe! The first waterfalls designate the navigable limit for canoes that depart from Castellane, 20 km upstream. You will witness how the water has shaped the steep rock walls. There are many starting points for hikes until the Point Sublime. It is worth stopping at this vast spectacle. Then the road moves away from the gorges, which are now less close together.

Before reaching La Palud, you have to take the 22‑km loop via the Route des Crêtes through an oak forest that changes colours. On the way, you can grab a table at the Chalet des Malines, located at one of the most open belvederes on the Gorges du Verdon or wait until La Palud. As it nears the lake, the road follows the Verdon’s twists and turns. If you can, at each curve, capture this stunning landscape with a click! You will always be able to return, as the gorges are not about to change. Sometimes, farmers cultivate some of the fertile plots. This is where the first lavender fields appear.

8 km before Sainte-Croix, you will look down on the turquoise waters, which have once again become navigable by pedalos. Then, pouring out from two rocky outcrops, framing the road, the huge lake bares its banks of white sand. The route goes downwards until it reaches the shore. 3 km away on the right is the town of Moustiers,the capital of Faience. Not to miss! After a short detour on a busier road, you will quickly head towards Sainte-Croix under the shade of pine trees. And, a dreamy vision on the other side of the lake, Moustiers recedes into the distance, looking its best from the top of its rock wall. You’ll head towards the Valensole plateau and its lavender fields, but this is the beginning of another adventure…