Arras France Tourism Guide

The Verdon Gorges (in French : “Gorges du Verdon” or “Grand canyon du Verdon“), in south east France, are a spectacular canyon that is considered by many the most beautiful one in Europe. Located in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, it is the world’s second largest canyon, with about 20 kilometers in length and more than 700 metres deep. One of the canyon’s most distinguishing characteristics is its startling turquoise-green colour.

Because of its proximity to the French Riviera, the canyon is very popular with tourists, who can drive around its rim, rent kayaks or hike. The limestone walls, which are several hundreds of meters high, attract many rock climbers. It is considered an outstanding destination for multi-pitch climbing. There are routes encompassing cracks, pillars and seemingly endless walls. The climbing is generally of a technical nature, and there are over 1,500 routes, ranging from 20m to over 700m. countless activites are available :

– White water sports: rafting, canyoning, kayaking….
– Water sports : sailing, water skiing, fishing.
– Aerial sports : paragliding, free flight, gliding….
– Also possible are the following : climbing, hiking, horse riding and mountain biking.

At the end of the canyon, the Verdon river flows into the artificial Sainte-Croix lake.

arras-france.com invites you to discover this area of spectacular natural beauty. Finding a hotel or a camping is not a problem as there are plenty of them all around the region.

The colour of the water is just amazing… One has to see it to believe it! For 3 hours, you can do boating on the Sainte Croix lake and admire this breath-taking landscape.

View of the Verdon canyon and of the Sainte Croix lake (at the back)

Imbut Trail (left bank of the Verdon) 6km -5-6h round trip

This is unquestionably the most beautiful way into the canyon. It follows the bed of the torrent to the Imbut, in the midst of lush vegetation.

The waters of the Verdon disappear for 150m under a rocky chaos in which it has excavated three galleries, 20 to 30m deep. It is possible to climb over the blocks to admire Baou Béni.