Gorges du Verdon: One of France’s Natural Wonders

Those of us who think about traveling to France usually see one picture in our minds, the Eiffel Tower. Which is quite the site to see, but haven’t you thought about what else there is to see in that beautiful country? We’re here to share with you the beautiful Grand Canyon of France more formally known as Gorges du Verdon.

 

We were staying in Nice, France over the summer and planned a day trip to this incredible canyon (it is approximately a 2 hour drive from Nice) and we wished we had stayed longer! The ride was a little rough, although very scenic, with all the twists and turns but the destination was well worth it. When we got to the Gorges Du Verdon & the Sainte-Croix Lake we were in awe, there were families camping near by, dogs swimming in the lake, smoke coming off the grills, it was straight from a movie. A pro tip: don’t forget your bathing suit because once you see the water you will want to get in!

 

When you arrive you will see many boat rental stations along the northern side of the river. After we rented our pedal boat from “Basic Star” boat rental, which you could only rent for 2 hours max, we headed out to explore the beautiful river. A lot of blogs mention to arrive early enough to avoid crowds and secure yourself a boat, but fortunately we didn’t find any trouble getting there around noon. Plans change and its not always possible to get there early so just a little heads up, the earlier the better, however if you get there around noon you will most likely be able to get a boat and the views are spectacular wether there are hundreds of boats around or just one. And if one boat rental company is completely sold out there are many other boat rentals around. The boat also has enough space to take a bag with food and drinks so don’t leave those in the car, you can enjoy them along the river.

 

Once we were situated in our boat we went exploring. There were people surrounding us in the river pedal boating, Canoeing, Kayaking, cliff jumping and swimming in the crystal clear turquoise water. A few padels later we came across countless waterfalls, took a little break by the stones and went for a swim. The views were incomparable. After exploring the river for about 2 hours we headed back to shore, returned out boat, and took a swim in the lake. Unfortunately we didn’t have any time to go for a hike but for those you who enjoy hiking, paragliding, horseback riding and rock climbing, there are countless roads along the way that you would want to stop by and get your adventure on! Our biggest advice? Plan to stay at least 2 days so you can make the most out of your visit!