05. Gorges du Verdon

Gorges du Verdon - National Park Verdon / Alps Maritimes

Set in the heart of the National Park Verdon, the Gorges du Verdon (often referred to as the French Grand Canyon) is one of the most amazing natural sights in the whole of this magnificent country - in parts more than 800M sheer drops make for a breathtaking backdrop.

Gorges du Verdon - outside Le Realis des Balcons

What could be better then, than to build not one, but two roads, one either side of the Gorges du Verdon! The odd thing about these two roads is that what is marked as the A road (north side) is in fact narrower, and certainly more challenging than the B road (south side). As a drivers road, there is absolutely no question that the south side of the Gorges du Verdon is the king - fast, sweeping, with plenty of opportunities to stop and take in the views, with the huge added bonus the B rated status keeps the dreaded camper vans and RVs away.

Start the drive from the stunning Lac Croix end of the Gorges du Verdon, where the views into the gorge are as breathtaking as the eerie blue lake itself. You are then in for nearly 40KM of sweeping roads, stunning backdrops and actually a pretty impressive tarmac. As you head along the Gorges du Verdon we recommend you pause at the Pont de l'Artuby to take a few snaps, before continuing to the small village of Comps-sur-Artuby for a quick coffee stop.

Gorges du Verdon - Pont de l'Artuby

If you want to continue the amazing drive from the Gorges du Verdon, simply head north, and you will eventually intersect with Route Napoleon, which you can turn south and 1 hour later arrive on the sunny Cote d'Azur via another of our Top 10 drives.

Gorges du Verdon - Entrance to gorge from Lac Croix - roads run up and on either side

The north side of the Gorges du Verdon is also worth a drive, as the road (near the start of the gorge - Lac Croix end) it is literally carved into the rock faces and offers some of the most dramatic views and natural landscapes - this makes for a stunning sight, but a pretty hairy at times - stop points are also quite limited. However we can also recommend looping back from Comps-sur-Artuby to complete a full loop of the Gorges du Verdon, arriving back on Lac de Croix.

Gorges du Verdon - Lac de Sainte-Croix

A word of warning, although the Gorges du Verdon can be mostly deserted, in the French Holidays (mid July till end Aug) the Lake is a particular draw, so even the Gorges du Verdon roads can get busy with French holiday traffic - so to be avoided really.

To summarise, the Gorges du Verdon is an incredible sight, the north side for the sights, and the south side as a drivers delight - it even rhymes!!  First class road!

Recommended stop point for a bit to eat / drink on the Gorges du Verdon

Le Relais des Balcons