The legendary Blanc-Martel trail
in the Gorges du Verdon
Half-day
This half-day hike allows you to follow the bed of Europe’s largest canyon without great difficulty: from the South Rim, you plunge down the trail and 30 minutes later you find yourself walking at the bottom of this gorgeous canyon. Then, hiking along the milky emerald waters of the Verdon River, towered by 1,500-foot high walls, is pure delight. The trail switches back-and-forth: you first walk up the canyon. And according to your schedule and walking speed, you stop at one point in time, enjoy last views of the scenery and retrace your steps.
The section of the canyon where the Blanc-Martel Trail has been built was first explored as recently as 1905 by the famous speleologist Edouard-Alfred Martel escorted by a local teacher named Isidore Blanc.
Walking time : 3 hours
Rating : moderate
Season calendar : year-round (summer: morning only)
A hidden gem of a gorge on the Verdon River
Half-day
Far from overcrowded places, your hiking guide leads you to a spot in the Gorges du Verdon that you could not find by yourself: come and enjoy the calm of a trail that is not on the walking routes apps. The opening of this trail in the 1980’s by potholers allowed them to get access to caves near the Verdon River. This part of the gorge is located downstream from the large, beautiful Sainte–Croix Lake.
Walking time : 3 hours
Rating : leisurely
Season calendar : year-round (summer : 9am – 12am only)
If you have a fear of heights, you had better choose another hike.
Pretty Basses Gorges du Verdon
Half-day
Hiking in the Gorges du Verdon doesn’t necessarily mean that you walk 7 hours in the Grand Canyon. Located 15 miles downstream, Basses Gorges du Verdon, though not as deep as the latter, offers no less wild and beautiful landscapes. And its access is easier: only a good hour drive from Aix-en-Provence.
All along the trail, under the leadership of your local guide, you can enjoy a lot of superb views over the emerald waters of the river : this splendid route, running alongside the river thanks to footbridges and passages carved in the rock, leads to the Chapelle Sainte-Maxime. This chapel stands up on a rocky spur overlooking the gorge.
A really lovely walk in the heart of Haute Provence.
Walking time : 3 hours
Rating : leisurely
Season calendar : year-round (summer : 9am – 12am only)
TRAIL TEMPORARILY CLOSED
The Imbut Trail: the magic of the Verdon Gorge!
Half-day or Full day
Equidistant from Marseille and Nice, in the midst of Provence hinterland, South of France, the Gorges du Verdon is the most grandiose canyon in Europe, offering several beautiful day hikes. Following the river as close as possible, the Imbut Trail offers spectacular views of the Verdon River’s colored waters, either turquoise blue or emerald green. During the first section of the walk, your local expert guide takes you down to the bottom of the gorge. The next hour, alongside the river, definitely brings you real joy. Some stretches of the trail may be challenging for inexperienced hikers: a three-foot-wide platform has been cut up in the rock over the canyon waters and cables or supportive railings attached to the rock face to cling to. But, as our route is a return trip, we can decide the moment when we start retracing our steps.
Walking time : from 3 to 4.5 hours (out-and-back)
Rating : from moderate to challenging (steep slopes and impressive sections)
Season calendar : 1/1 – 6/30 & 9/1 – 12/31
If you have a fear of heights, you had better choose another hike.
The whole of the Blanc-Martel Trail
in the Verdon Gorge
Full Day
Sentier Blanc-Martel (the Blanc-Martel Trail) is the most prestigious hiking trail into the Grand Canyon of Verdon and one of France’s most popular ones. That’s probably because it descends from the rim of the canyon an elevation of 300 meters (1,000 feet) into the deepest gorge. Hikers are offered the chance to explore the bed of the river for more than 5 hours.
Sticking to the bottom of the canyon during most of the walk, the trail follows the Verdon River very closely. It provides beautiful views of the emerald-green waters, contrasting with the grey rocks, especially in the narrows. Throughout this gorgeous hike, you discover an amazing biodiversity: your local guide will be glad to tell you about wildflowers. You also get chances to observe some of the 400 large griffon vultures nesting in the Gorges du Verdon. This raptor species has been back since 1999, thanks to the reintroduction of several dozens of birds.
The Blanc-Martel Trail is definitely a must for someone walking in Provence !
Walking time : 6 hours (point-to-point)
Rating : challenging
Season calendar : 1/1 – 6/30 & 9/1 – 12/31