The Gorges du Verdon, or Verdon Gorge, sits in southeastern France, north of the French Riviera in the high Provence. It is the ‘Grand Canyon of Europe’ - one of the deepest canyons on the continent, characterised by limestone cliffs and karst formations, punctuated by Mediterranean shrubland and unforgettable for the striking glacial blue of the river that flows through it.
“It’s really big and really narrow,” says destination expert Sophie Wybrecht. “It’s one of the most beautiful places here in France, because it’s quite different from what we’re used to seeing everywhere else in the country. The colour of the water is really clear and blue all of the time. You have these big cliffs, and it’s really popular because of all the small, authentic villages too.”
With a packraft you can go to places that are more isolated - where nobody else goes...
Castellane is one popular commune, nestled amongst sprawling, high-rising greenery along the Verdon River. Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is another. It looks almost impossible, crammed in amongst cliffs, beneath towering mountains. “It is one of the most beautiful villages in all of France,” says Sophie. “There are a few villages in France which have this designation (Les Plus Beaux Villages de France), and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is included in that list. It's really beautiful.”
“Moustiers-Sainte-Marie and Castellane are small, but famous. They're just really lovely Provence villages. It's nice to walk around; go to the artisanal markets and you have these big, beautiful viewpoints from where you can see the river.”
All of the above has led the Gorges du Verdon to become an obvious holiday spot. This is an area of significant natural beauty, and today, there are over a million international visitors each year - inevitably meaning that elements of overtourism have crept into certain honeypots, particularly in peak season.
Sophie is part of a movement pioneering shoulder season travel, and a new way to see the gorge: packrafting. “It’s a really unknown activity in France,” she says.
Packrafting combines hiking and rafting to access hard-to-reach areas. You carry an ultra lightweight and inflatable (yet highly durable) raft in a backpack - meaning you can trek to spots inaccessible to most paddlers. Then when you get there, you inflate your boat and get paddling, far from any crowds.
“We don’t want to go to the places where there is mass tourism,” Sophie says. “We want to go off the beaten track. The thing is - most people who come to the gorge go specifically to 27km of the Verdon, where you have the river next to the road. From there, you can put a boat on the river and go. But with a packraft you can go to places that are more isolated - where nobody else goes. So it’s less touristic and more beautiful. There’s more nature. It’s more authentic.
“You’re the only one there - because you might have to walk 45 minutes, which wouldn’t be possible with a big 80kg raft. With 3.5kg on your back, it’s easier to go deep in the canyon.”
In one of France’s most famous beauty spots; packrafting is a cheat code to escape the crowds. Sophie and her business partner Antoine have been pioneering packrafting routes on the Verdon, and have worked with the team at Much Better Adventures to create a new trip along the river.
We're the only people doing this. So even in the middle of August when there are a lot of tourists, we are alone.
“We start on a lake to give clients the chance to paddle around and build up their confidence,” Sophie says. “We want to build up to white water, so we start slowly.
"There are actually two lakes on the trip. The first (Lake Castillon) and second (Lake Sainte-Croix) are the same water - it's still the Verdon - but the second is busier. So we start with something really typical, away from the tourists. The view is amazing. Then you are hiking and packrafting along in nature. We arrive at the white water section, which is a lot of fun. It's not easy, but it's not too technical either. And we're the only people doing this. So even in the middle of August when there are a lot of tourists, we are alone.”
The trip involves visits to both Moustiers-Sainte-Marie and Castellane.
“We also camp,” Sophie says. “It’s nice, because we experience as much nature as we can. We see the quiet places along the gorge that not so many people can get to.” A stay at the Chalet de la Maline is another highlight. “This is one of the most beautiful chalets in the Verdon Gorge - surrounded by the canyon and the lake,” says Sophie. “There are dormitories and a really big terrace looking on to the 700m high cliffs, and the Verdon. Then we continue to the lake where we end.”
That finale sees you emerge on to the bustling but beautiful Lake Sainte-Croix; an extremely popular lake which shares that striking blue colour of the Verdon River - and takes you out of the canyon and back into civilisation.
How to Get There
Verdon Gorge is reachable in just over two hours from the city of Nice on the southeast coast of France. The city of Marseille is roughly equidistant from the gorge to Nice, and both have international airports, but it's more common for people to travel to the Gorges du Verdon from Nice than it is from Marseille.
Inspired? Check out our packrafting adventure in the Verdon Gorge!