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Gorges de l'Ardeche

The Gorges de l'Ardeche are in the Ardeche department of the Rhone-Alpes.

One of the most stunning scenic highlights of France, they are usually accessed from the town of Vallon Pont d'Arc at the upper (north-west) end of the gorges.

The gorge runs about 40km eastwards from Pont d'Arc (itself a few kilometres east of the popular resort of Vallon Pont d'Arc).

Visit the gorges de l'Ardeche by canoe

Perhaps the best way to explore the Ardeche gorges, and to get a real sense of their grandeur and beauty, is by descending in canoe from Vallon Pont d'Arc to Saint-Martin d'Ardeche - about 35 kilometres, with cliffs either side up to 300 metres in height. The tourist office recommend April, May and September as the best times of year to make the descent.

This is a very popular trip, and several canoe companies operate along the river. After reaching your destination you are collected and returned to your car.

scenery along the gorges de l'Ardeche

Visit the Gorges de l'Ardeche by road

Running along the northern edge of the gorges, and with numerous very impressive viewpoints, is a road that is very popular with visitors. There are lots of places to pull over and take in the scenery and take hundreds of photos, each better than the one before.

One particular highlight - and one of the few to be less obvious from the road - is the Belvedere de Madeleine. The last great viewpoint at the western end of the gorges, you need to walk a few metres off the road along a track to reach the viewpoint. I haven't listed all the viewpoints here for the simple reason that although they are marked on maps they are not marked along the route itself, so identifying which is which can be confusing and is probably unnecessary anyway.

scenery along the gorges de l'Ardeche, and the Pont d'Arc

Note: unlike the Gorges du Tarn, there is little in the way of towns and villages to explore along the way. I noticed a sign for a naturist beach...I'm not sure how that works when there are hundreds of canoes on the river, perhaps it is slightly tucked away out of view, I didn't check it out.

To add to the excitement of a visit the erosive forces of the river have also carved a large number of canyons and caves into the rocks. Highlights among these are the Grotte des Tunnels; the Pont d'Arc (a natural stone arch over the river, and very popular swimming beach); the Museum of the World at the 'Aven de Marzal'; the Grottes de la Madeleine; the Grottes de Saint Marcel; and the Aven d'Orgnac (probably the best caves in the region, and a designated Grand Site of France). So there is always somewhere cool to escape from the heat outside.

Gorges de l'Ardeche: tourist information, map, travel plans and gites

Places to visit near Gorges de l'Ardeche

Explore places of interest within about 70 kilometres on a map at places near Gorges de l'Ardeche.

Some places to visit within 30 km of Gorges de l'Ardeche are shown below (if found).

Aigueze Most beautiful village at 21 km
Ailhon village of character at 22 km
Alba-la-Romaine village of character at 28 km
Aubenas town at 23 km
Balazuc Most beautiful village at 11 km
Banne village of character at 27 km
Jaujac village of character at 30 km
La Roque-sur-Ceze Most beautiful village at 27 km
Labeaume village of character at 11 km
Pont d'Arc scenic stone arch at 4 km
Saint-Montan village of character at 26 km
Vogue village of character at 16 km

See also Gorges de l'Ardeche (version Francais)

Airports near Gorges de l'Ardeche

Avignon airport at 78 km Marseille airport at 140 km Montpellier airport at 103 km Nimes airport at 71 km