Hiking in Provence’s Oppedette Gorge, France

Oppedette Gorge, Provence, FranceThis past summer, we spent a few days in Provence’s beautiful Luberon Valley, following a longer holiday in the Pays basque.

We had already been to this gorgeous corner of southeast France, but we were eager to return and find new areas to explore.

On our last visit to the region we had been to the beautiful Verdon Gorge, and we returned once again to Verdon on this visit.

Oppedette Gorge, Provence, FranceBut we were staying close to a smaller and far less frequented gorge – the Gorges d’Oppedette, so we decided to go explore for ourselves.

This was a great place to go hiking, with dramatic views and thin crowds.

All trailheads start close to a small parking lot at the gorge, and they are well-marked. The trails are relatively easy. We had stopped at a tourism office and the very helpful guide gave great advice, but perhaps exaggerated the difficulty of the trails. Yes, if one suffers from vertigo or is traveling with very young children, there are some steep drop-offs to consider before you go, but generally they are modest hikes and easy to do as a family.

Oppedette Gorge, Provece, France

Stretching my legs and admiring the wonder of nature – something I miss desperately now that I’m back in the city and the office

Our family had a good time on this easy hike, and enjoyed the views and stretching our legs before lots of driving and exploring little hill towns in the region.

There were plenty of hawks and birds of prey the kids enjoyed watching as they soared over the canyon.

Afterwards, we stopped by the little town of the same name – Oppedette, an adorable village with striking views over the canyon.

It felt a little like a ghost town, however, with beautiful holiday homes, seemingly with no one in them. Since this was the height of summer – and tourist season – it begs the question about what it looks like during the rest of the year. If anyone is looking for a retreat from the world, this may just be it!

Enjoy your hiking in the Oppedette Gorge!

Oppedette, Provence, France

Oppedette, Provence, France

2 Comments

  1. evelyneholingue on November 3, 2017 at 3:11 am

    Love the Gorges du Verdon! But don’t know the Gorges d’Oppedette. Glad you enjoyed your stay there and brought back great memories for the office 🙂

    • kimberlysullivan on November 4, 2017 at 10:23 am

      It’s much smaller than Gorges du Verdon, but worth a hike when you’re next in the region, Evelyne. Yes, sadly dreams of being outdoors often creep into my thoughts when I’m trapped in endless meetings! : )

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