Ardeche Gorges

The Ardèche Gorges are the main attraction of the department and its most beautiful natural site. Before flowing into the Rhone, Ardeche digs a deep canyon, thirty kilometres long in the limestone plateau, creating superb landscapes, between the villages of Vallon-Pont-d’Arc and Saint-Martin-d’Ardèche.

On the plateau, the road punctuated by 11 viewpoints, winds along the left bank of the canyon. But the best way to discover the Gorges de l'Ardèche is to canoe or kayak down the river. There are many canoe and kayak hire companies  upriver, near  Vallon-Pont-d’Arc. Each year more than 100,000 people pass under the Pont d’Arc and travel 32 or 24 km to Saint-Martin-d’Ardèche. It takes 5½ to 7 hours of paddling, depending on the route and conditions. Participants must be in good physical condition and able to swim. Children aged seven and over who can swim may join an unguided descent; ask the hire company about the conditions before setting out. It is possible to make the descent over two days, staying at designated bivouac areas.

The area is a nature reserve, the flora and fauna are preserved. People have lived in these landscapes since prehistoric times. The Chauvet cave near Vallon-Pont-d’Arc, contains cave paintings dating back some 35,000 years, among the oldest examples of human artistic expression in the world.

The limestone plateau is riddled with caves and tunnels dug by underground rivers. The most famous is the Aven d’Orgnac but you can also visit Saint-Marcel cave, the Aven Marzal, Madeleine cave.

Accommodation around the Ardeche Gorges

• Selection of bed and breakfast near the Ardeche Gorges on the portal of guest houses in Provence.

• Tourist office website : en.gorges-ardeche-pontdarc.fr 

Getting to the Gorges de l'Ardèche (Vallon-Pont-d'Arc)

location GPS N 44°24’28’’ - E 4°23’40’’

Location of the Ardeche Gorges at Vallon-Pont-d'Arc : altitude 85 to 45 meters, 2300 inhabitants, 12 km from Barjac, 28 km from Aubenas, 37 km from Lussan, 38 km from Saint-Martin d'Ardèche