The Verdon routes: lookouts over the Grand Canyon

The Route des Crêtes is the nickname given to the D23, which forms a loop around La Palud-sur-Verdon. Spectacular is still a weak adjective to describe it: few roads in France are as impressive!

There are a total of 14 lookouts along this 24km route, so make sure you stop often! Right from the start, the breathtaking Trescaïre lookout offers a breathtaking view of the majestic Gorges du Verdon. The show continues a little further on at the Carelle belvedere, for a wider panorama, then at the Escalès belvedere, from where you can see the course of the Verdon, as well as the hinterland of the Var. And we're only at belvedere 3!

There is also the Pas de la Baou lookout, which rises to an altitude of 1285m above cliffs over 700m high, and the Imbut lookout, where the gorges are particularly narrow, before heading up the road overlooking the Mainmorte ravine to return to La Palud.

By car, it is advisable to extend the route along the Route des Crêtes, to create a real half-day outing, or even longer if you linger at each stage. From Castellane, take the D952 downstream of the grand canyon to the charming village of Rougon and its Point Sublime.

After the Route des Crêtes, you return to the same D952 at La Palud, before descending to the Col de l'Olivier and the Galetas lookout, a superb vantage point overlooking the exit from the gorges and the Lac de Sainte-Croix.

In the same spirit as the Route des Crêtes, the Corniche Sublime is in reality only a portion of this itinerary, but it is more interesting to extend it for a superb half-day walk. And this is just an estimate: depending on the number of stops, and the time spent admiring the Gorges du Verdon, you can extend this outing as much as you like!

Leaving Castellane on the D952, this time fork left at Pont-de-Soleils: we're at river level, and a short swim is in order! Then the Verdon landscape takes on a new dimension: you first have to cross the border into the Var to reach Trigance, a pretty Provencal village dominated by its medieval castle, where another stop is in order.

Once out of the village, follow the D71 to get to the heart of the matter, joining the Corniche Sublime. The Balcons de la Mescla, vertiginous viewpoints overlooking the left bank of the Verdon canyon, are the perfect illustration of this: another breathtaking panorama!

Next stop, another emblematic site in the Gorges du Verdon: the Artuby bridge, a single arch spanning the river of the same name. It's like being suspended 182m above the void! Some people take the opportunity to try their hand at bungeejumping... thrills guaranteed.

The D71 then winds its way above the canyon, with more superb views along the way for around ten kilometres... The route ends (or begins, depending) in Aiguines, a small hilltop village overlooking the whole of Lac de Sainte-Croix and the surrounding area.

The Route des Crêtes, a loop from La Palud-en-Verdon, is one of the most famous cycling routes in the region, because of its spectacular nature. What's more, the route, which is neither too long nor too difficult, is within the reach of many, especially if you opt for an electric bike! Cyclists can also be found along the Corniche Sublime, but be warned: in terms of both number of kilometres and accumulated altitude difference, this route is much more difficult.