Gorges de l'Ardèche (Ardèche Gorges, Ardèche Canyon), France
Gorges de l'Ardèche is an absolutely beautiful place whether you're canoeing or simply having a swim. You can also do what we did, I mean drive along the road above the gorges, stopping sometimes to have a great views at some of the belvederes provided.
Some tips
If you go quite early in the morning, the road is not crowded at all. Remember that not all belvederes have space enough for many cars. There are belvederes with only a few parking places so don't go too late. On the other hand, be sure to park in a safe location dedicated for the tourists since the falling rocks could be dangerous for you. Don't ride too fast, make sure to leave plenty of time to enjoy this route.
Our route
We start from the Saint-Just village and then go the D290 road toward the Vallon-Pont-d'Arc.
We suggest to stop at the following places:
- Ranc Pointu (A; GPS: 44.322182, 4.548148)
- Balcon Rouviere (B; GPS: 44.333987, 4.514942)
- Balcon Gournier (C; GPS: 44.343311, 4.476819)
- Balcon Cros Olivier (D; GPS: 44.350575, 4.464619)
- Balcon Autridge (E; GPS: 44.363866, 4.467713)
- Balcon Serre de Tourre (F; GPS: 44.374240, 4.439722)
The Pont d'Arc
Finally, we approach the region's most spectacular nature formation - Pont d'Arc. The Pont d'Arc is a naturally formed, large bridge of rock that arches over the river of Ardèche. The arch has a height of 34 meters; it spans a breadth of about 60 meters.
First we stop the car to see the Pont d'Arc from the east (G; GPS: 44.381278, 4.418248). Then we go further the D290 road that turns almost 180 degrees to the west. After about 2 km we stop at the parking lot (GPS: 44.383348, 4.413485), and then we go along a country road to a small beach (H; GPS: 44.381785, 4.414338), from which we have a great view of the west side of the Pont d'Arc.
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