For the Adventure Seekers...My top 4 picks of Clues and Canyons near our house in the South of Franc

One thing that the cote d’azur and surrounding area is known for is its canyons, and canyoning as a sport is very well practiced. However, you do not have to be an expert to enjoy some of these watering “holes” with the family. Of course, you can sign up for a “canyoning” tour with the most famous being in the “Gorges des Verdun” and the “Gorges des Loup”. However, without any guides (but a trusty guidebook that you can find at the house), you can find your own special spots away from the crowds. My top 4 choices near the house are:Fourth choice is “le Clue de la Cerise”. This “water hole” is near the village of Gilette. Gilette is very small, but really one of the villages in the surrounding area that I find the most quain which means a great place to stop for a “snack” on the way home from “La Cerise”. Like all of the “Clue” that I have mentioned, this one can be done as an organized “canyoning exercise”, however, if you just want a picnic beside a small babbling brook, with the possibility of jumping into a basin of cool water when things heat up, this is a good choice. There is a short walk (25 minutes) to the river and watering hole from where you park on the road. On the site I have pasted below, you can see the access and also notice that it wasn’t rated very highly. However, as our goal was not to do the “floating” as they call it, or in other words an “aquatic randonee”, but just to enjoy swimming in the watering hole, we thought it served its purpose very well!

“Le Clue d’Aiglun”. This is one of my favorites because after about a 30 minute hike with beautiful views of the gorge, you arrive at one of the water basins of the “Clue” which is the most amazing tourquoise blue that you have ever seen. Take a picnic and a book and relax on the rocks, while you watch the canyoners passing by, and also admire the beautiful countryside. You can walk out the way we came in, in order to rejoin your car and of course eat. The added bonus when you come here is that at the starting (or ending point!) there is a “Bistrot de Pays” called l’Auberge de Calendal absolutely THE place to stop for lunch or dinner if you want to taste the local flavor. Make sure you call ahead and make a reservation. “Les Bistro de Pays" are in many small villages and it took us 10 years of living on the cote d’azur to figure out they exist. One of our best discoveries so far which I pass on to you dear readers.

Our Second favorite is “La Siagne de la Pare”. My son’s friend lives near here, so this is a favorite for the boys. There is a hike (either 30 minutes each way or 2 hours each way, depending on if you take the long way or the direct way – you can imagine there is a story there…). Rather than following the itinerary on the below site, we followed the one given in the tourism guidebook, a copy of which we have in the house. The itinerary we followed follows a trail down to the river just before the village of St. Cezaire (rather than Escragnolles). The scenery on the way up and the villages surrounding are, in themselves, worth the journey. This area is so picturesque, and there are multiples of hikes and other adventures to experience beyond this one.

And of course “les Gorges de Loup” is my number one choice for so many reasons. Firstly, it is the closest to our house, in addition the kids never tire of going there and the short hike starts from behind “Florian Confiserie” (a local artisan sweet shop:. This means that you can stock up on chocolates and sweets for the hike, or on the way back get some as gifts for your friends back home. If you walk along the river for about 30 minutes, you will come to great spots for the kids to do some relatively safe “cliff jumping”. Just follow the screams of the kids already there (not many as it is a well hidden local spot), and choose the rock of your choice upon which to lay your towel. Make sure to bring a picnic as it is one of the best days out that you will have.

Check out this site for more information on the “Clues and Canyons” near the house:

If you love the outdoors, I can’t imagine that you will be disappointed with any of the activities you do here. If you do love Canyons and don’t mind driving a little further, of course “Les Gorges de Verdun” is also STUNNING, and worth the visit. While you are there, do not forget to see the beautiful village of Moustiers Sainte Marie. If you need any help deciding what to do, or have not booked your accommodation yet. We still have a week left in August and all of June available, so please contact me: owners@larosedesvent.com.