Paradise in Provence :: Verdon Gorge

Hello everyone,

About an hour and a half away from Aix-en-Provence, you will find Verdon Gorge, aka the most gorgeous part of France we have ever seen, aka paradise.
A place that must go on your bucket list if it isn't already.

I mean, will you look at the color of this water!  The most clear, beautiful, turquoise water I have ever seen.

Even before we got to Lac de Saint-Croix where we were supposed to begin our kayaking adventures, we had to stop the car midway down the mountain and take in the gorgeous view.

We rented a kayak at the edge of Lac de Saint-Croix from a company called Basic Star, and began our trek into the canyon.

This was by far the most gorgeous kayaking experience I have ever had.  Of course, I couldn't get over the beauty of the water, but also, the rock formations, the way the canyon kept unfolding against the blue sky as we kayaked up the river...

I actually don't remember rowing much because I was too busy snapping photos and just being in awe of this whole place, so it's a wonder that we actually made any progress up the river...

Maybe Z rowed or something..? =p

I'm totally kidding.  I rowed too.  I mean, look at this fine form.  

Doesn't everyone row kayaks side-saddle?  ;)

One of the things that I was really looking forward to doing in south of France was to be a mermaid. Like, on one of these rock outcroppings maybe.

However, just like our experience in Cassis, despite how gorgeous and inviting the water looked here, it was absolutely freezing. I hear that the water is warm in August and September, but in May?Definitely not. I had to be content with just putting my feet in the water for a few seconds and taking it out when it went numb.

We rowed up the river until we hit a spot where rowing was no longer possible because of the current. We attempted to swim yet again (maybe the water was warmer because it was shallower...?) but quickly gave that up as well returned to the lake after taking a few photos.

This place...  

Even though the water wasn't at swimmable temperature, what was nice about going during the off-season was the fact that we didn't have to fight our way through a whole bunch of people trying to row their way up the river.  We enjoyed a pretty peaceful/secluded travel up-river, and that was really nice. I hear that during the high season, the narrow river gets pretty congested with kayaks, so keep that in mind when you schedule your trip here  =)

We thought we had to give up on swimming that day, but much to our surprise, the lake water was much warmer when we got back to return our kayak! 

Having rowed for 2 hours probably also increased our ability to withstand the coldness of the water haha. Finally! our first swim in Provence!

The beauty of this place is truly unreal, and this experience is hands down our favorite one of the entire trip.

If you have a chance to come to anywhere near this region, we would highly, HIGHLY, recommend coming to Verdon Gorge for a little kayaking adventure and a little dip in the beautiful turquoise water!

Thanks for stopping by!

--Janny