Verdon Gorge

The Verdon Gorge, also called the Gorges du Verdon or Gòrja de Verdon, cuts through the limestone of southeastern France’s Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region. Stretching roughly 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) and reaching depths of up to 700 meters (0.4 miles), it was carved by the Verdon River, whose name comes from its distinctive turquoise-green hue. The river runs between the towns of Castellane and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, slicing 700 meters deep into the limestone mass before emptying into the artificial Lake of Sainte-Croix at the canyon’s end.

Tourists flock to the gorge, driving along its rim, renting kayaks to paddle the river, or hiking its trails. The towering limestone walls, hundreds of meters high, draw rock climbers; the area is a top destination for multi-pitch climbing, with about 1,500 routes ranging from 20 meters (65 feet) to over 400 meters (1,300 feet).

The gorge’s geological story began in the Triassic period, when the Provence region sank beneath the sea, depositing thick limestone layers. During the Jurassic, a warm, shallow sea allowed corals to thrive. In the Cretaceous, what is now Basse Provence rose, and the sea reached the future Alps, which later emerged in the Tertiary era. This tectonic activity fractured the Jurassic limestone, creating valleys and relief. The Verdon Gorge’s origins trace to this time. In the Quaternary, large-scale glaciation turned water bodies into ice rivers, reshaping the landscape through scouring and striation. After the ice receded, river erosion continued, forming the present gorge. The Verdon’s riverbed was scoured a second time, clearing accumulated coral and limestone sediments, with water flow reaching 2,000 to 3,000 cubic meters per second.

The gorge first appeared in print between 1782 and 1804. By the late 1800s, it was included in French tourist guides. According to Graham Robb’s *The Discovery of France*, it remained unknown outside France until 1906.

In a notable recent event, on 10 July 2006, France’s Council of State annulled a public-use declaration for a high-voltage power line proposed by EDF that would have crossed the gorge. This ended a 23-year fight by environmental groups to protect the site, which hosts protected animal and plant species. During the 2022 European drought, the river’s water levels dropped drastically, and some sections dried up entirely.

The Verdon River originates near the col d’Allos hill in the Trois Eveches mountain range, flowing 175 kilometers to join the Durance River near Vinon-sur-Verdon. Between Castellane and the Galetas bridge, it passes through Lake of Sainte-Croix, created by a dam of the same name. Before the dam, the village of Les Salles-sur-Verdon sat on the river plain; it was demolished in 1973 to form the reservoir and rebuilt higher up, making it France’s youngest village. For part of its length, the gorge marks the border between the Var département to the south and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence to the north, both in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. The region between Castellane and Lac de Sainte-Croix is divided into three parts: the Prégorges from Castellane to Pont de Soleils, the deepest section from Pont de Soleils to l’Imbut, and the Canyon from l’Imbut to Pont du Galetas. The gorge is narrow and deep, ranging from 250 to 700 meters in depth and 6 to 100 meters wide at river level, while its summits span 200 to 1,500 meters from rim to rim. It has been compared to the Grand Canyon in the United States.

Five hydroelectric dams were built on the Verdon between 1929 and 1975, from Castellane to Gréoux-les-Bains. Their reservoirs include Lac de Castillon (which flooded the village of Castillon), Lac de Sainte-Croix (which flooded Les Salles-sur-Verdon), Lac d’Esparron-Gréoux (locally called lac d’Esparron), the Chaudanne reservoir, and the Quinson reservoir (sometimes misnamed lac de Montpezat after the nearby village).

Notable features include the Styx du Verdon, a sub-canyon linked to the Greek mythological river Styx, and the Imbut (also spelled Embut or Embucq), where the Verdon disappears underground beneath massive rock formations before re-emerging.

Tourism peaks in summer, drawn by the river’s turquoise color, which comes from glacial sources and suspended rock flour minerals. The gorge is accessible from the north via route D952 on the right bank (Castellane to Moustiers-Sainte-Marie) and from the south via routes D71, D90, and D955 on the left bank (Aiguines to Castellane). Beyond climbing, the area attracts fishermen, especially fly fishers, and offers hiking, canoeing, paragliding, rafting, and canyoning.