Travel Reference
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Wild Nature
It's hard not to be bewitched by the unspoiled beauty of the Camargue, but the south of
France has plenty more wild corners to explore.
1 GORGES DU VERDON
Twenty-five kilometres long and between 250m to 700m deep, these plunging
gorges form the largest canyon in Europe, and provide fantastic walking and ca-
noeing. The two main bases for exploring are Moustiers Ste-Marie ( tourist
office 04 92 74 67 84; www.moustiers.fr ) and Castellane ( www.castellane.org ) .
2 PARC NATIONAL DU MERCANTOUR
( www.mercantour.eu ) Spread across six valleys, this isolated park is one of the
last bastions of true wilderness in Provence. The valley's only town is Barcelon-
nette; public transport is pretty much non-existent.
3 MONT VENTOUX
Visible from miles around, Mont Ventoux (1909m) is nicknamed le géant de
Provence (Provence's giant). From its summit, accessible by road between May
and October, vistas extend to the Alps and, on a clear day, the Camargue. You
can reach the mountain by car from Sault via the D164, or (summer only) from
Malaucène or St-Estève via the D974.
4 THE CALANQUES
( www.gipcalanques.fr ) These rocky promontories stretch for 20km around Mar-
seille, and afford gorgeous views along the Mediterranean coastline. Scheduled
to become France's newest national park in June 2011, the Calanques are criss-
crossed by walking trails, although they are often closed from July to September
due to fire risk. Marseille's tourist office ( Click here ) leads guided walks.
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