# Moustiers and Lake Sainte-Croix from Marseille: chapel, faience museum, lunch on the square and kayaking at the Galetas The 262 steps up to Notre-Dame de Beauvoir, the Faience Museum, home cooking on Moustiers' square and two hours by kayak or boat at the mouth of the Verdon canyon. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/provence-alpes-cote-dazur/verdon-gorge/itineraries/moustiers-and-kayaking-on-sainte-croix · Revisado: 2026-11-12 ## El día - 07:45 · Salida: 1 h 45 by car (by the A51 to Manosque and Valensole; nearly two hours) - 09:45 · Climbing to the Notre-Dame de Beauvoir chapel up Moustiers' 262 steps (262 steps · free) - 4 min on foot - 10:45 · Moustiers Faience Museum, five centuries of faïence in nine rooms (opens at 10:30 · €5; free for under-16s · closed Tuesdays) - 2 min on foot - 12:15 · Le Chardon-Marie, home cooking on the church square in Moustiers (no booking; Wednesday to Sunday at midday) · Le Chardon-Marie, home cooking on the church square in Moustiers, €€ - 15 min by car, 19,2 km - 14:30 · By boat or kayak from the Galetas bridge to the mouth of the canyon (Base Nautique de l'Étoile · kayak from €10, pedalo €20 an hour) · Base Nautique de l'Étoile, From €10 hour - 17:30 · Vuelta (In Marseille around 19:30) Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is less than two hours from Marseille and twenty minutes from the Galetas bridge, where the Verdon leaves its canyon and flows into Lake Sainte-Croix. This plan combines the two in one day: the morning in the village, hung between two crags beneath its golden star, and the afternoon on the water, paddling into the mouth of the gorge between rock walls. ## Getting there from Spain Fly to Marseille (MRS) and pick up a hire car at the airport: from there to Moustiers it is about two hours via the A51 to Manosque, Valensole and Riez. Sleep the night before in Marseille or, better, already in Moustiers, and the day starts without a rush. From Barcelona you can also drive: it is about seven hours by the AP-7 and the A9, so it only makes sense as part of a trip of several days. ## The day, hour by hour 9:45 · Notre-Dame de Beauvoir. Park in the village and climb the 262 steps of the Way of the Cross to the chapel, built against the rock below the chain of the star. At the top, the village and the valley lie at your feet. A good half hour there and back. 10:45 · Faience Museum. A few steps from the square, nine rooms with more than 300 pieces of the faïence that made Moustiers famous. One hour. It costs €5 and under-16s do not pay; with children, ask for the clue game. 12:15 · Lunch at Le Chardon-Marie. On the church square, home cooking with local produce: tapenade, pâté de campagne, the dish from the slate and lemon crème brûlée. It does not take bookings, so arrive early. 14:30 · Boat or kayak at the Galetas bridge. Twenty minutes by car to the Base Nautique de l'Étoile. Hire for two hours: single kayak at €10 an hour, double or pedalo at €20, electric boat for five at €50. You pass under the bridge and go slowly up the gorge. Swimming is not allowed in the canyon. 17:30 · Return. You reach Marseille around 19:30. ## With children, with wind or with more time With children the plan works as it is: the climb to the chapel is short, the museum is free for them and the electric boat is the most comfortable. If a strong wind blows, the prefecture closes boat access to the canyon: swap the afternoon for the viewpoints on the Route des Crêtes. If you stay the night, the Clos des Iris is ten minutes' walk from the village. ## Cómo llegar ### By car It is the only reasonable way. From Marseille, the A51 to Manosque and minor roads via Valensole and Riez. From the village to the Galetas, twenty minutes. ## Consejos ### Do not go on a Monday or Tuesday Le Chardon-Marie closes those days and the museum on Tuesdays. ### Book the boat if you go in August Part of the fleet is booked online and the bridge fills up from mid-morning. ### Climb to the chapel early When it is cool and there is nobody on the steps. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How much does the day cost? Between €40 and €75 per person: lunch, the museum and the boat or kayak. Not counting the car. ### How long does it take from Marseille? About two hours by car to Moustiers. ### Can it be done with children? Yes. The museum is free for under-16s and the boats need no experience. ### And if it is windy? In a strong wind you cannot enter the canyon by boat. Swap the afternoon for the Route des Crêtes.