Hôtel & Spa des Gorges du Verdon, in La Palud
Why we like it: Four-star family hotel at 938 m in La Palud-sur-Verdon, with a heated pool, spa and restaurant, a few minutes from the Route des Crêtes.
From €180
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Duration2 nights
Best timeMay – June and September
Budget€230–380 pp
Getting therePlane to Marseille and car, or car from Barcelona
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to arrive on Friday morning and return on Sunday afternoon, from May to September, when the Blanc-Martel shuttle, the Galetas boats and the restaurants run. The first night, in Moustiers, for the village and the lake; the second, in La Palud, to set out early on the trail. If you do not want to walk seven hours, swap Saturday for rafting from Castellane.
Friday
- 110:00Arrival in Moustiers and climb to the chapel
Leave your luggage at the Clos des Iris, ten minutes' walk from the village, if you can already, and climb the 262 steps of the Way of the Cross to Notre-Dame de Beauvoir, beneath the star hung between the crags.
- 211:00Faience Museum
Nine rooms with more than 300 pieces of Moustiers faïence. An hour; €5, free for under-16s.
- 312:30Lunch at Le Chardon-Marie
On the church square, no booking: starters to share, the dish from the slate and lemon crème brûlée.
- 415:00Boat or kayak at the Galetas bridge
Twenty minutes by car to the Base Nautique de l'Étoile. Two hours to row up the mouth of the canyon. In strong wind the prefecture closes the passage to boats.
- 520:00Dinner at La Bastide de Moustiers
Alain Ducasse's table, with a Michelin star and its own vegetable garden: seasonal menu from €95, by reservation. Closed Tuesdays. If you prefer something simple, dine in the village.
Saturday
- 17:30To La Palud and the Blanc-Martel shuttle
Half an hour by car to La Palud, leave the car in the marked car park and take the 8:30 shuttle to the Chalet de la Maline. Book it beforehand on the Park's website.
- 29:00Blanc-Martel trail
16 km along the canyon floor, 6 to 7 hours with stops, with metal ladders and two tunnels: bring a head torch and two litres of water. In 2026 the final stretch is diverted by a rockfall; ask before setting out.
- 316:00Point Sublime
The shuttle back to La Palud leaves from the Point Sublime. If you like, dine at the Auberge du Point Sublime, next to the viewpoint; closed on Tuesdays and Sunday evenings.
- 419:00Hôtel & Spa des Gorges du Verdon
Heated pool, jacuzzi and hammam for the legs, and dinner at its restaurant, Le 938.
Sunday
- 110:00Route des Crêtes
Leave the village by the D23 and do the loop of viewpoints clockwise: two or three hours with stops.
- 213:00Lunch and return
Eat at the Point Sublime or in La Palud and return to Marseille, a little over two hours.
The Verdon gorges are two hours from Marseille: too far for a relaxed there-and-back day, just right for two nights. The canyon can be understood in three ways and this getaway combines them: from the water, by boat at its mouth on Lake Sainte-Croix; from inside, on foot along the Blanc-Martel trail; and from above, by car along the viewpoints of the Route des Crêtes. You sleep one night at each end, in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie and in La Palud-sur-Verdon, so as not to retrace your steps.
How do you get there from Spain?
Fly to Marseille (MRS) and pick up a hire car at the airport: to Moustiers it is about two hours via the A51 to Manosque and then via Valensole and Riez. From Moustiers to La Palud, half an hour on the D952. From Barcelona you can also drive, in about seven hours by the AP-7 and the A9 to Nîmes and then Aix-en-Provence: if you choose this option, add a night. Without a car it is very difficult: buses are scarce and do not run along the canyon rims.
What do you pay for and what is free?
| What | Price | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Climb to Notre-Dame de Beauvoir | Free | 45 min |
| Faience Museum | €5 · free for under-16s | 1 h |
| Boat or kayak at the Galetas | From €10 an hour | 2 h |
| Blanc-Martel shuttle | €8.50 return | All day |
| Route des Crêtes | Free | 1 h 30 – 3 h |
And if you do not want to walk seven hours?
Swap Saturday for rafting from Castellane, half an hour from La Palud: the discovery descent with Yeti Rafting lasts three hours in all and costs from €45, from age 7. In the afternoon, do the Route des Crêtes in the last light and leave Sunday free for the lake.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Gorges du Verdon, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Gorges du Verdon
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Where to stay
Where to stay in Gorges du Verdon
Hôtel Clos des Iris, nine rooms with a garden in Moustiers
Why we like it: Small nine-room hotel in a 19th-century bastide, ten minutes' walk from the centre of Moustiers, each room with its own terrace onto the garden. Dogs welcome.
From €98
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Domaine du Petit Lac, campsite between Moustiers and Lake Sainte-Croix
Why we like it: Campsite beside a small 6-hectare lake, between Moustiers and Lake Sainte-Croix, with 80 m² pitches from €16 a night for two and mobile homes.
From €16
View details
Where to eat
Where to eat in Gorges du Verdon
Le Chardon-Marie, home cooking on the church square in Moustiers
What to order: the black olive and thyme tapenade or the paté de campagne to share, the dish from the blackboard and the lemon crème brûlée.
Auberge du Point Sublime, country cooking at the entrance to the canyon
What to order: the €24 formula of the day; if it is on the menu, the local lamb in rosemary jus with gratin, and the fig crème brûlée.
La Bastide de Moustiers, Alain Ducasse's table with its own vegetable garden
What to order: the seasonal menu, which changes every week with what the garden gives; ask for a table on the terrace under the plane trees.
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book the shuttle and dinner in advance
The Blanc-Martel shuttle requires a reservation and La Bastide has few tables.
- 2Do not start on a Monday or Tuesday
Le Chardon-Marie and the Auberge du Point Sublime close those days or part of them.
- 3Fill the tank in Moustiers
There are few services between the canyon villages.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the getaway cost?
Between €230 and €380 per person with two hotel nights in a double room, meals and activities, not counting the journey or the car.
When is it best to go?
From May to September, when the shuttle, the boats and the restaurants run. May, June and September have fewer people.
Can you go with children?
Yes, swapping the Blanc-Martel trail, not recommended for under-8s, for rafting from age 7 or another morning on the lake.
Do you need a car?
Yes. Without a car the Verdon is very difficult.