The Route des Crêtes, fourteen viewpoints on the canyon rim in one afternoon's drive.

What it is

The Route des Crêtes is the D23, a mountain road that leaves La Palud-sur-Verdon, climbs to the north rim of the Grand Canyon and returns to the village in a loop. Along the way there are fourteen viewpoints, each with a small lay-by for the car: Trescaïre, the Pas de Baou, Glacières, Maugué, l'Imbut, Carelle, l'Escalès, the Dent d'Aire, Guègues and others. At each one you lean over a drop of hundreds of metres with the green river at the bottom. It is the easiest way to see the Verdon from above, and the one that best explains its scale.

The road climbs from 743 to 1,323 m in altitude. It is narrow, with steep gradients and stretches with barely a parapet: drive slowly and stop only in the lay-bys.

Direction and the one-way section

It is driven clockwise, as the signs in the village indicate. The start is on the D23, about 800 m from La Palud in the direction of Rougon. The section between the Jas d'Aire and the Chalet de la Maline is one-way, for bikes too; so if you start the wrong way round, you have to turn back.

Allow an hour and a half by car unhurried and up to three hours if you stop at every viewpoint. Go in the late afternoon: with the low sun, the walls turn orange and it is easy to see vultures gliding at road level. By bike, with or without a motor, it is a demanding but much-sought-after outing.

Dates and limits

The one-way section closes in winter, from the fourth Friday in November to the fourth Friday in March: this season, from 22 November 2026 to 26 March 2027. The two ends, with viewpoints such as Trescaïre, Carelle or the Dent d'Aire, and the Chalet de la Maline remain accessible all year. Vehicles over 3.6 m high do not fit along the sides of the carriageway; large motorhomes should stick to the ends only. It is free.