Motorcycling in the Gorges du Verdon: the Route des Crêtes

The Gorges du Verdon are one of the finest motorcycling destinations in Europe: endless bends, narrow balcony roads along the abyss and a new panorama at every kilometre. Limounié is the ideal base, with a lockable garage for your motorbikes and room for the whole group (up to 16 people). Below is the full day’s ride, plus the Route des Crêtes and a GPX file to take with you.

The grand loop around the gorge (± 127 km)

This is the classic: a loop of about 127 km that you ride in a full day, with plenty of stops for photos and a terrace. Allow 3 to 4 hours of pure riding time, but give yourself the whole day.

• Start in La Palud-sur-Verdon, the bikers’ village of the Verdon.
• Northern bank (rive droite, D952): past the Point Sublime, with its breathtaking view of the canyon entrance, on towards Rougon and Castellane. Flowing, wide bends above the gorge.
• Southern bank (Corniche Sublime, D71): the most spectacular side. You pass the Pont de l’Artuby (the highest bridge in the area, popular with bungee jumpers) and the Balcons de la Mescla, where the Verdon and the Artuby meet hundreds of metres below you. Narrow, technical and unforgettable.
• Aiguines and the Lac de Sainte-Croix: after the Corniche you descend towards the turquoise lake and the Pont du Galetas, then return via Moustiers-Sainte-Marie to La Palud.

📍 GPX route: Download the GPX of the grand Verdon loop (± 127 km) and load it into your sat-nav or phone.

The Route des Crêtes: the gem

If you want even more bends, add the Route des Crêtes, a 23 km loop that starts just outside La Palud (towards Rougon). Fourteen viewpoints straight above the Grand Canyon follow one another. Important: about 15 of the 23 km are one-way, clockwise, so follow the signed direction from the village. The road is open from late March to late November.

Practical

• Fuel: fill up in good time in Castellane, Moustiers or Riez. There are hardly any petrol stations between the villages.
• Ride calmly: the balcony roads are narrow, with tourists, campervans, cyclists and loose gravel. Enjoy the bends, but keep a margin.
• Best time: setting off early avoids the heat and the crowds; the shoulder seasons are wonderfully quiet.
• The reward: finish with an ice cream at Tony’s in La Palud-sur-Verdon, a real recommendation.