Activities in Provence

Arles is world renowned for its Roman history and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, thanks to its many incredibly well preserved monuments and buildings.

Take in the historic sights of Avignon and make a visit to Ile de la Barthelasse using this alternative mode of transport.

With a long bank holiday weekend in store it made sense to venture to the outskirts of Provence to see what the Ardeche region and the famous Ardeche Gorge has to offer.

On a sunny Tuesday morning in April I found myself getting quite lost in the maze of narrow streets and lanes in the stunning, and slightly quirky, hilltop town of Biot.

On Saturday I decided to go hiking on Mont Ventoux, the largest mountain in Provence. Popular nicknames include the ‘Beast of Provence’, ‘Giant of Provence’ and of course the ‘Bald Mountain’. After doing only a little research, I headed off in the direction of Bédoin, the town at the base of the mountain where Google Maps told me to go.

Riding around La Camargue on horseback is the perfect way to spend an afternoon in the company of experienced and well-trained horses trekking through marshland and along the dusty-paths of the famous region.

Les Alpilles is a relatively little-known range of hills to the south of St Remy de Provence, awarded Parc Naturel Régional status in 2007. The peaks rise to a modest 500m, hence the name ‘little Alps’. Inhabited and farmed by man for thousands of year, these craggy limestone hills are dotted with pretty villages, roman remains and centuries-old vineyards and olive groves. They are also criss-crossed with paths and tracks, making them ideal for walking, mountain biking and, for the less energetic, riding.

With the many rivers around Avignon there are plenty of opportunities to kayak in gorgeous natural surroundings. We headed just 50 kilometres north-west to the village of Goudargues, near La Roque sur Ceze, to try Goud' Canoe’s “Nature” package; which is an 8km route with plenty of picnic areas, swimming spots and sun-bathing sites along the way.

There are plenty of things to do and see in Avignon, and learning to cook local produce with a local chef is a great way to learn about Provençal cuisine.

Provence Quad Location, situated in Graveson just a few kilometres outside St.Remy-de-Provence, offer guided tours through the Provençal countryside every day of the year. I was part of a group on the “Discovery” tour.

A late night decision over a sublime "soupe au pistou" and a bottle of red, ended up with an early morning alarm call to make for a dash to the summit of the Mont Saint Victoire.

Vaucluse ULM flight school are based out of a hangar in Avignon-Sud Airport where they are in possession of around ten different types of aircrafts – from gliders; to stunt planes, microlight aircraft and the bright yellow Auto-Giro that I’m going up in today.

Touring the Mont Sainte Victoire is a perfect escape from Aix-en-Provence to see a wild side of Provence, share some of Cesanne's views and taste some fine wines en route.

The Train des Merveilles takes you from the coastline of Nice into the rugged mountains of the Vallée des Merveilles and the Mercantour National Park.

The Train des Pignes runs on the Chemins de Fer de Provence railway line and connects the Riviera town of Nice with the historic city of Digne Les-Bains, taking you from seaside to snowy mountains in just three hours and 30 minutes.

Touring Provence by car is a must, exploring the scenic villages of the Luberon in a topdown vintage Citroen 2CV is a dream!

In 1994 a limestone cave in the Ardeche was discovered that excited the archaeology world. Three caving enthusiasts discovered a cave richly decorated with charcoal drawings, hand prints and engravings that had been closed off by a rock fall for around 20,000 years keeping its contents in incredible condition. Named after one of the cavers, Chauvet Cave quickly became regarded as one of the greatest archaeological finds of our time. 

The history of Van Gogh is exposed with a flourish all around Arles as the artist completed some particularly famous paintings while living in the town. This walking tour brings you step by step to each of the places where Van Gogh would have set up his canvas to paint using the renowned Provençal sunlight.

If there is any flower to represent Provence, it has to be the lavender. You find it everywhere in stores and market stalls. It's in the little sachets that you put in your closets to add a whiff of fragrance to your garments. It's in the perfume bottles of Grasse. It's in honey, oils, even ice cream.