France
Exploring the Ardèche
Discovering the Ardèche in the best possible way: by canoe, by foot and by car. Taking you on a beautiful hike and an impressive road today.
Beautiful morning hike
The GR5 (Grand Route 5 - hike from Holland to Nice in the South of France) passes through the Ardèche region, with some appealing views along the way. We found a small part of the hike that overlooks the valley when reaching the top (yup, you'll have to climb!). Nice way to get active. Park your car at the parking of camping Rives d'Arc and follow the GR5 signs up the hill. When reaching the top, you can just walk down again.
8km on the Ardèche
Rent a canoe at "CAP 07" and canoe along the Ardèche for 8 kilometers. Not for pussies: there definitely are spots with heavy current (I fell off the canoe twice ;-) ). The short tour was okay for us for now, but if you have time, the 20km one looks amazing too. That one takes you to more deserted areas of the river.
BBQ lunch
Definitely the cutest little restaurant in the Ardèche region: La Grotte des Tunnels. In the midst of trees and with the sound of the river in the background, this restaurant is perfect for lunch. They serve delicious BBQ (you can smell it from metres away!),
From here, follow the signs "gorges de l'ardèche" for one of the prettiest routes in France.
Drive along the Gorges de l'Ardèche
I didn't look up a lot before coming to the Ardèche, so I was so surprised when driving along this road! It's also called "the grand canyon of France", and that's because you continuously look at a giant chalk cliff. Super impressive! At the end of the road, you'll find a massive lookout point, overlooking the spot where the river makes a loop. Perfect for photos!
Another romantic sunset picknick
Ready for another majestic (sunset) view? Then head to the big mast of village "Sampzon", right on top of a hill. You can park your car here and then just walk towards this amaaaazing view over the Ardèche region. So, so beautiful. This is what traveling is about for me. Just driving towards a hill, and finding a view like this. Enjoy!!
