Point Sublime
The iconThe Verdon’s signature viewpoint: a plunging view over the upstream entrance of the canyon and the Couloir Samson, a 10-minute walk from the car park. This is where the Blanc-Martel trail comes out.
Europe’s Grand Canyon
The Verdon Gorge
Over some 25 km, the turquoise river has carved France’s deepest canyon into the limestone — up to 700 metres of cliffs. From Rougon to the waters of Lake Sainte-Croix, here is the heart of the Verdon: its viewpoints, its two rims, and how to experience it.
~700 m deep down to the Dent d’Aire
~25 km long from Rougon to Lake Sainte-Croix
No. 1 canyon in France the deepest
2 rims to explore right bank (04) & left bank (83)
The must-sees
Route des Crêtes (D23)
The panoramic road par excellence: ~23 km and 14 dizzying belvederes above the void, up to the Dent d’Aire (~1,285 m, 700 m above the river). One section is one-way — follow the signs.
Corniche Sublime (D71)
The wilder south side: the Col d’Illoire, the Cirque de Vaumale, the Falaise des Cavaliers, tunnels carved into the rock and the Balcons de la Mescla, high above the Verdon–Artuby confluence.
Blanc-Martel trail
The legendary long-distance walk: ~15 km through the heart of the gorge, past tunnels, ladders and turquoise pools, from the Chalet de la Maline to Point Sublime.
Learn more →Pont du Galetas
Where the canyon flows into the turquoise lake: paddle or take an electric boat up to the first cliffs. The postcard shot of the Verdon.
Learn more →Pont de l’Artuby
One of Europe’s highest bungee-jumping bridges (~182 m above the drop). For those who would rather see the canyon upside down.
The two rims
Right bank north · Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
The most spectacular for viewpoints. Reached via La Palud-sur-Verdon and Rougon: Point Sublime, the Route des Crêtes and its 14 belvederes, and the start of the Blanc-Martel trail at the Chalet de la Maline.
How to explore it
On foot
The Blanc-Martel trail on the canyon floor, and all our verified hikes.
By carThe two panoramic roads and their belvederes. Access and mountain passes.
On the waterRafting and canyoning from Castellane, in the heart of the gorge.
By canoePaddle up the first cliffs from the Pont du Galetas.
Plan your visit
When to visit
Season by season: weather, crowds, swimming and what's open.
Where to stayWhich village to choose depending on what you want to see, from both rims to the lakes.
How long to stayAllow at least two days; our ready-made three-day itinerary.
The mapBelvederes, beaches, villages and services across the Verdon, all geolocated.
A canyon revealed a century ago
Long left unexplored and feared, the bottom of the gorge was not traversed until 1905, during the expedition of Édouard-Alfred Martel, guided by Isidore Blanc, the schoolteacher of Rougon. It is this crossing that gave the Blanc-Martel trail its name and made the canyon known to the world.
Today, the Verdon is also an ecological success story: the griffon vulture, gone from Provence for over a century, was reintroduced here from 1999 onwards — there are now hundreds of pairs, which can be seen soaring above the cliffs from Rougon.
Frequently asked questions
How deep is the Verdon Gorge?
The Verdon Gorge reaches about 700 metres deep at its most vertiginous point (below the Dent d’Aire, on the Route des Crêtes), over a length of around 25 km. It is the deepest canyon in France, often nicknamed “Europe’s Grand Canyon” for its scale — even though deeper canyons exist elsewhere in Europe (such as the Tara Canyon in the Balkans).
How can you visit the Verdon Gorge?
In three complementary ways: from above, by car on the panoramic roads (the Route des Crêtes on the right bank, the Corniche Sublime on the left) and their belvederes; from the bottom, on foot along the Blanc-Martel trail; and on the water, rafting or canyoning from Castellane, or canoeing from the Pont du Galetas. Allow at least two days to take it all in.
Which side of the Verdon should you choose, right or left?
The right bank (north, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) gives access to Point Sublime and the Route des Crêtes from La Palud-sur-Verdon and Rougon — the most spectacular for viewpoints. The left bank (south, Var) follows the Corniche Sublime from Aiguines to Comps-sur-Artuby, wilder, with the Balcons de la Mescla and the Pont de l’Artuby. Ideally, explore both (they only meet at either end).
Where is Point Sublime?
Point Sublime is in the commune of Rougon, on the right bank (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence), at the upstream entrance of the canyon. It is reached via the D952 and a car park, followed by a walk of about 10 minutes. It is the most famous viewpoint in the Verdon and the finishing point of the Blanc-Martel trail.
Check for yourself
The external sources this page relies on, one click away.We would rather you be able to contradict us than ask you to take our word for it.
- Parc naturel régional du Verdonparcduverdon.fr
L'autorité de gestion du territoire : réglementation par milieu (terrestre, aquatique, vertical), bivouac et camping, feu, drone, conseils des écogardes.
- UNESCO Géoparc de Haute-Provencegeoparchauteprovence.com
Géoparc mondial UNESCO couvrant le territoire : patrimoine géologique, sites remarquables et médiation scientifique sur la formation des reliefs.
- BRGM — service géologique nationalbrgm.fr
Établissement public de référence pour la connaissance du sous-sol français : cartes géologiques, karst et hydrogéologie.
3 of these 3 links responded during our last automated check, on 2026-08-22. A broken link is removed, never left in place.