Provence is an iconic destination. Everybody knows it for its marvellous purple lavender fields that are amazingly photogenic, but if you can believe it or not – we were even more fascinated by some other things to see and do in this region of southeastern France. The breathtaking mountain passes in french Alps, the cute provencal small towns and villages, white horses of Camargue, the deepest canyon in France and the brave and crazy bullfighters of french arenas, where there are not hurting bulls and that are very different than the Spanish ones. Those were among the things we enjoyed the most.
We started our 11 days journey in high parts of Provence – the Alps, then spent some days in the Arles area, jumped to the coast near Camargue and spent the last week in Luberon and Valensole area.
Above is the map of our journey and below is the itinerary with the places we have visited. We were there in late June which was perfect for seeing blooming lavender fields and because there weren’t as much tourists as Provence gets in high season. You can see our detailed Provence travel map here.
Day 1: Col Agnel
Day 2: Col Agnel – Saint Veran – Casse Déserte – Lac de Souliers – Col d’Izoard
Day 3: Col d’Izoard – La Source de Phazy – Bellegarde – Tarascon
Day 4: Tarascon – Arles – Pont du Garde – Tarascon
Day 5: Tarascon – Ste Maries de la Mer – Camargue – Le Grau du Roi
Day 6: Le Grau du Roi – Aigues Mortes – Gordes
Day 7: Gordes – Rousillon – Bonneioux – Saignon – Gordes
Day 8: Gordes – Sault – Mont Ventoux – Aurel – Banon
Day 9: Banon – Gorge du Verdon – Velensole
Day 10: Valensole
Day 11: Valensole
Provence is best to visit in late June and early July. The lavender is in full bloom and you will find the landscape in its most stunning version. That was the main reason we visited this part of France in early summer. We ran out of time for visiting more of the coast (Calanques was high on our list), but we still experienced so much and had great time.
We traveled by our own car and were sleeping in campsites. In Provence you can find lot of campsites with nice swimming pools. That’s essential if traveling in summer months, when it can get really hot. Plus it’s a great source of entertainment for kids! Traveling with a car and camping is a very economical way of seeing Provence – we spent only 18,00 – 32,00 EUR per night for the car, a tent and all three of us. We were buying food in supermarkets (it was slightly more expensive than in Slovenia) and prepare it ourselves and we were very satisfied we spent 600 EUR for the whole road trip in one of the most prestigious parts of Europe.
It’s hard not to be impressed by Provence. It has a lot to offer to everyone, rich history, great landscapes, amazing hikes and beaches.
