The hook
A limestone canyon up to seven hundred metres deep in the hills of Provence, with a river at the bottom the colour of antifreeze.
01Why it's worth it
The Verdon river cut this gorge through pale rock, and glacial minerals turn the water a milky turquoise that looks fake until you are standing over it. It is the biggest canyon in Europe and one of the continent's great rock-climbing walls, but you do not need a rope to get the good of it. Two clifftop roads loop the rim with a string of vertiginous pull-offs, and where the river empties into the artificial Lac de Sainte-Croix you can rent a kayak or a pedalo and paddle up into the mouth of the gorge itself, between walls that close overhead. The Sentier Blanc-Martel trail runs the canyon floor for a full, tiring day through tunnels and down ladders. Come outside high summer; the road is narrow, the July heat is real, and the lake mouth fills with boats.
02How to experience it
Drive the rim loop and stop often, but give the best hours to the water: rent a kayak at Sainte-Croix and paddle into the gorge, which is the view the road can't give you. For the canyon floor, the Blanc-Martel is a committing point-to-point; check it's open and arrange the shuttle before you start.