Ardèche

A river that carved its own stone arch, and the oldest painted cave known.

The Ardèche cut a gorge thirty kilometres long through limestone and left the Pont d’Arc, a natural arch the river still runs under; the classic descent is two days by canoe with a night at a bivouac inside the gorge. Above it, the Chauvet cave holds paintings 36,000 years old — twice the age of Lascaux — and is closed forever, so a full-size replica was built next to it. Inland the plateau turns to chestnut woods, volcanic cones and villages of schist.

Known for

• ⛺Camping
• 🌿Nature
• 🧭Adventure
• 📷Photography

Best time to visit

The best months for Ardèche are June, July, August and September.

Suggested route

7 nights across 3 stops. Jourimo adjusts it to the length of your trip.

1. 1Vallon-Pont-d'Arc · 3 nights
2. 2Aubenas · 2 nights
3. 3Privas · 2 nights