dossier

Secret Provence Cycling

SECRET PROVENCE CYCLING | WHERE YOU STAY

Hostellerie de l’Abbaye  **
Le Thoronet  Days 1+8

The 19 bedrooms at the Hostellerie de l’Abbaye are decorated in Provencal colors, they are simply furnished and set over 2 floors (ground floor and 1st floor). The light and airy bedrooms are all en-suite (all rooms have a bath) plus air conditioning, direct telephone line and satellite television.

Further details on the hotel website.

Day 1 Arrive at Le Thoronet

We meet you at Les Arcs station and take you (35 mins) to your hotel.

Day 2 Le Thoronet to Pontevès 32km/20mi or 37km/23mi

A lovely leisurely cycle today beneath huge pink cliffs, dotted with little villages, vineyards and tempting picnic spots. Highlights include Carcès (great wine tasting and lake) and picturesque Cotignac with it’s C13 church and fortress and a amazing troglodyte dwellings!

Hotel le Rouge Gorge  **
Ponteves  Days 2+3

Pontevès is a typical Provençal country hamlet and, we think, a perfect place to unwind. We are really pleased to have found this lovely hotel; the friendly owners will make your stay a memorable one. The hotel has a lovely pool, very appealing after a days cycling!

Day 3 At Pontevès

Walk to the ruins of the castle or cycle to nearby Barjols, a little town utterly dominated by water (it has four rivers running through it, 16 lavoirs and 27 fountains) - pottery and tambourines are made here too!

Day 4 Pontevès to Bauduen 39km/24mi

Pedal north through the forest of Pelenq dotted with hidden châteaux. Past the village perché of Fox Amphoux, inhabited since the iron age. Then on via the pretty hill village of Moissac-Bellevue: spectacular views right across the region.

Hotel les Cavalets  **
Bauduen  Days 4+5 (plus extension)

The Hôtel Les Cavalets sits in a fantastic location overlooking Lac de Ste Croix and the mountains of the Haut Var. The hotel’s restaurant boasts a large terrace and amazing panoramic views. There’s simply so much to do here that we are proposing two additional nights (making four nights in total) in order that you can really get the most out of your stay. Stroll or cycle around the original hilltop village - tiny streets, artisan craft shops, tempting cafés and restaurants - then take a sailing boat to explore the hidden creeks surrounding the lake and village. There are gentle walks and challenging hikes through the lower Gorges du Verdon, or you can kayak through the gorge before visiting the excellent Museum of Pre-history. Other options include cycling to Les Salles-sur-Verdon, following the fascinating botanical walk, or taking a taxi to the wonderful Grand Canyon. Riding is also possible near the hotel.

Day 5 At Bauduen (optional 2-night extension, see below)

You really are spoilt for choice here! Our friendly hotel is right on the shores of the gorgeous Lac de Ste Croix and offers direct access to the beach for swimming. Nearby, the lower gorges of the Verdon are well worth exploring and, unlike the Grand Canyon upstream, are much less crowded.

Day 6 or 8 Bauduen to Tourtour 39km/24mi

Easy cycling today perhaps stopping off for lunch in Aups, a medieval country town with ramparts, a ruined castle and pretty wrought iron campanile - good markets Wed & Sat. Then onto Tourtour - superb views out over the Massif des Maures - and one of our favorite *** hotels with two pools and jacuzzi.

L’Auberge St Pierre  ***
Tourtour  Days 6+7 

The Auberge St Pierre is a couple of kms outside Tourtour, amid a wonderfully green 90-hectare estate. Formerly a 16C country residence, it is now a 16-bedroom hotel offering a wide range of facilities: swimming pool, tennis courts, sauna, jacuzzi, walks and fresh water fishing.

Further details on the hotel website.

Day 7 or 9 At Tourtour

Explore this pretty village, complete with mediaeval streets, ramparts, hidden squares and delightful alleyways. Or take one of our favourite bike rides along the ridge to gorgeous Ampus (12km/7.5mi round trip).  Alternatively, just relax by the hotels pools.

Day 8 or 10 Tourtour to Le Thoronet 42km/26mi or 47km/29mi

Your day starts with a wonderful downhill spin through pine forests to Villecroze, a picturesque village founded by a retire Roman General and later the site of a Templar commandery.  On to Salernes - famous for its colorful tiles and pottery - then via the Bresque Valley to medieval Entrecasteaux: fortified Gothic church and C17 chatuea.  Your final stretch takes you up through a series of sleepy hamlets and back to Le Thoronet in time for a swim and laze by the pool before dinner.

Day 9 or 11 Leave Le Thoronet

Return home after breakfast.

Optional 2-night extension in Bauduen

There’s simply so much to do in and around Bauduen that we are proposing two additional nights (making four nights in total) in order that you can really get the most out of your stay. Stroll or cycle around the original hilltop village - tiny streets, artisan craft shops, tempting cafés and restaurants - rent an electric boat, canoe or pedalo to explore the hidden creeks surrounding the lake and village.

There are gentle walks and challenging hikes through the lower Gorges du Verdon, or you can kayak through the gorge before visiting the excellent Museum of Pre-history. Other options include cycling to Les Salles-sur-Verdon, following the fascinating botanical walk, or taking a taxi to the wonderful Grand Canyon. Riding is also possible near the hotel.

For extra nights we recommend Nice, Bauden or Tourtour.