Lower Verdon Gorges

In the Verdon Regional Natural Park, these 9 kilometers of gorges between Lake Quinson and Lake Esparron were carved by the waters of the Verdon River. Explore them on foot or by canoe, pedal boat, paddleboard, or electric boat.

Located on the border between the Var and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence departments, its limestone cliffs, rising 100 to 150 meters high, are less vertiginous than the iconic "Grand Canyon" and its cliffs reaching approximately 700 meters above Lake Sainte-Croix, about 20 kilometers away. But less forbidding, its caves and caverns have been inhabited since prehistoric times, a history to discover at the Quinson Museum. Today, it is the most secluded and best-preserved part of the Verdon Gorge.

A protected natural area:
The lower Verdon Gorges is a protected natural site of ecological interest recognized by the Natura 2000 network and the status of Sensitive Natural Area.
This site is home to 15 species of bats, all of which are protected in France and Europe, but it also houses a particularly rare species at the European level: Capaccini's bat. The bats breed and hibernate within the canal tunnels; for their protection, some of these tunnels are closed to the public.
- The cliffs are also suitable places for the nesting of rupestrous birds (notably the golden eagle) a protection perimeter exists on the scale of the Verdon, but also for endemic rupestrous plants (Doradille de Jahandiez a small fern).
- Good water quality is favorable to the maintenance of fish species (Bullhead, Blageon, Toxostome) but also favorable to Capaccini's bat which hunts above the river.
- The presence of mature forests allows for the development of forest beetles (Great Capricorn Beetle, Stag Beetle, Osmoderma, and Violet Click Beetle) and is also frequented by several species of bats (Notch-eared Bat). The diversity of grasslands, scrubland, and heathland allows for the presence of insects and a unique flora.

The symbolic entrance to the gorges is marked by the Quinson bridge. It can also be accessed by boat from Lake Esparron.
These gorges can be explored in several ways:
- on foot, following the 3-kilometer Canal Guard Trail. Between 1875 and 1970, an old canal carried water from the Verdon River to Aix-en-Provence through a series of tunnels carved into the rock. It was restored in 2014 by the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Department with staircases and walkways allowing visitors to cross the cliffs.
- sur l'eau à bord d'un canoë, pédalo, paddle ou bateau électrique des bases nautiques sont à votre disposition à Montmeyan Plage (Tarif préférentiel auprès de l'office de tourisme), à Quinson et Saint-Julien Plage (côté lac d'Esparron). La durée moyenne pour faire l'aller-retour entre le lac de Quinson et l'entrée du lac d'Esparron varie selon l'embarcation : 3h30 en bateau électrique, 4h30 en canoë, 5h en paddle, et 5-6h en pédalo.

Regulations:
- Fires, stoves and any other transport of fires are strictly prohibited.
- On foot: access subject to restrictions on access to forest areas from June to September.
- Dogs, even on a leash, mountain bikes and horses are prohibited on the Canal Guard trail.
- Jumping and diving from the cliffs and the Quinson bridge are prohibited.
- Baignade fortement déconseillée pour votre sécurité en raison du turbinage de l'usine hydroélectrique de Quinson (variation soudaine du niveau et de la température de l'eau pouvant provoquer un risque d'hydrocution et effet Venturi générant des courants dangereux).
- Landing, boarding and disembarking from the banks is prohibited, as is bivouacking and wild camping.
- The ascent of the Gorges by thermal motorboat, passenger boat, sailboat, windsurf board, beach craft, electric foil craft; is prohibited.
- This area is sensitive to drone overflights from mid-December to the end of August due to bird nesting. Please do not fly drones over ridges or along cliffs. For more information, consult the "Drone Overflight User Guide" published by the Verdon Natural Park.

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Note that since 2021 it is also possible to discover another part of the old Verdon Canal thanks to a footpath in Peyrolles-en-Provence.