Provence - Roussillon, Goult & The Colorado of Provence

At the end of May we took a trip to Provence. We planned the trip for Spring to avoid the hordes of tourists that descend on Provence in Summer, usually from mid June to mid September to see the famous Provencal Lavender. 

Unfortunately traveling so early meant we'd miss the Lavender completely, since the Lavender Season is from June to August, but we were hoping to see some red poppies which luckily for us are in Season in Spring!

We flew into Marseille airport where we'd also arranged to pick up a hire car. You can see Provence without hiring a car, either by bike, train or by day tours with a guide, but if you want to see the smaller towns and have your own itinerary then a car is the best option.

We were staying at Le Verger B&B, about a 15 minute drive from the beautiful town of Gordes. We wanted the stay in the countryside, but also wanted to be close enough to a town so we could go out for dinner without worrying about a long drive back afterwards.

The location was excellent, we were never more than a half an hour drive from any of the nearby villages, and it was about an hour and a half from Marseille airport. We took slightly longer though since we got completely lost and came across the B&B almost by accident. We actually arrived at the complete wrong entrance, and the owners came to let us in the back gate where we then drove down a long and bumpy driveway. Very embarrassing but they were very gracious about it!

The B&B was so lovely, completely surrounded by fields of Olive Trees. There are two rooms, and we stayed on the top floor, which had a lovely view all the way over to the mountains of the Languedoc-Roussillon which is the region in Provence where we were staying.

There was also a lovely pool, which Bradley made use of for a VERY quick swim. It was warm while we were in Provence, but not quite warm enough for swimming!

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the B&B just relaxing with coffee and pastries. We'd picked up some meats and cheese on the way to the B&B, so we had those for dinner instead of going out. Bread, meat and cheese seems to be our meal of choice when we are traveling and don't feel like going in search of somewhere to eat. If you get some nice products it makes a really nice meal, and it's also super cheap.

Before arriving we had a list of places we wanted to visit, again essentially using the list of France's Most Beautiful Towns list to narrow it down. The hosts at our B&B gave us some great ideas about how to spend our days, and gave a rundown of the area and its highlights, some we'd never even heard of.

The Languedoc-Roussillon area is actually very famous for its Ochre, which is the largest Ochre deposit in Europe. The entire landscape is painted bright red and orange, though it's not known why this area specifically has so much Ochre whilst the surrounding areas do not.

We started our day in the lovely village of Roussillon, where the town itself has buildings made of the local Ochre, so all the houses are beautifully bright!

There is also an Ochre Trail very close to the town itself, where the Ochre was mined in the 18th Century and shipped all over the world. The mining has since stopped, but you can still walk along a trail which winds through the green forest, which gives a beautiful contrast to the bright orange of the surrounding landscape.

There are a couple of different trails, one about 35 minutes and the other about 50 minutes. We chose the shorter one, and managed to complete it in about 20 minutes! And that was without rushing. We mostly had the trail to ourselves, having arrived early in the morning. The tour groups seem to descend on the village after lunch, so if you were visiting early morning or afternoon is probably best.

 

As you walk round the trail there are signs in both French and English that provide some background into the area, but also about the different kinds of trees that grow here due to how fertile the soil is. The landscape really is unique to Provence, and indeed to France as well. At times it was easy to forget where we were, as the landscape strongly resembles parts of America.

After completing the trail much quicker than anticipated, we headed back into Roussillon to explore the town further. We spent a long time wandering around all the back streets, admiring the stunning red and orange houses.

Our next stop on the Ochre tour of the Languedoc-Roussillon was Le Colorado Provencal de Rustrel. The region is called the Colorado of Provence due to the striking similarities between the landscapes.

Le Colorado Provencal is preferred by many as you can really get right up close with the cliffs and the landscape, whereas the walk in Roussillon you have to stay behind the fence.

There are several different walks you can do, based on the level of difficulty. We chose the most difficult path which leads quite steeply up the side of a mountain giving you amazing views out over the Ochre quarry.

Following the trail leads you right down into a huge desert-like landscape with orange and red everywhere you look. You can walk right on top of the Ochre here, and it does get all over your shoes. I was wearing sandals and my feet were orange by the end! Luckily it washes right out, and it's worth it to get so close.

With our feet completely covered in orange dust we headed back to the B&B to have a shower and change for dinner.

We had made a booking earlier in the day at La Terrasse restaurant in Goult, a 10 minute drive from where we were staying.

Goult is a pretty town, mostly untouched by tourists. Most of the people in town seemed to be locals, with a few people like us wandering around in the early evening.

It might not be as famous as the towns surrounding it, but it has some lovely restaurants and some great views out over the Roussillon.

We had arrived early for dinner and had about 45 minutes to explore the town. We loved the beautiful old stone buildings with their arched doors and windows covered in pastel coloured shutters.

We were one of the first people in the restaurant for dinner. They have a large terrace upstairs where they seem to put tourists, and the locals all eat downstairs. Luckily for us we were seated downstairs, which meant we had great service and really felt like part of the village.

The food itself was excellent, we chose the three course menu and every course was so delicious. The presentation was also beautiful.

We were so full by the end of it that we practically rolled ourselves back to the car and back to the B&B.