Garde Canal Trail

First of all, a big thank you to @Bonnie24. Her tour in January took us to this beautiful place! We arrived in Quinson quite late yesterday evening. We found a free parking space very close to the gorge. The gorge is one of the smaller gorges of the Verdon River, but still very breathtaking. You walk partly over stairs, footbridges and wall crowns. The "Sentier du Garde Canal" path is a supply path for the drinking water canal that was abandoned in the 1960s. While most of the water tunnels were closed, the last section of the canal path in the canal led through a tunnel. However, this had been flooded due to recent rain, so we looked for a path above the tunnel. Warning!!! Sure-footedness and a head for heights are a prerequisite. This section is not without its challenges and we had trouble finding the way. Other hikers took off their shoes and went through the tunnel barefoot. But I wouldn't recommend that either. Back on the route, we went through an enchanted forest and uphill again to a church. At the top we missed the refreshing cool air of the gorge. It was 26 degrees Celsius today. But we don't want to complain, because we went to Provence especially to enjoy the beautiful weather.

Walk along the gorge du Verdon on narrow paths near the rocks. Pass through a dark tunnel (bring a torch, there are loose rocks on the ground). Walk through a fairytale forest with trees covered with moss. Make a little detour to visit the chapel and the tower ruin on the top, before following quiet paths back to the parking.

Magnificent walk... only downside the return after the Chapel: it is better to go back down towards the gorges... the path we took was not very interesting

A journey in the direction of the Sauque male plateau, Ste Maxime chapel, and quite difficult descent on the old canal guard's path (read the history of the old canal in the canal guard's house) return along the gorges. PS lots of people July, August

Route completed in 4h40 with stops. Great classic of the lower Verdon gorges. Three very different parts. First departure to KM4.0, magnificent path along the Verdon and the old canal, on footbridges, stairs... Picturesque (no problem even if you are afraid of heights). Second part up to KM5.3, path in an original shaded forest with its trees covered in lichen. Third part higher up, on dirt and stone paths, even large stones. Note the detour to the Chapelle St Maxime (KM6.0), which is worth the detour for the landscape, and a perfect place for a picnic. At the end, the path slopes steeper, with a view of the dam.

The description says it all. It was incredibly beautiful, even a little adventurous, as we walked barefoot through the water tunnel. Thank goodness I had my headlamp with me. There were a good 100 meters of dark tunnel in the water. The water of the gorge was spectacular, ranging in wonderful turquoise to bright green. A feast for the senses. The return across the plateau was a bit tough. There were no more views, but the forest at the end of the tunnel was simply magical. I'm once again totally amazed. The name Verdon, by the way, comes from vert don, which means "green river." The wonderful color is created by the finely dissolved limestone particles in the water, which refract the sunlight.

The tour takes a good 3.5 hours. The time recorded is incorrect. The route begins along the Verdon. The trail is beautiful overall. It is no longer possible to do a route that already exists on Komoot. The route has been changed and runs as recorded here.

Now for two nights in the NP Verdon, yes because of a holiday including bridging day also well attended despite cooler temperatures and rainy weather deposits. Did a lap here today, very nice but the way back was in the rain with a lot of mud on the paths, the tunnel to be crossed was also a challenge because more than half of the way was under water. A forehead or flashlight would also have been helpful, which of course was in the car. Nevertheless seen many beautiful things in this area.