Mt. Ventoux to the Mediterranean

Make your own way to Vaison-la-Romaine, France’s largest Roman archaeological site. Spend time wandering through the expansive Roman ruins before crossing the2000-year-old bridge and making your way up to the medieval village. Perched dizzyingly on the rock above the Ouvèze River, the cobbled streets lead up to the ruins of the 12^th century feudal castle, from where the view extends over the entire town and to far-reaching countryside.

Between the Rhone Valley and Mont Ventoux, Vaison is situated at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail, in a hilly countryside perfumed by vines and olive trees. Within the town you will find little shaded squares, ancient doorways, and narrow cobbled streets dotted with superb fountains. There is a market in town every Tuesday morning.

Overnight: Vaison-la-Romaine.

Distance: 43 km | Ascent: 650 m | Descent: 500 m

Mont Ventoux provides the dramatic backdrop to today’s cycle. The barren limestone peak of Provence’s highest mountain soars above the plains. Cycling through the most prestigious of Côtes du Rhône landscapes, you reach Gigondas and its world-famous vineyards. You will have plenty of opportunities to stop at the wine estates and taste their delicious reds.

Through olive groves and a sea of vines, you cycle onward to Beaumes de Venise, a quaint village known for its sweet Muscat wines. Through a succession of tiny and forgotten villages, on back roads lined by oak forest and orchards, you reach Bédoin. The town is a legendary starting point in the Tour de France for the ascension of Mont Ventoux, arguably the toughest climb in all of France. If you really want a challenge you can stay an extra night in Bédoin to take on the giant!

Overnight: Bédoin (dinner included). There is a great market in town on Monday mornings.

Optional extra day to cycle to the summit of Mont Ventoux

Distance: 56 km | Ascent: 1800 m | Descent: 1800 m

From Mediterranean brush to a moonscape above the tree line. With an average grade of 7.5%, and without a single moment of reprieve, you’re facing 22 km of pure uphill. Often touted as the hardest climb in France, Ventoux is a true test for your climbing legs. The route attracts amateur cyclists from all over the world, and is regarded as one of the word’s epic rides!

Distance: 34 km | Ascent: 900 m | Descent: 800 m

The landscape at the foot of Ventoux is dotted with small and charming villages, well off the beaten tourist track. You will cycle on quiet roads, among cherry orchards, Côtes du Ventoux vineyards, and truffle oak plantations. We recommend a stop in Pernes-les-Fontaines, a lively town full of cafés, with 40 ancient fountains scattered around the village.

Your destination today is l’Isle sur la Sorgue, a veritable island of a town, surrounded entirely by the green and clear waters of the Sorgue River. The town is world-renowned for its antique shops, while the Sunday market fills the entire centre with a display to stimulate all the senses.

Overnight: l’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue.

Distance: 56 km | Ascent: 480 m | Descent: 480 m

The sights are endless on today’s ride, so you better get an early start! Amid landscapes dotted with dry-stone huts and ancient stone walls, your route includes two of the most spectacular villages of Provence. First is Gordes, rising vertiginously above the Calavon valley and crowned by its renaissance castle. Then Roussillon, its colourful homes painted in every hue of yellow-orange-red, with the natural pigments taken from the ochre quarry set just beside the village. Ride back to Isle on a bike-only path along on a former railway line.

Overnight: l’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue.

Distance: 37 km | Ascent: 200 m | Descent: 250 m

You cycle first toward the lively town of Cavaillon, filled with restaurants and cafés and bursting with locally grown fruits and vegetables. Through farmlands and endless orchards, you cross the Durance river towards the charming village of Eygalières, surrounded by vast olive groves. The town’s beautiful stone houses are set atop a hill, which is crowned by the ruins of its castle. Finally you reach Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, a second home to Vincent Van Gogh and birthplace of Nostradamus, an artists’ town filled with colour and light, and bustling with busy cafés.

There is a market in Cavaillon on Mondays and in Eygalières on Fridays.

Overnight: Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.

Distance: 50 km | Ascent: 250 m | Descent: 300 m

If starting this route on a Wednesday or Saturday, you will have the chance to buy fresh picnic supplies at the fantastic market in Saint Rémy.

As you cycle out of Saint Rémy, you can visit the monastery of Saint Paul de Mausole, where Van Gogh spent a year of his life and did some of his best work. Cycling on through the pine forests, wildflowers and thyme laden hills of the Alpilles, the village of Les Baux will soon appear. Listed among the most beautiful villages in France, the village is perched atop a rocky crag high above the olive groves and crowned by the ruins of its feudal castle.

The Alpilles mountains are your last hills before an easier final stretch toward the sea. The landscapes soon give way to large expanses of farmland and lonely farmhouses, with bull ranches and rice paddies on the horizon. The colourful city of Arles appears out of nowhere on the banks of the Rhône. Once a metropolis of Roman Gaul, its coliseum and Roman theatre just two of the many monuments the Romans left behind. Vincent van Gogh also lived in in Arles in 1888–1889 and produced over 300 paintings and drawings during his time there.

Overnight: Arles.

Distance: 54 km | Ascent: 50 m | Descent: 50 m

Remember to pick up some picnic supplies before leaving Arles on the last stage of your cycle towards the Mediterranean. There is a fantastic market in the town on Wednesday & Saturday mornings.

Beyond Arles, you enter the delta of the Rhône river. Not more than a few feet above sea level, you will find yourself cycling through a never-ending landscape of salt-cracked earth and untamed lagoons. This is the Camargue region, a birder’s paradise where herons, egrets, pink flamingos, and dozens of other species come to nest and fish in the shallow pools.

The landscape is devoid of homes and buildings, until suddenly Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer appears in the distance, its disproportionate church dwarfing the bunched, whitewashed homes that make up this small town on the sea. The town has a distinct Gypsy influence. It was here that their patron saint Sara drifted ashore 2000 years ago after fleeing Palestine. The town is now a significant place of pilgrimage for Roma and other ‘gypsy’ peoples. During the Roma pilgrimages, street-cooked pans of paella fuel chaotic crowds of carnivalesque guitarists, dancers and mounted cowboys.

Overnight: Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.

Your cycling holiday comes to an end after breakfast this morning, unless you have booked any additional services with us. If you would like to book any additional nights, then just let us know at the time of booking and we will be happy to arrange it for you. Apart from Mont Ventoux, we also have options for additional loop rides from Vaison, Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. Please enquire for details.

You can take a bus back to Arles (line A50, departure every 2-3 hours and 35mins journey). From Arles there are onward connections to Marseille, Lyon and other cities in France.