8 Circuits starting from The Bastide

Located between the Cevennes, Southern Ardèche and the Ardèche highlands, the Beaume Drobie rivers country is a natural space with an extraordinary variety of landscapes.
Here are 8 one day circuits to see most of them :

1) The Cevennes and Southern Ardèche

Leave Faugères and go to Thines, a splendid Cevennes hilltop village with a sumptuous Romanesque church.
Go down the superb valley of Thines to the pretty market town of Les Vans.
Visit the two "character" villages of Naves and Bannes then return to Faugères.

2) France's most beautiful "character" villages

This circuit on the borders of southernmost Ardèche will take you to five splendid villages on the rivers Beaume and Ardèche (don't forget your swim suits): Balazuc, Beaume, Voguë, Vinezac, Joyeuse.

3) Gorges of Ardèche

A classic excursion! Leave from Faugères to Vallon Pont d'Arc, visit the Pont d'Arc and Chauvet Prehistoric Cave - 30,000 years old - exhibition.
Drive down the Ardèche river Gorges, visits Aiguèze, one of France's most beautiful villages, the listed historical site of Aven d'Orgnac (stalactites and stalagmites), the very pretty village of Barjac, Les Vans and back to Faugères.

4) The Ardèche Mountains

Very beautiful mountain circuit which will take you to the spa resort of SAINT LAURENT Les Bains, Notre Dame des Neiges abbey, the medieval village of Gare de Guerin, the Chassezac View-Points and Villefort dam.

5) The Drobie River Valley

Splendid very wild Ardèche Cevennes valley.
Discover Sablières then Dompnac and the Fairy Ring and the pretty village of St Melany.
You can swim in this wild valley and admire the terraces, classified as the French national heritage at Ribes.

6) The Beaume River valley

Climb the tortuous and sumptuous Beaume river gorges to the Ardèche mountains.
After Valgorge you reach Loubaresse the gateway to the Tanargue at an altitude of 1511m. Drop down to St Jean de Pourcharesse and its splendid Romanesque church.

7) Thueyts and the Pont du Diable

Leave towards the medieval city of Largentière and the castle of Montreal.
Go up the Ligne river valley towards the Croix de Millet pass, then Neyrac Les Bains and the basalt lava flows.
Go to Thueyts and visit the Pont du Diable. Return by Aubenas and visit the castle square.

8) Southern Ardèche

Discover the limestone plateaus of the South and the fields of lavender.
Visit the very charming lavender museum in Saint Remèze, then the classified medieval village Saint Montan and the Sainte Beaume gorges.
Return by the Ibie river valley and visit the silkworm farming museum in Lagorce on the way back.

We will advise you on your circuits and share our interest for this heritage.