Motorcycle Riding | Exploring Southern France Recap 2024 / 2025

A 15th-century stone bridge and a perfectly restored château above the Aveyron river. One of the most beautiful villages in France. The reflection in still water is the photograph. Arrive before 10am or after 4pm.

The jewel of the Gorges du Tarn — a medieval village carved into the limestone cliff above the green river. The gorge road to reach it is itself worth the ride. Allow at least an hour.

A medieval bastide at the junction of the Dourbie and Cantobre rivers. Covered market hall, good lunch options, completely unhurried pace. A natural base for the Gorges de la Dourbie.

Home of the famous blue cheese — aged in natural limestone caves since the Middle Ages. The caves are open to visitors; the approach road through the Combalou cliffs is unexpectedly dramatic.

Best base for the region. The Millau Viaduct — the world's tallest bridge structure — is visible in its full 2.5km span from the valley floor. Genuinely astonishing at close range.

A village wrapped in an almost impossible meander of the Tarn river, the peninsula so narrow it looks like the village is floating. The 11th-century priory above offers sweeping views. Calm and uncommercialised.

A Carolingian abbey (founded 804 AD) in a limestone gorge — one of the great medieval villages of the Languedoc and only an hour from Montpellier. The Pont du Diable on the approach is 11th century and still in daily use.

One of the most extraordinary natural formations in Southern France — a near-perfect circular canyon with the village sitting at the bottom. The descent road is itself a destination. Do not miss this.

A beautifully preserved medieval village with a 12th-century church in the Pre-Alps of Hérault. Tuesday market. Natural stop on the Pic Saint-Loup circuit from Montpellier.

A small, authentic village at the entrance to the Gorges de la Vis — uncommercialised, genuinely local, and the best starting point for the gorge road that barely appears on any map.

An artificial reservoir with extraordinary red volcanic shores — unlike anywhere else in the region. The circuit road around the lake is a beautiful half-day loop from Montpellier.

A beautifully preserved medieval town with a ducal castle and one of the finest Saturday markets in the South of France. An easy day trip from Montpellier or Nîmes.

The classic Gorges du Tarn village — stone buildings at the water's edge, the canyon walls rising vertically on both sides. Boat trips into the gorge from the quay. Book ahead for high season.

A hamlet in the Gorges du Tarn with a ruined château balanced on a natural limestone column above the river. Barely signposted, entirely worth stopping for. One of our best discoveries.

Capital of the Cévennes National Park and the natural base for multi-day exploration. Tuesday market, park visitor centre, the confluence of five valleys. Genuine Cévennes atmosphere.

A small village on the upper Tarn where Stevenson crossed the river on his 1878 walk through the Cévennes. Austere Huguenot character. Worth a stop if you're on the high route.

Gateway to the Ardèche gorge and home of the Pont d'Arc — the natural limestone arch that frames the river. Kayak trips depart from here. Tourist-oriented but the arch itself is unmissable.

A market town in the southern Ardèche with a beautiful arcaded square. Wednesday and Saturday market. The kind of lunch stop where two hours pass without anyone suggesting it should be shorter.

One of France's most photographed villages — stone houses climbing a limestone escarpment above the Luberon valley. Take the D15 from below for the classic view. The abbey of Sénanque nearby is worth the detour.

The ochre village — walls, streets and cliffs in seventeen shades of red, yellow and orange. Extraordinary in late afternoon light when the colour intensifies. Short walk to the ochre sentier.

'The Venice of Provence' — a town built on islands in the Sorgue river with antique water wheels still turning. Sunday antiques market is one of the largest in France. Give it more time than you plan to.

Where the Sorgue river emerges fully-formed from a cliff face — one of the world's great natural springs. Visit in September for manageable crowds. Short walk from parking to the source.

A town in two parts — Roman ruins and a medieval haute-ville separated by an ancient bridge. The Roman theatre and colonnaded streets are among the most impressive in Provence.

A quiet village in prime olive oil country — AOP Les Baux. Wednesday market. The D5 circuit toward Les Baux de Provence is a beautiful short loop through the Alpilles limestone.

The double-walled medieval fortress city — one of the most remarkable medieval monuments in Europe. Walk the ramparts at dusk when the day-trippers have gone. Eat cassoulet. Stay the night if you can.

One of the finest medieval bastide towns in France — the arcaded Place des Couverts has stood since the 13th century. Monday market. Dinner under the arcades is a genuinely good evening.

A modest town that earns its place as the gateway to the Gorges de l'Aude. The D118 south toward Axat is one of the best unknown motorcycle roads in the South of France.

The jewel of the Catalan coast — a bay, a Château Royal on the waterfront, a church bell tower that Matisse painted, and a quality of light that explains Fauvism. A coffee stop that becomes a morning.

A village on a coastal spit between the lagoon and the Mediterranean — the sea visible in two directions simultaneously. Roadside oyster and mussel stalls from the étang. A natural stop on the coastal return.

A Renaissance town of rare quality in the heart of the Languedoc wine country — Molière performed here. One of the best antiques quarters in the South of France. Saturday market. Give it more time than you think you need.

Clifftop citadel above white limestone cliffs — one of the most dramatic situations of any town in France. Walk the ramparts at sunset. The view to Sardinia on a clear day is 12 kilometres across open water.

The most authentically Corsican of the inland towns — Prosper Mérimée called it 'the most Corsican of all Corsican towns.' Dark granite, old money, a Saturday market that is entirely local.

The Calanques de Piana on the road to Porto — pink granite formations the size of apartment buildings above a turquoise sea. One of the great drives of France. Ride it in both directions.

The gateway to the Forêt d'Aïtone — 500-year-old Laricio pines, mountain waterfalls, the Cascade d'Aïtone a short walk from the road. Hôtel Aïtone is the place to stay.

A Genoese watchtower, extraordinary evening light on the cliffs, good restaurants at the water's edge. The natural base for riding the western coast.

A village with a unique history — founded by Greek refugees in the 18th century, with two churches (Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic) still facing each other across the main street three centuries later.