WITH a bright blue flowing river, mountains and a huge canyon, you might think this spot is in America at first glance.
But no, this beautiful place is not in Arizona, instead it’s in one of the prettiest French regions, and Brits rarely travel to it.
You’ll find this spot in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, which is one of the six departments in the Provence region.
The department is home to ‘Europe‘s Grand Canyon’ called Gorges du Verdon in France, which is a huge limestone gorge carved by the very blue Verdon River.
The Gorges du Verdon is 15 miles long, up to 700 meters deep, and between 6 and 100 meters wide at the bottom.
While it’s a great place to get pictures, there’s even more you can do there, from hiking to climbing, and watersports.
The river begins near the town of Castellane, and ends at the Lake of Esparron.
To see more of the natural beauty, and particularly wildlife, head to the Verdon National Park where there are vultures, eagles and falcons.
There are also wolves, chamois (a type of goat-antelope), roe deer, wild boar, and ibex, as well as reptiles, bats, fish and scorpions.
The Sun’s Brittany Vonow explored France in a campervan earlier this year where she discovered the incredible canyon along the way.
She said: “One highlight was a visit to the Verdon Gorge, a river canyon close to the region of Quinson, filled with deep turquoise water.
“We filled up on a quick lunch from our gas stove — two minute noodles with some tinned veg mixed in — before hiking the stunning mountains bordering the water.”
Brittany continued: “Our “cooee” calls echo around the rock faces and at that moment, it feels like we are the only people left in the world. A short drive west of here took us to Sainte Croix Verdon, home to a huge lake with waters as turquoise as the Verdon Gorge.
“With each turn, southern France shows off its jaw-dropping vistas, from rolling lavender fields to gorgeous gorges that make way for towering snow-capped mountains and picturesque French towns nestled in between.”
The Alpes-de-Haute-Provence also has mountains with ski resorts in the north, with many in the Verdon valley.
The department is also famous for its lavender fields, especially the Plateau de Valensole – to see them in bloom, visit from late June to mid-July.
The Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department of France has no main airport and so it’s not as visited as some of its neighbours nearer the coast like Marseille and Nice.
These cities are the ones that Brits will have to fly to, and then drive into the department from.
Both Marseille and Nice are around two and a half hours away from the Verdon Gorge by car.
For more in France, here’s an underrated city that has a ‘bit of everything’ with picturesque beaches and new cheap hotels.
Also in France is the world’s most beautiful village – with classic car tours & fairytale lavender fields.