Every year, our guests ask us the same question before they arrive: "Which hikes should we do around Gordes?" The truth is, we're spoilt for choice. Between the Monts de Vaucluse, where Le Clos de Manon sits, and the Luberon massif just to the south, a few minutes' drive takes you from a cool, wild gorge to a panoramic ridge swept by the wind. Here are our four favourite hikes, sorted by mood and by difficulty, each with our insider advice on water, heat and the right season. These aren't routes lifted from a standard guidebook, but the ones we walk ourselves and happily recommend to our guests.
The Véroncle gorges: the wildest hike of all
If we had to choose just one, it would be this. The Véroncle gorges thread their way between Murs and Gordes, through a canyon carved by a stream that once powered a dozen or so flour mills. You walk along the bottom of a limestone fault, between walls that close in around you, pools of green water and the ruins of 16th- and 17th-century mills that appear at every bend in the trail. It's rocky, shaded, almost secret.
The handiest starting point is from Murs, about fifteen minutes' drive from Le Clos de Manon. The full loop takes around four hours and a little commitment: there are easy scrambling sections on the rock, metal ladders and rungs bolted into some of the steeper steps.
- Difficulty: demanding. A few scrambling moves and footing that can be slippery; not advised for very young children.
- Season: spring and autumn are ideal. Avoid it after heavy rain, when the stream can make the crossing tricky, and in the height of summer when it's very hot.
- Our tip: good shoes with plenty of grip and at least a litre and a half of water per person, as there's nowhere to refill.
The Mourre Nègre: the roof of the Luberon
The Mourre Nègre rises to 1,125 metres: it's the highest point in the entire Luberon massif. On a clear day, the panorama from the summit is quite simply the widest in the region, from Mont Ventoux to the north to Sainte-Victoire to the east, and as far as the Alpilles to the west. It's a hike we save for a fine, cloudless day, so we can make the most of the view.
The classic approach starts from the Col du Pointu, above Auribeau, about an hour's drive from Gordes via the valley of the southern Luberon. Allow four to five hours there and back depending on the route, on wide paths and exposed ridges. The climb is steady but sustained.
- Difficulty: moderate to strenuous, mostly because of the ascent.
- Season: magnificent in spring and autumn. The ridge is very windy: bring a windbreaker even in fine weather.
- Our tip: set off early in the morning. Beyond avoiding the heat, the low light of early morning makes the panorama spectacular.
The cedar forest: the shaded walk above Bonnieux
On the ridge of the Petit Luberon, above Bonnieux, lies a cedar grove planted in the late 19th century from seeds brought over from the Moroccan Atlas mountains. Today, these century-old cedars form a majestic forest, cool and fragrant, criss-crossed by waymarked botanical trails. It's our "easy" hike par excellence, perfect with children or for a quiet end to the day.
You reach the forest car park by the little road that climbs up from Bonnieux, about forty minutes from Le Clos de Manon. From there, several waymarked loops await you, from a one-hour stroll to a fuller circuit of two or three hours with lovely views over the Apt valley and Mont Ventoux. The terrain is flat and easy.
- Difficulty: easy, suitable for everyone, including with an all-terrain pushchair on the short loop.
- Season: pleasant all year round, and especially welcome in summer thanks to the deep shade of the cedars.
- Our tip: the car park charges a fee in high season. Arrive before 10am on summer weekends, as it fills up fast.
The ochre trail: colour within everyone's reach
It's impossible to talk about hiking in the Luberon without mentioning the ochre. The most accessible of the walks is the Ochre Trail in Roussillon, a laid-out loop in the heart of the village that winds between fairy chimneys, saffron cliffs and maritime pines, over blood-red ground. In thirty minutes to an hour of easy walking, you cross a spectacular, almost unreal landscape. It's our favourite suggestion for a first warm-up walk or a family outing.
For something longer and wilder, the Colorado Provençal in Rustrel, about forty minutes from the villa, unfolds across a far larger site of ochre canyons, white sands and red chimneys reminiscent of the American West; we go into the circuits in detail in our guide to visiting the Colorado Provençal in Rustrel.
- Difficulty: very easy in Roussillon, easy to moderate in Rustrel.
- Season: all year round, but the light is at its most beautiful late in the day, when the ochre catches fire.
- Our tip: wear shoes and clothes you don't mind staining: the ochre clings for a long time. The Roussillon trail is often closed in bad weather.
Hiking the Luberon well: our house rules
A few principles apply to all of these trails, and we stand by them. The first concerns the heat: in summer, set off at dawn and be back down before midday. The second concerns the fire regulations: from June to September, access to the forested massifs of the Vaucluse may be restricted, or even closed on certain days depending on the risk level. We always brief our guests on the day's conditions before they head out.
- Water: carry at least a litre and a half per person. Fountains are rare along the trails.
- Timing: aim for daybreak in summer; the cool air and the light are well worth it.
- Waymarking: the routes within the Regional Nature Park are well signposted, but a map or a GPS track is still handy in the gorges.
- Prime season: April to June and September to October offer the best conditions, neither too hot nor too crowded.
And if walking is only one of the sides of the Luberon you want to explore, take a look at our ideas for outdoor activities in the Luberon: we also cover the Luberon by bike and the Calavon cycle route, gentler on the legs, and the refreshing canoe and kayak descent of the Sorgue, ideal on very hot days.
Your base camp between two massifs
If we're so fond of these hikes, it's also because they're all within easy reach of Le Clos de Manon. A ten-minute walk from Gordes, set between the Monts de Vaucluse and the Luberon, the villa turns every approach into just a few minutes' drive, from the Véroncle gorges to the cedars of Bonnieux. After the effort, nothing beats coming back to the private heated pool and the silence of the garrigue to recover. To string several trails together without rushing, we recommend a stay of five to seven nights: check our availability and put together your own bespoke week of hiking.