River Kayaking in Provence 2025

River kayaking in Provence is super easy...a fabulous way to while away a few hours, get deliciously cool, have a swim if you want one and see some fantastic scenery. 

If you've never kayaked before, not to worry! You'll get a short tutorial, there are often staffers on the river to help and the kayaks are very open. Meaning, on the off chance that you tip, you're not trapped. Our rivers are relatively free of obstacles, shallow and generally slow flowing. I encourage many of my clients to give it a go and no one has told me they didn't love it! On a hot day, it's just heaven.

You can kayak (and canoe and stand-up paddleboard) on the Rhône from Avignon (with views of the ramparts, the Pont St. Benezet and the 14th-century Palais des Papes), and also on the Durance River, in the Southern Luberon. But whenever I get the chance, I love kayaking on the River Sorgue, from the village of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse (just 15 minutes from Isle sur la Sorgue). You can can also kayak on the River Gardon from Collias, a super-fun way to experience the 2000-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Pont du Gard. 

Keep in mind the four places mentioned above (the Sorgue, the Gardon, the Durance and the Rhône) are by no means the only places for kayaking in Provence; you can do it in the Camargue, at the Gorges du Verdon and in sea kayaks up and down Mediterranean Coast. If you have a favorite kayak place, I'd love to know! 

As the season goes on, the outfitters get extremely busy so you should definitely reserve at least a day or two ahead, if not more. You'll find the details on everything below.

KAYAKING ON THE SORGUE IN THE LUBERON

Fontaine-de-Vaucluse is 15 minutes from Isle sur la Sorgue and if you hit the big Sunday market or smaller Thursday market there (in Isle sur la Sorgue), kayaking from Fontaine-de-Vaucluse is a great way to spend the afternoon. Then again, it's great fun any day, morning or afternoon. It’s an easy trip (about five miles) on clear, cool shallow water and you see lots of lovely, lush countryside. You leave your car in Fontaine and they bring you back by bus (usually with disco music blasting, but in a good way). There are two companies that do it: Kayak Vert and Canoe Evasion. Both are outside town with big signs so they’re easy to find. I prefer Canoe Evasion for a couple reasons but either is fine! Both outfitters sell snacks (cold drinks, ice cream, etc.), have bathrooms and offer plenty of parking.

With Kayak Vert, you can go at your own pace; with Canoe Evasion you’re sort of encouraged to stay with a group but you don’t really have to. The trip takes 2 to 2.5 hours and there’s a little break in the middle for swimming or just chilling. Whether you swim or not you’ll definitely get wet so plan accordingly and have a beach towel with you. Also, definitely wear water shoes or grippy sandals because there may be a few places where you have a little walk on slippery rocks. 

Both companies give you a watertight container for your stuff and life preserver vests.

Here are the two outfitters for kayaking the Sorgue and reservations are definitely recommended.

Canoe Evasion: 2025 prices:  €26 pp adults; €20 for students with student card, €13 for kids under 14. Groups of 10 or more: adults pay €22 each, students pay €20 each with student card, kids (6-14) pay €13. Payment is by cash, French check or credit card. Minimum age is six and kids must be able to swim at least 25 meters and submerge themselves (meaning, not panic if they go under water). Open every day from May 15 to September 30 (but closed the third weekend in September). Open daily from 9 am to 3:30 pm, with departures every 40 mins or so. Bookings can be made by phone (+33 (0)4 90 38 26 22) or online (canoe-evasion.com). 

Kayak Vert. 2025 prices:  €27 pp adults 17+, €22 for young people (13-16), €14 for kids (6-12). For groups of 15 or more, please inquire. Kayak Vert’s age minimum is six and kids must be able to swim 25 meters. Payment is by credit card only (but no Amex). Open May 15 to October 15. Reservations by phone ( +33 (0) 4 66 22 80 76) or online (kayakvert.com).

A Bit About Fontaine-de-Vaucluse

Fontaine-de-Vaucluse is an interesting village so leave some time before or after kayaking to explore. This pretty little town (population 600 or so) is best known for its deep-water source or spring at the foot of a steep cliff 230 meters high. It’s the biggest spring in France and the fifth largest in the world; it's where the Sorgue River begins and when the water is high and running strong, it's truly a gorgeous site to see. Actually its pretty gorgeous all the time.

In 1946, Jacques Cousteau and another diver were almost killed searching for the bottom of the spring, at about 100 meters down. (As it turns out they weren’t even close: the bottom is at 308 meters.) The spring is the only exit point of a subterranean basin that collects water from Mont Ventoux, the Vaucluse Mountains and Lure Mountain. People have lived in the area since Neolithic times (you know, back when you could still find a parking spot here easily). Archaeological digs have turned up more than 1600 coins from the 1st century BC to the 5th century AD. 

Fontaine has a great museum in an old paper mill (with a cool shop selling all types of paper products, diaries, puzzles, handmade books, stationary and other goodies based on the same theme), a museum about Petrarch and one filled with Santons (traditional Provencale figurines). Plus, the village has plenty of cafes and restaurants right on or near the river and some cute shops.

Not far from Canoe Evasion is a "parc accrobranche" that families love. This is one of those ropes courses where you swing from trees on zip lines and such. It's called La Passerelle des Cîmes and friends who’ve been say everyone loves it...all ages. As you approach Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, you’ll see the signs.

KAYAKING ON THE GARDON 

To kayak the Gardon River and see the Pont du Gard, the two main outfitters are Canoe Collias and Kayak Vert; both leave from the town of Collias, between Uzes and the Pont du Gard. You can keep the kayak all day if you like but most people like the basic two-hour paddle, taking them 8 km up to and under the Pont du Gard. What a fantastic way to experience this 2000-year-old Roman aqueduct, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. All along the river there are little beaches and places to picnic, swim, sunbathe, etc. The two-hour time frame is calculated on paddling from Collias to the Pont du Gard non-stop, but you can keep the kayak as long as you like for the same price. As they do on the Sorgue River, the outfitters bring you back by bus. Reservations aren't required but they're definitely recommended and booking is online only. In high season definitely reserve at least a few days before.   

Canoe Collias, canoe-collias.com, or +33 (0)4 66 22 87 20 or +33 (0)6 23 65 51 32. Prices for 2025: €27 for adults, €20 for teens (13-17), €15 for kids (6-12).

Kayak Vert Collias/Pont du Gard, kayakvert.com or +33 (0)4 66 22 80 76, contact@kayakvert.com. Prices for 2025:  €27 for adults 17+, €22 for teens (13-16) and €14 for kids (6-12).

KAYAKING ON THE RHONE AT AVIGNON

Operated by an association (Canoe Outings Comite de Vaucluse de Kayak, also known as Canoe Kayak Vaucluse) rather than a private company, this experience is extremely popular with river-cruise passengers, locals and groups, who often bring their own translator or request one because not all the staff speaks English. That said, they're currently the only outfitter offering kayaking in this gorgeous city, their prices are low and they have solid reviews on Trip Advisor. I've never kayaked here but I see no reason that paddling around the 14th-century Palais des Papes and the famous Pont St. Benezet (aka the Pont d'Avignon) wouldn't be great fun.  Kayak rentals in July/August are by the half hour: 30 minutes is €8 pp, 60 minutes is €12 pp, 90 minutes is €16 pp. Kids prices (ages 7 to 12) are slightly less. Open daily from 2 pm to 6:30 including holidays, from 5 July to 29 August. They also rent canoes and stand-up paddleboards.

Individual paddlers can go out every afternoon in July and August. Those who do tend to potter around the famous bridge, perhaps traveling one km or so in either direction. There's always a staffer on a jet ski on hand to help if needed. Or, there's the guided “Descente” activity every afternoon, where you'll go 8 km with a mixed group.

Groups (7 people or more) can canoe every afternoon of the year when it's safe to do so. A bilingual tour guide can be arranged to accompany your group but this must be arranged in advance, at an extra fee. 

There are also three “river discovery tours” in July and August...check the website closer to July for details. 

Despite the Rhône being so wide and big, it ranges from knee-deep to 8 meters or so in this particular area. There’s very little danger as you're not allowed to get out of the canoe (unlike on the Gardon where you can pull over to swim, picnic, etc.). This outfitter also welcomes wheelchair users (you'll be lifted out of your wheel chair, helped with a special apparatus and seated in the canoe.) And dogs are welcome! 

Please note this outfitter is on the Ile de la Barthelasse, the island in the middle of the Rhône, adjacent to Avignon. If you're driving, there's plenty of nearby parking. If you're walking from Avignon, they're 10 minutes from the Port de l'Oulle on the Avignon side of the River. 

Questions? Call +33 (0)6 11 52 16 73 or +33 (0)6 51 60 13 59. The office is open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm and can be reached at: +33 (0)4 28 70 27 27.  Canoe-Vaucluse.fr , contact@canoe-vaucluse.fr. 

KAYAKING ON THE DURANCE IN THE SOUTHERN LUBERON

Another outfitter I recently discovered is AFDA Canoe, which offers canoeing and kayaking on the Durance River in the Southern Luberon. An 8 km route takes you from Cadenet to Lauris (75 minutes) while an 18 km course links Puy Sainte Reparade to Lauris (three hours). They offer canoes for 2 or 3 people...and kayaks for more experienced paddlers. This one is on my summer to-do list for sure...I can't wait to kayak the Durance! 

Photos: (1) A Sunday on the Sorgue with my peeps.  (2, 3) Kayaking at the Pont du Gard and on the Sorgue, photos courtesy of Canoe Collias and Kayak Vert. (4) The staffers at these kayak places tend to be young, super helpful and fun.  (5, 6) Kayaking on the Rhone at Avignon. (7) The famous source in Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, photo courtesy of TheLuberon.com. (8) Chilling on the Sorgue, photo courtesy of Canoe Evasion. 

Where to Stay in Provence: Mas 9 Romanin

It was 2018 and Romain Avy was living in the UK, working as a mechanical engineer, when he got the call to come home to Provence. 

After farming the same land for four generations, his family had made the extremely difficult decision to give up on agriculture and convert the buildings on their vast St. Remy property for tourism.

This month, Romain (now 35), his brother Laurent and his dad Remi will put the finishing touches on the sixth (and probably final) cottage on this idyllic, historic domaine. Provence is filled with fantastic places to stay and year to year it’s impossible to keep up with all the new ones. But I recently visited the Avys' place for the first time and knew immediately I wanted to tell you about it!

Mas Neuf Romanin (aka Mas 9 Romanin) consists of six houses and apartments of various sizes, five of them with private pools, all built in and around the enormous old farmhouse and its outbuildings. Surrounding them are 50 hectares (120 acres) of farmland that once produced vast quantities of apples, pears and wine grapes. Back in the day, the Avys also made and sold their own wine.

But as the years passed, it became clear that, for a number of reasons, farming here was no longer sustainable, at least not for this family. Today virtually all their fields are laying fallow.

As far as family farms go, 100-plus years is a very-good run…but still. 

Although no one quite knows when the big mas (farmhouse) was originally built--there’s a Roman fountain on the property--Romain’s great grandfather Roger starting farming here around 1910 or 1920. Later, when Romain’s grandparents decided to move off the property and into the village, grand-père Robert was still at the farm every day. Romain grew up in a house across the street, where his mom now lives. He remembers playing hide and seek in the gite that’s now called Mamy, in honor of his grand-mère.

Romain earned his engineering degree in Toulon, then took himself off to the UK at age 22, primarily to improve his English. His three-month stay became five years and he was happily working in the auto industry when that call came beckoning him home. With help from a small crew of local artisans, he and his dad set to work and the first gite, called Papy, had just been finished when Covid hit France in early 2020. Tourism came to a screeching halt but construction did not; by the time people could travel again, a few more pretty gites had been finished…just about one every year. The sixth will be ready for renters next month.

Ranging in size from one to five bedrooms, they’re bright, warm and inviting…blending rustic charm with relaxed elegance while grounded in the farm’s rich history. Old materials were repurposed when possible. For example Romain fronted new kitchen drawers in one gite with wood from the old building itself, while wood beams from an old roof were transformed into a dining table. One set of bedside tables was crafted from a massive fallen plane tree branch; another was made from Romain’s grandmother’s travailleuse, which stored threads and needles for sewing.

Each gite is unique but common elements include art-glass lighting, splashes of color, pretty wallpaper accents and natural materials such as stone, rattan, terra cotta, leather and wood.

Sandrine Chabaud, a family friend, helped with interior design.

All the gites have modern kitchens, dishwashers, washing machines and convertible air conditioning/heating units which means they can be rented year round. The largest gite, which sleeps 12, has a grand fireplace.

With the exception of one on the second-floor of the mas, the cottages all have private outdoor terraces with dining tables and a barbecue or plancha. And all but one have a private pool.

While other family members are involved in the business in various ways, it’s Romain who runs the show. He’ll confirm your reservation, answer your questions and probably be there to greet you and get you settled. He’ll be happy to suggest restaurants and the best sites to visit, around St. Remy and across Provence. While the lodgings here are marketed as “self-catering,” Romain will do whatever he can to make sure you have a wonderful stay.

Guests are welcome to wander into “the museum”: an open barn filled with relics such as a pre-war Caterpillar D2 (hidden successfully from the Nazis by Romain’s grandfather) and a boat motor that the family says was used during the debarquement, in either Normandy or Provence. Romain also remembers hearing that the pétanque pitch was originally dug out by German POWs. A huge old scale that weighed fruit-filled tractors sits in the forecourt.

The artist Christian Manoury has his studio at one end of the property and is happy to show his work and talk art with interested visitors. (To reach him: +33 6 75 09 72 89, insideout13@wanadoo.fr, @christan.manoury).

Mas Neuf Romanin is located on one my favorite roads in St. Remy: gently curving, heavily wooded, very agricultural and very beautiful. When heading home from anywhere east of St. Remy, I often turn off the D99 and take this old road, the Ancienne Voie Aurelia, instead. Beautiful horses graze in pretty pastures to the north; farms and old homes, framed by old plane trees and towering cypress, line the road on the south…the Alpilles Mountains in the distance. The light, particularly just before sunset, is stunning.

This is a beautiful area for hiking and biking. The 12^th-century chapel Notre dame de Romanin is a stone’s throw away.  At the Aérodrome de Romanin, our tiny airport, the Aeroclub de St. Remy offers “baptismal” glider flights and a flight school for beginning and advanced glider pilots. On days when the wind and weather are just right, you'll see the planes circling gracefully over the mountains.

All around Mas 9 Romanin, other farms are still producing apples, pears, olives and wine grapes. In fact the Avy’s neighbors include two of the finest wine producers in the region: Domaine Hauvette (not open for visits, tasting or sales) and the historic Chateau Romanin (very much open for all three things and more). Not far away in either direction you’ll find the wineries Domaine Milan, Domaine d’Eole and others.

And even though his family is no longer farming, Romain still has his hand in, through a side business he launched last year. Called Mon Petit Market, it’s designed to promote the products of local farms and food producers, mostly within a 30 km radius. Paniers (baskets) with different themes can be delivered to guests on the property and elsewhere. He plans to give back a portion of proceeds to local producers.

What will happen to the Avy family’s fertile farmland in coming years remains to be seen. It sits in the Alpilles Natural Regional Park and, as a result, is highly protected, with strict rules about what it can and can’t be used for. Romain and his partner Amandine welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Eloi, in February, but Romain says it’s very unlikely that the fifth generation will ever end up farming here.

In the meantime, the agritourism business is thriving: bookings are strong and reviews are great. So if all of this sounds appealing to you, check the website and reserve soon! And please tell Romain I sent you! I’m so happy he shared his family’s touching story with me…and I wish him much happiness and success in the years to come! 

Mas Neuf de Romanin 
Mas9Romanin.fr/en

contact@mas9romanin.fr
+33 (0)6 17 61 40 62
13210 St Rémy de Provence, France

Photos: Old Farm, New Tricks! (1) The gite called Evasion. (2, 3) The old family mas from the garden, Romain in front. (4) Romain at the fountain, which dates to Roman times. (5) The gite called Papy. (6) Kitchen counter in Evasion. (7) The gite called Fontaine. (8) Living room in the gite Alfredo. (9) Bedroom in the gite Mamy. (10) Bathroom in Evasion. (11, 12, 13) All the gites except one have private terraces and all but one have private pools. (14, 15, 16) In "The Museum," relics from farming days gone by include a sign for the Avy family's wine business. (17) View of the farm from above.