The Vaucluse and the Var between them sum up most of what cycling in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur has to offer: a bare mineral giant visible for dozens of kilometres, gravel tracks between dry-stone terraces and lavender, and red volcanic rock dropping straight into the Mediterranean. Three routes, three completely different kinds of riding, one region.
1. Mont Ventoux, Vaucluse
The “Giant of Provence” stands out for its pale summit, visible long before the climb even starts. The Bédoin route, the hardest of the three approaches, breaks out past Chalet Reynard onto a bare limestone plateau where wind can gust past 90 km/h in midsummer — the Ventoux is as much a fight against the wind as against the gradient.
2. Luberon gravel, from Lourmarin
The most postcard-perfect ride in the region: ochre stone hilltop villages, dry-stone terraces and lavender fields in bloom from late June into August. The full loop runs around 68 km, on mixed surfaces that reward a semi-slick tyre across the Claparèdes plateau.
3. Mountain biking in the Estérel, from Agay
The region’s only red volcanic rock massif, with trails that alternate Mediterranean forest and direct sea views from the ridgelines. Technical terrain over 30 km and 600 m of climbing — not a massif to learn mountain biking on.
Planning the trip
The Ventoux and the Luberon combine naturally in the Vaucluse, less than an hour’s drive apart. The Estérel, further south in the Var, works better as a standalone coastal stop, ideally outside summer to avoid the heat and wildfire-related access restrictions.
