Photo : Arnaud 25 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Arche de pont d'Arc
The Pont d'Arc is a limestone arch spanning the Ardèche at the entrance to the gorges, about five kilometres from Vallon-Pont-d'Arc. It has a span of 59 metres.
The arch was born of karst erosion. The river used to go round this promontory in a meander, then ended up piercing the rock and rushing into the opening, which it gradually widened. Geologists estimate that the arch formed about 124,000 years ago, after several hundred thousand years of erosion. The site has been listed since 24 January 1931.
You can admire it from the road and the developed viewpoints, or pass beneath it by canoe or kayak: the classic descent of the gorges, about 24 kilometres, starts near here. The region is also known for its prehistoric caves, including the Chauvet cave, which humans frequented more than 30,000 years ago. A local legend attributes the formation of the arch to divine intervention, in the tale of a jealous lord and a fleeing couple.
