Photo : Patrice78500 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Gorges de la Beaume
The Beaume gorges here correspond to the upper valley of the river, in the Ardèche. The entrance is about 6 kilometres west of La Marette, at the place called Pied de Bœuf. The Beaume, a tributary of the Ardèche about forty kilometres long, rises at Loubaresse at 1,190 metres' altitude. It first crosses the granites of the Tanargue, then carves gorges in the soft limestone of the Gras plateau before joining the Ardèche.
A road cut into the mountainside follows the river to Joyeuse, over about twenty kilometres, and offers impressive viewpoints over the gorges; this is the Route des Chandelles, which can be driven or cycled between Joyeuse and Valgorge. A hiking trail of more than 12 kilometres also follows the valley floor, between densely vegetated zones and very mineral passages. The water of the Beaume is renowned for its quality and attracts many swimmers in summer.
