Photo : Hans Stieglitz / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Les pénitents des Mées
The Pénitents des Mées are rock formations overlooking the village of Les Mées, in the Durance valley, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. These cone-shaped cliffs are up to 114 metres high and extend over about 2.5 kilometres. They are made of conglomerate, a rock composed of cemented pebbles, dating from the Miocene and Pliocene, and shaped by erosion.
Their silhouettes recall figures in robes, which earned them their name. A legend tells that monks escorting beautiful Saracen women were turned to stone as they looked at them; according to the tale, a wooden cross carried by one of them is still visible in the rock. The site also shelters remarkable fauna and flora, including the eagle owl.
The Pénitents are visible from the motorway and the N85 national road, and a hike lets you approach them, including by a ridge route. On 2 December 2019, a major landslide damaged several houses in the village, after bad weather: ask the tourist office about the state of the paths before you set off.
