Natura 2000 area

I discover with images
Swimming and relaxation
FOCUS ON...
the flora and fauna of the Gorges de la Méouge
Natura 2000 hikes are organized in summer by the Smigiba to help you discover the different environments and remarkable species that live here: the midwife toad, the marsh fritillary butterfly or the starry scandix flower.
Along the Gorges de la Méouge...
The Hike called "Le Banc du Bouc" (Goat Bench) (1 h / 2.3 km) enables you to see the essentials without getting too tired! From the Romanesque bridge near Châteauneuf de Chabre, this little loop, is like a balcony alongside the river; it bypasses the "Goat Bench", some passages are dizzying, pay attention!
The main circuit of the Gorges de la Méouge (4-5h / 13 km) alternates sequences of climbs and descents on both sides of the gorge and offers a superb view from the place called “cut rock”!
For a complete adventure, the GR "Tour du Val de Méouge" offers 78 km of pure pleasure by rambling between the Chabre mountain, the Drôme Provençale towards Eygalayes and Lachau, Eourres, Ribiers, Antonaves and finally to a descent to the Romanesque bridge. For your safety always take with you a map or a topo-guide, good shoes and plenty water! A swimsuit can be useful when it is hot... and swimming is recommended when you arrive at the end ;)
Small winding roads and mountain passes with Provençal smells will delight cycling enthusiasts! From Laragne, ride on the cycling routes described on our cyclo-map: choose a 54 km easy route over Col d'Araud or the 73 km one through the Col St-Jean through the lavender fields... bliss?
Twenty mountain bike paths await you in the Méouge gorges, from easy family routes, to technical singletrack for top level riders, these mountain bike trails are marked by the F.F.C.(Fédération Française de Cyclisme) with over 1400 km of marked trails throughout the Sisteron-Buëch mountain bike area. The route les chemins du Soleil ("The Paths of the Sun") also crosses this area.
It's possible to ride on horseback all through the Méouge! The map "Ride in Buëch country and the Baronnies provençales" (Chevauchée dans les Pays du Buëch et les Baronnies provençales) provides you with all the information for an equestrian experience from the Val de Méouge to the Durance river.
Very refreshing in the summer, the Méouge can also be descended by canoeing in spring when the water is abundant. But the most amazing is probably to fly over: hang gliding, paramotoring or paragliding. Departure from the take off site of Laragne-Chabre, great panoramic view guaranteed!
Did you know ?
That every first Sunday of the All Saints holiday the the Méouge area is engine free! The gorges road is closed to traffic; its access is restricted to walkers, bicycles, strollers, scooters, horseback, or even stilts! Discover the gorge from a different angle: the turquoise river meanders in its autumnal shimmering colours and our guides will help you to recognize many species present in this Natura 2000 site. Take the opportunity and practice your favourite sport without the noise of a motor: rollers slip smoothly on the winding road, cyclists of all kinds have a great time, and hikers, for once, come off their trails to admire nature from the road.