Where the Verdon canyon is at its deepest, the walls fall away on the south rim in cliffs of pale limestone that plunge several hundred metres to a river the colour of a green bottle. La Palud-sur-Verdon, on the northern edge, is the little hub for the Route des Crêtes, the one-way loop that runs along the rim of the gorge, and this stretch of road is its starting ground. Castellane is to the east and Aups to the west, each seventeen kilometres or so by road.
The Route des Crêtes is a ride that needs a calm approach. It is a narrow, winding loop of about twenty-three kilometres, with long drops, blind curves, and pull-offs at every belvedere where visitors park half on the road. The surface is mostly good but the bends are tight, so a gentle pace suits the scenery better than speed. Early in the morning you can have the road to yourself, and the light on the rock is a soft honey colour. In the afternoon coaches and cars clog the viewpoints, and the heat radiates off the stone.
The gorge was carved by the Verdon river through a limestone plateau, and it is often called the grand canyon of Europe, though it is a good deal smaller than its American cousin. It has been a magnet for climbers since the 1970s, and from the belvederes you can sometimes see tiny figures on the vertical walls. Griffon vultures were reintroduced in the area and now soar along the cliffs, riding the thermals with barely a wing beat. The air smells of thyme and hot rock.
Fuel is the thing to plan: La Palud is a small village and its services are limited, so fill the tank in Castellane or Aups before you start the loop. There are cafes and a few restaurants in the village, and a picnic from a bakery is a good idea. The road can be closed in winter after snow or ice, usually for short periods, and in summer the heat is intense by midday, so carry water and start early.