La Palud-sur-Verdon is the main village on the north rim of the gorge, and it exists to let you see it. About three hundred people live here, at an altitude of nearly a thousand metres, on a plateau of pasture and lavender, and in summer many times that number pass through, on foot, on bikes and in cars. There is a church with a stone bell tower, a handful of cafes, shops selling local honey and lavender, and climbing guides who work in the gorge.
The village is the start of the Route des Crêtes, a one-way loop of about twenty-three kilometres that follows the edge of the cliffs on the north side, with a series of viewpoints, or belvédères, where you can stop and look into the abyss. Each viewpoint has its own character. Some look straight down to the river, hundreds of metres below. Others look across the gorge to the opposite wall. The road is narrow and winding, with several tight bends, and it takes time, because you want to stop often.
The riding on the Route des Crêtes is unforgettable, but it asks for care. The road is narrow, and in places it has no barrier on the cliff side. Surfaces can be loose in places, with gravel on the bends, and coaches and cars sometimes park on the road. It runs one way, so you cannot turn back if you change your mind, and the road is closed in winter. In high summer, with the crowds, it is slow, and early morning or evening is better.
The surrounding country is a limestone plateau, where the thin soil supports box, juniper and oak, and in June the lavender fields are in bloom, filling the air with scent. The gorge itself cuts a dark green line through it all. At night the sky is brilliantly clear, with very little light pollution, and the stars are spectacular.
La Palud is small, but it has what a village on the route must have: cafes, a bakery and basic shops. Fuel, though, is not something to expect in a village of three hundred, so fill up in Castellane or Riez before coming, and bring water.