Cool Clear Water – The Verdouble River

After our ramble around the Chateau de Peyrepertuse in the blistering sun we needed to cool off before completing our journey to our villa.

The upper gorge from the lower pools

A couple of miles down the road my Sunflower walking guide to the area highlighted a pleasant looking spot where the Verdouble river flows down a number of cascades and through a series of marbled rock-pools that looked ideal.

With hindsight we should have spent the whole day there in such high temperatures but then it would have been a shame not to have seen the castle. I had it in my head that the place would be hard to find, with no parking or worse, the water wouldn’t be flowing in the height of summer. I was wrong. The road was well used and signed, there was a huge car-park (with a steep parking charge) and a healthy flow of water. In short a well-known spot

The lower pools

Added together you can imagine that on a summer Saturday afternoon it was very busy with scores of people, mainly families enjoying the cool water. It’s a stunning spot with the clear turquoise water, the golden rocks and the green of the trees making an idyllic if somewhat brash and noisy setting. It was all good-humoured though with lots of families and kids jumping in the pools and scrambling up the rocks and waterfalls.

We found a shady spot and immediately dived in for a cooling dip – man it felt good after the hot and sultry conditions at the castle. The water flows across the rocks like a water slide so you can just lie back in the water and chill out literally.

Nature’s water park

We had our lunch on the rocks and while TBF relaxed me and the kids scrambled about in the pools and under the waterfalls.

Cool clear water

If you read my blog regularly you know how much I enjoy the water and rivers so messing about here I was in my element. The kids had a ball as well with the excitement of the deep water and the rocky surroundings and in particular swimming behind the waterfalls, a novel experience.

Behind the falls

“D Jones and the waterfall of fear”

TBF and L spent a happy half an hour swimming in the larger pools at the bottom, sliding and slipping across the rocks between them

TBF and L enjoy a swim

L goes solo

There are numerous pools heading up the valley and with a little more time I could have scrambled up and jumped down the falls. I imagine it would be a little less crowded during the week and absolutely perfect out of the high season

The upper gorge

The upper gorge

Looking down the gorge to the lower pools

Unfortunately we still had a couple of hours drive to the villa and we had a major shop to do so we had to pack up and head off.

The lake at the end of the gorge

There are several of these mountain rivers and gorges in this area so it would be a great place to spend a holiday. I’d certainly love to go back, a true fan of wild swimming.