Autour de Petit Luberon

Cyclo-tourism is alive and well in Provence judging by the number of pannier laden cyclists I have seen on the roads.  And why not?  This may be some of the best cycling to be had anywhere in the world.  Gorgeous landscape? Check.  Phenomenal weather? Check. Hundreds of picturesque and historic villages often separated by just a few kilometers? Check.  Loads of small backroads with very little traffic that meander through vineyards, olive groves and fruit orchards?  Double check!!

The lovely vineyards of the Luberon

Add this to the wonderful provencal cuisine and the bright, light and fruity wines of the region and it's not hard to work out why it's so popular.  Never one to miss a revenue enhancing possibility, the French government has pounced on the the concept and has been busy building, or more accurately, mapping out what they call veloroutes to please and entice the legions of cycle-touristes they hope will visit and spend their hard earned euros.

One such route called the Autour du Luberon en vélo is a 238km journée around the luberon region from Cavaillon in the west to Forcalquier and Manosque in the east and encompassing both the Petit and Grand Luberon mountain ranges.  The route cleverly plots it's way through many of the most picturesque and famous villages in the area and takes one on some very rural backroads.

I think some of these roads may have been built by the Romans and I don't think they've been resurfaced since!!  So caution if you are on a road bike there are some bad sections and sections that are dirt or crushed rock.  My Cervélo has skinny 23c tires and it meant a pretty rough ride at times and I was continually worrying about flatting.  My Gitane is a touring bike with Hybrid 35c tires, much better suited to this type of terrain.

238km is too long for a day trip so I mapped out a ride I call the Autour du Petit Luberon which is about an 80km ride that completely encircles the Petit Luberon range.  It has some hilly bits but lots of flats and some fun downhills too.

I started in Ménerbes and the first 15 miles or so includes a couple of big climbs, the first up to the picturesque town of Lacoste and then up to Bonnieux, an equally comely village.  Unlike Lacoste, Bonnieux has some great restaurants and a lovely market on Fridays.

Bonnieux

After ascending to the top of the hill above Bonnieux you begin the long, winding and very entertaining (read fast) downhill through the Combe de Lourmarin to the town of Lourmarin.  According to my Garmin I hit 52.7mph going down the hill, like I said, VERY entertaining :)

Fast downhill through the Combe de Lourmarin

Lourmarin is another attractively situated town, not a village perché like Ménerbes, Lacoste or Bonnieux but lovely all the same.  I stopped and had a coffee here, did a little sightseeing and then a marvelous lunch at restaurant L'Oustelet, sitting on the terrace with a nice view of the Chateau de Lourmarin.

Chateau de Lourmarin

After lunch it was a long, most flat journey west through the towns of Lauris, Puget and Merindol where the route picks up a bike path that runs along a canal.  Easy cycling here except that going west heads against the usual wind direction.  It was not blowing too hard this day but was still a steady 10-15 mph which made the terrain a lot harder.

Riding along the canal path 

From Cheval Blanc the route heads north towards Les Taillades and gets a bit hillier too.  Then it was a matter of swinging eastward through Robion and Oppede and finally back up the hill to Ménerbes. A fabulous ride that you can ride fast or better still take your time and enjoy all that the Luberon has to offer.

You can view other photos from my ride here