Excursion 9: Gigondas with a 4 hour walk in the Dentelles de Montmirail

The mountain range Dentelles de Montmirail is projecting into the air like teeth just behind the wine village of Gigondas, where every wine shop is open until approx. 18.00. The return trip can be successfully combined with dinner in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue or Avignon.

Dentelles de Montmirail

You get to Gigondas on the northbound motorway towards Lyon (join the motorway at exit 26 - Senas) and you take exit 22 Orange Sud for Gigondas. To drive up to the starting point for the walk, see the local map IGN 3040 ET (Carpentras). Take the continuation of the D70 road up into the mountains behind Gigondas and drive right up to Col du Cayrons at a height of 396 meters (the last 700 yards on bad gravel road). Here, there is a parking lot.

For a description of the walk, see the little blue book: Landscapes of the South of France 2, Aix to the Pyrenees, walk 5 on page 85. I suggest you stop halfway because the second half was a bit boring (much forests and road), and simply return the way you came.  It could also be worth noticing that this walk is a part of Excursion by car No. 3, which begins on page 25 in the same book. You will find the book in the bookshelf.

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