Marseille to Gordes and Roussillon: Private day trip

Main attractions

• The village cascades down a limestone ridge above the Imergue valley in a tightly packed vertical composition of Renaissance townhouses, vaulted lanes, and a 16th-century castle that has been photographed from the valley road below more than almost any other village in France
• The Sénanque Abbey — a 12th-century Cistercian monastery in a valley below Gordes, surrounded by lavender fields in July — is one of the most reproduced images of Provence; still an active community of monks

What to eat

• Tapenade, brandade de morue, and Luberon rosé at a terrace restaurant in the village — the views from the upper lanes over the valley make any meal here memorable, regardless of what is on the plate

Main attractions

• A village built entirely from ochre sandstone in seventeen shades of yellow, orange and deep red — Roussillon sits above the largest ochre deposits in the world; the Sentier des Ocres, a short marked trail through the ochre quarry landscape behind the village, gives the full geological spectacle
• The village streets, perched on the edge of the cliff, give panoramic views across the Luberon plateau and the Vaucluse mountains beyond

What to eat

• Lunch at one of the village restaurants on the central square — simple Provençal cooking; the Café de la Poste is a reliable and unpretentious option in a village that can otherwise be tourist-facing