It’s amazing what water does to mountains. When rivers flow through them, the water erodes the rocks to make great gorges, ravines and caves. One of the most wonderful examples of this in the Languedoc is the Cirque de Navacelles; a deep canyon at the southern end of the Massif Central mountain range. The River Vis carved out a meandering path through the valley and formed an oxbow lake at the bottom. When the water dried up it left a basin of fertile soil (the only patch of arable land for miles around) with a hill in the middle.
You can drive up to the top of the cirque to get a view of the valley below, but it’s not for the faint-hearted. The road is narrow with an endless series of hairpin bends and as the peaks above you slowly turn to sky, you might wonder what you’re doing up so high. But when you arrive at the viewpoint (there’s one at the south rim and one at the north), the panorama is spectacular. Breathe in the fresh air, take in the amazing scenery and contemplate whether you can face driving down to the bottom of the valley.
In the summer you might be tempted by the prospect of a swim in the cool waters of the River Vis. The water is extremely pure and foams around the rocks beneath a spectacular waterfall. You can swim here surrounded by the imposing steep walls of the canyon and if you fancy lunch, there’s a couple of restaurants in the hamlet of Navacelles nearby.
The Cirque de Navacelles is an hour and 20 minute drive from Montpellier. Take the A750 towards Millau and exit at Saint-André-de-Sangonis (exit 58). Follow the D4, then D9 through Montpeyroux and change to the D25 near La Vacquerie-et-Saint-Martin-de-Castries. Follow signs to the Cirque de Navacelles.NB: The route above is the one directed by Google Maps, but we actually went another way – through Ganges and Le Vigan. I’d be interested to know if anyone has taken the Google route and found it less hairy.