The tourist area

The Tanargue range

This is a favourite destination for walkers, horse riders and mountain bikers. You can start on foot from :

La Marette
Les Marches du Tanargue

The "Tour du Tanargue" is a horse ride which is highly rated by the experts.
Elsewhere there is a detailed map of "400 walks and horse rides in the Southern Ardèche" (400 randonnées pédestres et équestres en Ardèche méridionale) where the Tanargue is widely represented.

Les Gorges de la Beaume

The entrance to the gorge is 5 kms west of La Marette at a place called Pied de Boeuf.
The road, carved in the mountainside, borders the river Beaume up to Joyeuse at some 20 kms away and offers an impressive view.
The quality of the water in the Beaume is much prized and bathers don't hesitate to come from afar to refresh themselves here.

The "Corniche" of the "Vivarais cévenol"

The mountains of the Vivarais cévenol extend from the Tanargue range in the north to the Cévennes in the south.
If a visitor to this region takes the route along the corniche they will have a splendid view of the countryside of the Beaume and Drobie valleys and the hills of the Basse Ardèche.

The col of Meyrand

Situated at an altitude of 1.371 metres (3,770 ft), the col of Meyrand is the gateway to the Southern Ardèche for travellers coming from the North west via the plateau of the Haute-Loire.
The views from the "corniche" (high mountain road) below the col and the immense panorama of the Cévennes and Mont Ventoux are remarkable. The col is 25 kilometres from La Marette.

The ravines of the Ardèche

Less than 15 kilometres from La Marette you can explore the ravines of the Ardèche. Between Aubenas and Ruoms the Ardèche makes a series of meanders through ravines.
The most famous beauty spots are those of Balazuc and Ruoms. You can canoe on the river as far as Vallon Pont d'Arc or you can canoe into the Ardèche gorge. (See the page on Leisure activities.)

The Ardèche gorge

The start of the gorge is really after Vallon Pont d'Arc which is 35 kms from la Marette.

A canoe trip is an original and active way to find out about the Ardèche gorge. (See the page on Leisure activities.).
The walk along the panoramic path offers a wonderful view from a succession of viewpoints known as "belvederes".

Some beautiful sites in the surroundings

Balazuc	Le mont Gerbier de Jonc	Vogüe
The road of the "défilés de Ruoms"	Le pont d'Arc	Le pont du diable à Thueyts