Gorges de Daluis (the Nice Colorado)

The vibe

Nicknamed the "Nice Colorado," the Gorges de Daluis wind between Guillaumes and Daluis in the upper Var valley, about 1h30 from Nice. Their red pelite cliffs, nearly 300 metres high, offer a spectacular mineral landscape, protected since 2012 as the first regional nature reserve in the Alpes-Maritimes.

What to know before you go

Two ways to discover the site: by car, on the scenic D2202 road that follows the gorge along its western flank through 17 tunnels, with several viewpoints and car parks (the Pont de Berthéou car park is the largest and the classic starting point; the shaded Roua rest area has picnic tables; another car park sits opposite the Amen waterfall); or on foot, via the water hike (about 5 km, 200m of elevation change but around 4h due to the wading sections) that starts from the hamlet of Amen, with about twenty fords across the Var riverbed, sometimes waist-deep, and the chance to swim in the pool at the foot of the Amen waterfall. Inside the nature reserve (officially classified by resolution of 29/10/2012), dogs must be kept on a leash at all times — except for herding dogs, rescue/police dogs, and in-season hunting dogs. Waste must be carried out, and wild camping is no longer allowed in the department since the prefectural order of 20 June 2023 (only the Roua rest area remains available for that).

Nearby

The village of Guillaumes and its castle ruins, as well as the Gorges du Cians a little further east, naturally extend the "Nice Colorado" route.