Advice section
Don't forget: fully inflated tyres, helmets, first aid kit, bike repair kit, water bottles and a few millilitres of sun cream on sunny days.
PRESENTATION OF THE CYCLE ROUTE
La Calavon cycle route is a cycle route in the French department of Vaucluse. It is 45 km long and uses the former railway line between Cavaillon and Volx. It takes its name from the Calavon river, also known as the Coulon. It has been developed in successive sections since 2005 by the Vaucluse Departmental Council, in partnership with the Luberon Regional Nature Park.
Technical specifications :
- Length and route : 45 km from Robion to Castellet (D 48), Calavon valley, largely on the former railway line (Cavaillon - Apt - Volx), easy profile.
- Surfacing and accessibility : Gravel plaster Mostly suitable for city pushchairs; ; non-greenway sections approx. 2 km from Le Chêne, ~500 m from Beaumettes and Coustellet, ~500 m from Apt (avenue des Genêts).
- Points of interest Pont Julien, several viaducts and views of the slopes of the Luberon and hilltop villages, towns crossed : Cavaillon, Apt, Coustellet, Cabrières-d'Avignon, Maubec, Robion.
- Activities and services : running, marche, VTC, MOUNTAIN BIKE, numerous restaurants and tourist attractions, local network of bicycle services with Accueil Vélo charter (repairs, accommodation).
- Duration and conditions : about 3 hours continuously (to be adjusted according to stops); max altitude ≈ 299 m, accessible all seasons.
- Resources and planning leaflet available to help you organise your stay, downloads (maps and files) and Euro Vélo 8 reference for wider planning.
- European network is part of’Euro Vélo 8 (The Mediterranean by bike), a local stage of the major route linking Spain to Cyprus.
STAGE LOCATIONS OR TOWNS
COUSTELLET
Restaurants, bars and food shops have sprung up, making Coustellet a great place to stop. On Sunday mornings, 80 producers share the tastes and colours of the Vaucluse. Fruit, vegetables, cheese and local produce.
ROUSSILLON
Roussillon, its village and its Ochre Trail. It's a real Western setting, with its incredible fairy chimneys and totem poles carved out of rock created by the erosion of different materials. And don't forget the Okhra eco-museum, with its fun and educational activities. Of course, you'll have to travel about 8 km from the cycle route. An unusual landscape that's well worth the diversions.
GOULT-LUMIÈRES STATION
Goult-Lumières station tells the story of the railway heritage that can be discovered along the way. After all, this greenway was built on the former Cavaillon-Apt-Volx line. From the end of the 19th century, it contributed to the development of the economy of the Pays d'Apt by enabling ochre and market garden produce to be transported. There are six other stations along the 45-kilometre route: Robion, Coustellet, Les Beaumettes, Bonnieux, Apt and Saignon-Caseneuve.
Practical info : the station is on the cycle route.
THE DOLMEN AT GOULT
Less than a kilometre after Goult-Lumières station, signs tell the fabulous story of the Ubac dolmen. Unearthed in 1994 during a violent flood of the Calavon, this prehistoric vestige dating from the Neolithic period has been patiently reconstructed stone by stone just 500 metres from where it was discovered. This is how the dolmen, a necropolis 14 metres in diameter, came to be on the cycle route.
Practical info : The route passes close to the Dolmen
LE PONT JULIEN
This 80-metre Roman structure dates back to 3 BC and is the must-see spot on the cycle route, the Holy Grail between Bonnieux and Apt, which in itself would motivate many a ride along this route. A picnic on the banks with a view of the Pont Julien overlooking the Calavon is a real treat. And as you head back towards Apt, a belvedere has even been built to include the bridge in the panorama of the valley, from which you can see the ochre of Roussillon in the distance.
APT
Arriving in Apt on the green route is like seeing the historic capital of the Luberon in a whole new light. The cycle route, which runs right through the town, offers an unparalleled view of the roofs of the old town centre and the statue and dome of Sainte-Anne Cathedral, topped with a golden Virgin Mary. What a surprise! There are several exits signposted in Bordeaux (Viaduc, La Cucuronne, Faubourg du Ballet, etc.) to help you get around and reach the various districts of the town. Not to be missed are the candied fruit factories and the earthenware workshops, two Aptés specialities. Not forgetting, on Saturday mornings, a trip to one of the finest markets in the Vaucluse.
