Sentier des Ocres at Roussillon

The Sentier des Ocres is a short interpretive walk through former ochre quarries on the edge of Roussillon, a village in the Luberon area of the Vaucluse department, Provence, France. The entrance lies on the Route de Gordes just outside the village centre, and the site is reached by car from Avignon in about 55 minutes. Paid parking is available in the village, and the trail is a short walk from the car park. No regular public transport makes the journey practical for a day visit, so most visitors drive. A modest entrance fee is charged at the gate, and visitors should check the current price locally. Two loops are signed: a short circuit of about 1 km taking roughly 35 minutes, and a longer circuit of about 2 km taking up to an hour. Elevation change is under 50 m, so the walk is classed as easy and suits first-time hikers and families. The surface is a mixture of packed ochre sand, steps and wooden stairways, with some narrow sections between cliff faces and rails at viewpoints. Colours range from yellow and orange to deep red, set against dark green Aleppo pine, and the pigment stains clothes and shoes, so dark clothing and closed footwear are advised. Landmarks include the high ochre cliffs known as the Chaussée des Géants and the sheer-sided hollows left by quarrying, with information panels explaining how ochre was extracted and washed. Shade is limited in the open quarry areas but available under the pines. There are no refuge huts, and visitors should bring water, although the village below has cafés and shops. Walkers wanting a shorter visit can complete only the first loop, which already passes the main viewpoints. The site is normally closed in winter, so opening dates should be confirmed before travel. Visitors must stay on the marked paths to protect the fragile ochre faces.