6 places to go canoeing in the Gard

Where can you go canoeing in the Gard, between Provence, the Cévennes and Languedoc? Here’s our selection of places to paddle on the waters of the Gard!

Taking its name from the eponymous river – otherwise known as the Gardon – the Gard is populated by 738,189 inhabitants between the Provencal and Rhone plains to the east, the Grau-du-Roi to the south and the Cévennes National Park to the north and west. Part of the Occitanie region and bordering six départements (Bouches-du-Rhône, Ardèche, Vaucluse, Hérault, Lozère and Aveyron), the Gard is one of the most visited departments in the south of France. Among its many attractions, nature – the Cévennes being the department’s green lung – and its rivers flowing at the foot of historic remains and sites – the Pont du Gard, for example – make for great outdoor water sports: kayaking in the Gard and falling in love with a magnificent region bursting with sunshine all year round.

In the four corners of the Gard, rivers flow from the Cévennes to the sea and the Rhône, including the Gardons, the Cèze, the Rhône and many others. Here’s our selection of sites where you can rent a canoe or kayak, solo or in a group, in the Gard.

Kayak Vert

Canoë-kayak Gard

Kayak Vert offers seven 7- to 30-kilometer canoeing trips along the Gardon, starting from Russan or Pont Saint-Nicolas in Collias, down the Gardon gorges, passing under the Pont du Gard and La Baume.

Canoe Collias

Les gorges du Gardon

Photo credit: Wikimedia- Ravenclaw

How can you visit the Gard without kayaking in the Gardon gorges? It would be like visiting Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower! With Canoë Collias, in the commune of Vers-Pont-du-Gard – on the road to Uzès – a family-run business offers kayaking on the Gardon, exploring incredible flora and fauna and superb historic monuments (mills, medieval buildings), including great fishing spots for perch, pike, gudgeon and more.

Natu’rando

Natu’rando offers a « passport to adventure » for discovering the garrigues of the Gard and majestic monuments such as the Pont-du-Gard while navigating the Gardon river. Canoeing and kayaking in the Gard allows you to explore a luminous natural environment and combine sporting activities with relaxation. Departures are from Vers-Pont-du-Gard, Pont Saint-Nicolas in Collias or Russan, all the way to Remoulins. Want to go canoeing in the Gard by night? It’s possible, with the « night canoeing » package. You might even come across beavers, turtles and birds while admiring the night lights of the Pont du Gard.

Canoe Le Tourbillon

Canoeing in the Gard or kayaking along the Gardon is an ideal outing for friends, couples or families, and a great way to discover an exceptional natural environment where the sun shines all year round: the Gardon massif and its gorges are a unique natural area, with a nature reserve and numerous protected species. Be careful when you go kayaking. In summer, the tourist influx is in full swing, and temperatures often exceed 30-35°C. In autumn, the Gardon can be unpredictable, violent and turbulent during the famous « Cevennes episodes », when the rivers become enraged and turn into terrible torrents sweeping away everything in their path. Locals call these « gardonnades », characterized by impressive flash floods and rapid ebbs: spring (May/June) is the best time to kayak in the Gard.

At Canoë Le Tourbillon, tours depart from Collias between 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. and go as far as Pont Saint-Nicolas (Sainte-Anastasie) or Pont-du-Gard (8 to 19 kilometers). Allow half a day.

Cèze Canoës

Cèze Canoës

Photo credit: Cèze Canoës

Open from April to October, Cèze Canoës offers 1 or 2-day trips of 5 to 19km in the gorges and valley of the Cèze, with wilderness bivouacs or camping. With boats from 1 to 4 seats (canoe-kayak, stand-up paddle, canadia), the Cèze, accessible to all, offers wild, peaceful and fun rides to discover river navigation. When you go canoeing on the Cèze, don’t miss the magnificent Cascades du Sautadet at La Roque-sur-Cèze.

Cap Canoë

Would you like to go kayaking in the Cèze gorges and the Cévennes, or explore them as a family in a canoe? With Cap Canoë, east of Saint-Ambroix – not far from the Ardèche – you can paddle down the gorges de la Cèze on several itineraries ranging from 4 to 29 kilometers, departing from Saint-Victor-de-Malcap and Tharaux.