Day 1 - Your Provence walking holiday starts in Isle
Your walking holiday in Provence begins in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue: a veritable island of a village, surrounded by the crystal clear waters of the Sorgue river, its canals bordered by quaint cafés, restaurants, and antique shops. The town’s Sunday market is among the most colourful in Provence. Lose yourself among the labyrinth of narrow streets and in the town’s warm Provençal charm.
Meals included : none
Night : Isle sur la Sorgue
Market on Sunday (famous one) morning in Isle sur la Sorgue
A short transfer takes to Fontaine de Vaucluse and its mysterious spring : no one or machine has been able to gauge its depths. Following a 300 year-old wall built to ward off the plague – which entered Marseille in 1720 – you walk along paths carved into the bush and cedar forests to Gordes.
Gordes is perched high above the Calavon valley, its majestic stone homes rising dramatically in concentric circles to its castle, crowning the village. Atop a vast plateau, you cross through lavender and thyme-laden fields dotted with old stone huts, on your way to Sénanque Abbey - a jewel of 12th century Romanesque architecture - You will have time to explore the abbey before returning to Gordes via a cobbled path.
Short morning transfer to Goult, a timeless village of medieval homes and untouched by modern tourism. You walk among the ruins old stone farmhouses to the village of Lacoste, crowned by the imposing ruins of the castle of the Marquis de Sade. Your walk continues to Bonnieux, another gem of the Luberon, one of the centre-stage villages in Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence . Visit its beautiful town squares and the old cobbled steps leading to its 12th century church.
A pleasant and gradual climb through the forest leads to the ridge of the Petit Luberon mountain. At the top, the outstanding view extends from the Alps to the north to the Mediterranean Sea to the South. You continue through the shaded cedar forest before dropping down to the plains and a leisurly return to Bonnieux.
From Bonnieux you walk along plateaus laden with lavender fields and truffle oak plantations, crossing the gap between the two Luberon mounds. On top of a canyon rim, you’ll see the guest house "Les Seguins" far below - a restored 17th century goat farm - nestled by the river, unknown gem in an idyllic setting. A secret cobbled path zigzags its way to the canyon floor. If you stay in Bonnieux, transfer back to Bonnieux.
If you stay in Bonnieux, short morning transfer to Buoux, start of your walk. You walk along the base of the Aiguebrun canyon to the hidden hamlet of Sivergues. Its stone wall terraces the only remains of the cultivated fields, that once sprawled around the tightly-packed handful of homes. Continue through the vast lavender fields and truffle oak plantations to Saignon. You visit the small village of Saignon and continue onwards to Apt. 
