How to visit the Colorado Provençal in Provence, France

Last Updated on 14th October 2024 by Charlotte Nadeau

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One of the more unique activities that’s fun for all of the family and is a rather unusual thing to do in Provence is the Colorado Provençal. As its name would suggest, the Colorado Provençal resembles Colorado in the USA. Here’s your guide to visiting the Colorado Provençal as well as travel tips and things to know before you go.

What is the Colorado Provençal?

The Colorado Provençal is an old open-air ochre quarry in the region of Provence. Since 1993, the site has been open to tourists and can only be seen on foot (no horses or bicycles are allowed within the quarry site).

It’s a common misconception that the geological site is so-called thanks to its resemblance of the red rock formations and desert like scenery which are found in the Western US state of Colorado.

Instead, the name derives from the word ‘Colorado’ in the local dialect, which means ‘coloured’ and refers to the colour of the stone.

The ochre was formed around 230 million years ago, at a time where the sea levels were higher and most of Provence was covered by a tropical sea. At this time, sediments which accumulated on the sea floor compressed to form limestone.

110 million years ago, green sand deposits covered the limestone which had previously formed. 10 million years after this, when the sea levels receded and revealed the leftover seabed deposits, tropical rain containing iron oxide caused the clay minerals to crystallise with the limestone, forming the ochre which is still visible today.

The ochre quarries of Provence

The quarry was opened in 1871 and was quarried right through until 1993, with the last piece of ochre taken out by Roger Arnaud. The very first miner was called Jean Allemand, though he was nicknamed ‘Jean de l’Ocre’ (John of the Ochre) for obvious reasons!

During the time of the quarry, miners in the Apt area extracted ochres of all shades to be exported across the world. The ochre had two primary uses; for dyeing food and oil painting, and for thickening rubber.

Ochre can either be mined in underground galleries or in open sky quarries, and the one at the Provencal Colorado is the latter. The Golden Age of ochre mining took place between 1876 and 1930 and the season for mining was between Autumn and Spring.

Today, the site is partially privately owned by the Mairie (town hall) of Rustrel, as well as over 150 individuals (some of whom are the descendants of ochre miners). 

Remnants of the area’s industrial past can be found throughout the Provençal Colorado in the form of abandoned machinery, pipes, old pumps, abandoned wagons of ochre, and various other mining equipment.

Ochre can be found across a strip of 25 km which stretches between Roussillon and Gignac and passes through Rustrel. Since 1930, the Colorado Provençal has been designated as a National Historic Monument. Another former quarry turned touristic trail can be found in Roussillon in the form of Le Sentier des Ocres.

Where is Colorado in Provence?

The closest town to the Colorado Provençal is that of Rustrel, a Provence settlement of around 700 residents which is best known for its association with ochre mining. The closest large town to the Provençal Colorado is that of Apt, which is around a fifteen minute drive away.

Apt is easily one of the largest settlements in the Northern part of Provence and boasts amenities such as supermarkets, restaurants, and plenty of places to stay. Apt is also home to a particularly great local market which takes place every Saturday morning from 8 AM to 1 PM.

Ochre Routes

There are two routes which wind their way through the former ochre quarries and so you can select the one you want to do depending on the time you have available and how much you wish to walk.

Alternatively, you can do what we chose to do on our trip to Provence and undertake the Sahara route and decide halfway through the walk whether or not you want to carry on with the longer route.

Le circuit du Sahara

The shorter of the two routes is that of the ‘Sahara’ and comprises of a. 2.1 km fairly easy stroll around some particularly beautiful old quarries. If you walk at a leisurely pace and don’t stop to take too many photos, then the round trip from the car park should take around 40 minutes.

Circuit des Belvédères

If you don’t loop back to the car park immediately after the Sahara route, then you can carry on with the Belvedere route, which is a little more difficult than the Sahara route but still remains pretty easy. This route is around 3.9 km and takes around 1 hour and 45 minutes if you don’t stop to take lots of pictures en route!

How to visit the Colorado Provençal

In order to truly enjoy the best of the Colorado Provençal, then you’ll need to set aside a good few hours to truly soak up the ambiance of the place, snap photos, and make your way around the prescribed pathways. A self-guided walk will take 1-2 hours, whereas a guided tour takes around an hour and thirty minutes.

The park is open from mid Feburary to the 31st of December and at various times throughout the year, depending on the season. You can find up to date opening times here.

In terms of entrance fees, there are two different tariffs. If you want to go on a self-guided visit of the rock formations, then you only have to pay to park your vehicle. This is €8 for cars, a bit more for motorhomes, and a bit less for motorbikes. Dogs are allowed on leads.

If you would prefer to go on a guided tour of the formations to delve deeper into the history, then there are guided tours available on a daily basis.

These are priced at €9 for adults and €4 for children (children under 6 go free). Included in the price of the guided tour ticket is the price of parking so you don’t have to pay to park your vehicle twice.

Things to know before visiting the Provençal Colorado

One of the key things to know before visiting the rock formation is that the ochre dust stains pretty much everything it touches. Don’t make the mistake that I did and wear new trainers (particularly if they’re white one like mine used to be)!

The ochre is all but impossible to remove and so dress appropriately. You’ll also want to make sure that your trainers/ walking shoes are comfortable as the track has some ups and downs.

Unfortunately, due to erosion and vandalism, it’s no longer possible to walk on the rock formations themselves and so it’s necessary to stick of the designated pathways.

You’re not allowed to picnic within the grounds of the quarries themselves but there are plenty of picnic tables available in the parking area.

You should also note that there is little by way of eateries in nearby Rustrel, and so I would recommend planning your visit outside of a meal time or bringing along a picnic to enjoy in the parking area if possible.

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