"Slowly in the morning and not too fast in the afternoon" is a saying in the south of France and a way of life on Spain's Costa Brava. When you and your family are never far from sublime scenery, a delicious meal and charming hotels, they're easy words to live by. So feel free to stop, sample and savor. And enjoy the magic of two sun-soaked lands. Slowly and not too fast.
Day 1 From Lacoste, walk through a land of honey, lavender and cherries | Take in spectacular scenery with views of Mont Ventoux | Looking at the gorgeous landscape, it doesn't take long to understand the region's deep connection to the art world | Relax at a stone villa in the hilltop village of Ménerbes.
Day 2 Explore hilltop Bonnieux with a local guide | Hike the wooded rolling hills and craggy cliffs of the Grand Luberon range | The ruins of medieval Fort de Buoux invite discovery | An extraordinary gastronomic experience awaits at Mas Tourteron.
Day 3 Wander through a landscape of limestone hills, olive orchards and vineyards | Cross a Roman-built bridge to Roussillon | Follow Grand Randonnée trails past oak forests and a truffle farm | A hearty climb to the perched village of Gordes reveals spectacular views | Join a private tasting of the best local vintages.
Day 4 Discover the charming artists' haven of St-Rémy-de-Provence | Feast your eyes on seasonal and local specialties at le marché | Travel to Spain's Costa Brava by private coach.
Days 5-6 Walk Spain's ancient Camí de Ronda, which connects the Costa Brava's hidden coves | Behold plunging cliffs and white-sand beaches | Ascend to a promontory offering glorious views of the sea | Admire exotic flora at the Cap Roig Botanical Garden.
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You are sure to feel connected to nature at this lovely hotel nestled in the valley of the Luberon mountain range. (pool)
This cheery hotel set in the heart of town has hosted artists such as van Gogh, Frédéric Mistral and Charles Gounod, who composed the opera Mireille during his stay. (pool)
Splendid views are yours to admire at this hotel, perched magnificently above the Mediterranean in the heart of Costa Brava.
There's no better way to find out about Backroads than by hearing it from the people who have traveled with us. For more about the Backroads Experience, read our Guest Testimonials.
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The earlier you book, the more choice you'll have and the lower your price. And you can always change your mind—you won't be charged to transfer to a different trip before your final payment is due.
Please click on a date below for specific pricing and possible itinerary variations.
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AVAILABLE TO BOOKi GOING FASTi CONTACT USi PRIVATE TRIP - RESERVEDi
Interested in a Private Trip? Check out the Make It Private tab for private dates available, or call us at 800-462-2848.
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next—and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.
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| Daily Route Options | ||||||||||
| Day | EASYGOING | ACTIVE | AVID | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | ||||||
| miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | |
| 1 | 4* | 200 | 6* | 300 | 8 | 500 | ||||
| 2 | 2* | 400 | 4* | 700 | 5* | 800 | 6* | 600 | ||
| 3 | 4* | 600 | 5* | 600 | 7* | 600 | 10 | 1100 | ||
| 4 | 2 | 200 | ||||||||
| Provençal Market Visit in St-Rémy | ||||||||||
| 5 | 4* | 500 | 6* | 1000 | 9* | 1100 | ||||
| 6 | 3 | 300 | ||||||||
Note:
* Includes shuttle.
Learn more about how we determine our activity levels and fully support a range of abilities and interests.
Please note that our distance and elevation figures come from Ride with GPS. Other sources (such as Map My Ride and Garmin devices) may give differing elevation figures due to different GPS and mapping technologies. Readings from a Garmin or a smart phone are influenced by other factors such as air pressure.
Our expert trip designers have figured out a way to get you from the magical hill towns of Provence to the sun-drenched beaches of Spain's Mediterranean coast in one perfect, smooth-flowing experience. Backroads is the only active travel company to connect these two dots, and as you explore olive groves and seaside paths, you'll be glad no one else is in on the secret.
On our Provence and Costa Brava trips we have an extra leader supporting you along the trail—for a total of three, compared to the industry standard two. So we can be in more places at once, giving personal attention to guests traveling at their own pace. Here's more on our Trip Leaders.
We design and support our Provence and Costa Brava trips to suit mixed abilities and varied interests—so you can set your own pace, then change things up as the day unfolds. And all guests are free to do the same, traveling together or apart, with no one cramping anyone else's style. Which sounds easy in theory, but it's hard to pull off. Here's more on how we do it.
Backroads is the only active travel company providing two support vans in Provence and Costa Brava—because we know it's essential to ensure a truly great travel experience. It doubles our ability to be there when you need us to offer hydration, lighten your load or give you a lift if it's time to take a break. Read more on why two vans make all the difference.
In Provence and Costa Brava you head off each morning after choosing among several expertly designed routes—all with detailed directions, mileage and shuttle options. Unlike trips with one fixed daily route (or worse, one guide that everyone's obliged to follow), you're free to enjoy the best of the region at your pace, stopping wherever you want to explore further.
In addition to the ideal balance of comfort and hospitality in our choice of lodgings, this trip featuring Casual Hotels includes nearly all of your meals, plus everything from cocktail receptions to the best snacks along the road. So there's rarely a need to reach for your wallet – we've got you covered.
Under our Book with Confidence policy, your Backroads trip will run even for a single family of three or four people, subject to a nominal extra fee. Or transfer to another trip, and we'll give you a credit. It's all part of our trademark commitment to treating guests with integrity, transparency and total accountability. Read all the details.
Since 1979, Backroads Founder and President Tom Hale has shown that staying #1 means constantly evaluating our performance using the best possible source of information: our guests. As we systematically analyze your feedback on our trip consultants, leaders, hotels, meals and on-trip activities, we never stop working to make a great company even better.
For nearly four decades we've worked to earn and maintain our right to call Backroads the world's #1 active travel company. In pursuing that vision on behalf of our guests, we believe we've set the standard for our industry—captured in the Backroads Quality Guide, which clearly sets out the benchmarks of excellence, choice and support that we live by
If we told you many companies' leaders can't actually speak the language where they lead trips, you'd say incroyable... ridicolo... không the tha thú. At Backroads, fluency in the local language is a given. Find out more on the best leader recruitment, training and development in the business. (And by the way, that was "unforgivable" in Vietnamese.)
Our Trip Leaders in Provence and Costa Brava live in the area and are deeply engaged in their communities, giving them unique inside knowledge they're happy to share in making your experience that much richer. They'll introduce you to people, customs and parts of town you'd likely never encounter on your own—and teach you a few local phrases to help break the ice.
In choosing the ideal experts to enrich your travel experience, we look for people with a wealth of local knowledge, but also the ability to convey their insights in English. Too often travelers find themselves smiling politely, not quite understanding what they're being told. Our experts share intriguing facts, anecdotes and inside stories that stay with you forever.
Our Trip Leaders combine deep local expertise with a firm grasp of North American expectations around quality of service. By the same token, we pair experienced Backroads leaders with local guides who know how to cater to your needs while cracking open the culture or natural history in ways that are meaningful, memorable and often magical.
Backroads has the best-qualified people to lead your trip in Provence and Costa Brava, and our guests back that up, rating our Trip Leaders an average of 9.75 out of 10 for all-around quality of performance. Get the facts (and no fluff) on how we recruit and develop the very best people for your trip.
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Gather your favorite people to share a Backroads adventure on a ready-to-book Private Trip - featuring all the legendary Backroads hallmarks from expert leaders to unforgettable activities. You can pick from a large selection of dates for your group of 8 or more. Call us for date availability. If your party has fewer than 8 guests, or if your preferred date is not available, we'll create a departure just for you.
Click on a date below for specific pricing and possible itinerary variations.
8 AVAILABLE TO BOOK FOR 8 OR MORE GUESTS 16 AVAILABLE TO BOOK FOR 16 OR MORE GUESTS RESERVED
Don't see your ideal travel date? Make a Date! i
Invite your family and friends on an adventure that's entirely your own - for your group of 8 or more. Find out more
I simply can't imagine a better way to immerse yourself in the life of a region, to explore hidden corners and appreciate nuances while enjoying the benefits and enormous satisfaction of traveling under your own power. These are experiences you cannot have behind the wheel of a car, or on a train or a tour bus. Active travel is, at its heart, a way of connecting more authentically with the world. Sure, Backroads provides amazing leaders, superb accommodations and meals, and opportunities you could never arrange on your own. But all of our comprehensive planning and support is aimed at something far simpler: bringing you the immediate, highly personal satisfaction of discovering a new world on your own terms.
— Tom Hale, Founder & President
