The Gorges de l'Ardèche begin at the Pont d'Arc, an extraordinary and very beautiful arch that the river has cut for itself through the limestone, just downstream from VALLON, itself 39km south of Aubenas. They continue for about 35km to ST-MARTIN-D'ARDÈCHE in the valley of the Rhône.The fantastic gorges wind back and forth, much of the time dropping 300m straight down in the almost dead-flat scrubby Plateau des Gras. Unfortunately they are also an appalling tourist trap; the road which follows the rim, with spectacular viewpoints marked out at regular intervals, is jammed with traffic in summer. The river, down in the bottom, which is where you really want to be to appreciate the grandeur of the canyon, is likewise packed with canoes in high season. It is walkable, depending on the water level, but you would need to bivouac midway at either Gaud or Gournier. Generally speaking, if you can't go out of season, you're better off giving it a miss. The plateau itself is riddled with caves. Aven Marzal, a stalactite cavern north of the gorge (daily 11am–5.30pm; €7, joint ticket with zoo €12), has a prehistoric zoo, which consists of reconstructions of dinosaurs and friends (Feb, Mar, Oct & Nov Sun & school hols 10.30am–6pm; April–Sept daily 10.30am–6.30/7.30pm; €7, joint ticket €12), but the frequency of visits to the cave depends on the number of visitors waiting – they are approximately every twenty minutes in July and August, falling to four per day in other months. Best of the area's caves is the Aven Orgnac, to the south of the gorge (April–June & Sept daily 10am–6pm; July & Aug 10am–7pm; Oct–Mar Sun & hols 10am–noon & 2–6pm; €5.18), one of France's most spectacular and colourful stalactite formations. There's also a very good prehistory museum (daily: March–June & Sept to mid-Nov 10am–noon & 2–6pm; July & Aug 10am–6pm; €5, joint ticket €9). Further upstream near Vallon-Pont-d'arc, a complex series of cave paintings was discovered in December 1994, after being left untouched for 30,000 years, making the Chauvet-Pont d'Arc cave the oldest-known decorated cave in the world. The cave system is currently being investigated by archeologists and causing a major rethink about the history of art. The paintings depict woolly rhinos, bison, lions and bears, and display a remarkable mastery of perspective. It's unlikely that Chauvet-Pont d'Arc will ever be open to the public. However, there is a small but rewarding exhibition on the cave complex at Vallon, behind the mairie. The highlight is a video taken inside the caves, showing many of the paintings close up (Tues–Sun 2–5.30pm; €4). Accommodation in the area can be a problem during the high season. A good option is the Hôtel du Tourisme, on rue du Miarou in Vallon (tel 04.75.88.02.12, fax 04.75.88.12.90; closed Dec–Mar; €40–55), but by far the best is Le Manoir du Raveyron, rue Henri-Barbusse (tel 04.75.88.03.59, fax 04.75.37.11.12; €40–55; closed Dec–Feb), with a good restaurant from €15.24. The river is lined with campsites, the cheapest being the municipal one (tel 04.75.88.04.73; closed Oct–March). There's a gîte d'étape on place de la Mairie (tel 04.75.88.07.87), and a tourist office on the south side of town (June to mid-Sept daily 9am–1pm & 3–7pm, Sun 10am–noon; mid-Sept to May Mon–Fri 9am–noon & 2–6pm, Sat 9am–noon; tel 04.75.88.04.01, www.vallon-pont-darc.com). Eight kilometres upstream is a well-priced municipal campsite at RUOMS (tel 04.75.93.99.16; closed Oct to mid-May).
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