This full day Marseille shore trip spends the whole day in the heart of Provence, the Luberon valley, among its hilltop villages, rather than dividing the day with a stop in Avignon.
After meeting your driver guide in Marseille, you drive into the Luberon, a valley lined with rugged hills topped by villages such as Gordes, Lacoste, Menerbes, and Roussillon. There is no single must see site here, just small villages worth slowing down for. Think of Peter Mayle's book "A Year in Provence" and you have the idea: medieval villages perched on, or clinging to, rocky hills, built in these dizzying locations for defense during centuries of regional conflict.
The mistral, a strong wind that blows in from the Mediterranean, has shaped the local landscape and architecture, from windowless south facing walls to hollow bell towers built from wrought iron instead of stone. Lavender fields bloom in July, sunflowers in June, and wild red poppies in May, lining the paths between vineyards and olive groves. You will have free time for lunch in the valley (meal not included). It is not possible to visit every village in a single day, so your driver guide can help you prioritize based on your interests, and the best day to visit any of them is on the local market day, worth asking about.
Fontaine de Vaucluse sits just below the cliffs leading up to the Vaucluse plateau and takes its name from the source of the Sorgue River, which rises from a hole at the base of the cliffs and flows through the center of town past shops and cafes. It is one of the most powerful natural springs in the world, discharging as much as 60,000 gallons of water per second in winter and early spring, though the flow slows considerably by late summer.
Lacoste, featured in Peter Mayle's books, has a hilltop castle, views of the village of Bonnieux across the valley, and the ruined Chateau du Marquis de Sade.
Gordes is the most popular of the hilltop villages, clinging to the cliffs near the Vaucluse plateau, with steep cobbled streets lined with boutiques, galleries, and restaurants. At its center is the Chateau de Gordes, dating to the 11th century and rebuilt with a Renaissance interior in the 16th century. Nearby, the Abbaye de Senanque sits surrounded by lavender fields during the peak season in July, and the Village des Bories, a cluster of dry stone huts built beginning around 500 years ago and used until the mid 1800s, now serves as an open air museum of rural life in the region.
L'Isle sur la Sorgue takes its name from the river that flows through town, crossed by footbridges and lined with old waterwheels from its days as a fabric making center. Today it is known for its antiques trade and its Sunday market, one of the most popular antiques and Provencal goods markets in France.
Menerbes is a quiet village also featured in Peter Mayle's writing. Oppede le Vieux is less touristy, with recent building renovations helping it grow into an arts and culture enclave. Roussillon is built from the same ochre colored rock found in the surrounding hills, giving its houses their bright red, yellow, and orange tones along narrow, winding streets, with views over the valley to the mountains beyond; it is one of the most visited villages in the region. Buoux, worth a stop in July to see the lavender, and Bonnieux are two more villages worth considering.
Review Location- Marseille 
