Quick answer
The Cirque de Navacelles is about 96 km and 1h48 by car from Uzès (a route planner), so this is a long day: close to four hours on the road. The reward is a Grand Site de France where the river Vis loops far below the plateau; the viewpoints are the visit, with an optional walk down to the hamlet.
Good for: a scenic day for people who like big landscapes, with a short walk if you want one.
Not for: a short outing, or a day when low cloud hides the view.
The Cirque de Navacelles is a meander of the river Vis, cut deep into the limestone causse. It is classified as a Grand Site de France (since 2017, renewed in 2024) and belongs to the UNESCO Causses and Cévennes landscape. The Gard side has three viewpoints near the village of Blandas; the Hérault side has the Baume Auriol viewpoint. If you want a lighter day in the same direction, see Anduze; for another long day westwards, see Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert.
| What | What to know | Check before you go |
|---|---|---|
| Drive from Uzès | About 96 km and 1h48 by car, by a route planner: close to four hours of driving for the day. La Valette is five minutes from Uzès. | A live map on the day; the last stretch is on small mountain roads. |
| Blandas viewpoints (Gard) | Three viewpoints (la Doline, les Chênes, la Cascade) about three minutes from the village of Blandas. The Gard side is listed as accessible to people with reduced mobility; the visit takes about an hour. | Access for your needs: ask the tourist office. |
| Parking | The car park at the Blandas viewpoints is free, has 25 spaces, is open all year and has a height limit of 3.3 m. It is a protected site: no overnight stay. In summer, arrive before 10:00. | Current rules at the site. |
| Baume Auriol and the Maison du Grand Site (Hérault) | The most dizzying viewpoint, on the other rim. The Maison du Grand Site holds a tourist office, an exhibition on the landscapes of the Vis and a restaurant with a terrace over the drop. | Opening days and hours: one traveller found it open only on a few days in summer. |
| The hamlet and the walk down | The hamlet of Navacelles lies far below the Baume Auriol viewpoint. A postman's path leads down in about an hour with 320 m of height difference, and you climb back the same way. | Your fitness, the heat and the path conditions before you set off. |
| Summer shuttles | Free summer shuttles are listed from the Blandas viewpoints to the bottom of the cirque and the Foux mills. | The 2026 dates and times: we did not find them. |
From the rim
Three viewpoints on the Gard side
Park at the Blandas car park, walk to the three viewpoints and look down on the loop of the Vis. Go early in summer: the car park is small, and the best light is morning or late afternoon.
Tourist information: tourismegard.com
Down below
The postman's path, if you want a walk
From the Baume Auriol side, the path down to the hamlet takes about an hour and drops 320 m, so allow the same effort for the climb back. In summer the free shuttle from Blandas, if it runs on your day, saves the walk.
Plan the day
Leave early, pick one side
With about 1h48 each way, leave early, see the Gard-side viewpoints first, and decide on the Hérault side and the walk once you are there. Pick a clear day: low cloud hides the view. If the drive is too long for your group, the Gorges du Gardon or Anduze give a similar kind of day much nearer.
Frequently asked
A day at the Cirque de Navacelles
About 96 km and 1h48 by car, by a route planner. Plan close to four hours of driving for the day.
If you like big landscapes, yes: it is a Grand Site de France and part of the UNESCO Causses and Cévennes. If you want a shorter day, the Gorges du Gardon or Anduze are much nearer. Choose a clear day, as low cloud hides the view.
At the Blandas viewpoints there is a free car park of 25 spaces, open all year, with a height limit of 3.3 m and no overnight stay. In summer arrive before 10:00, as it is small.
Yes: a postman's path leads down in about an hour with 320 m of height difference, and you climb back up. Free summer shuttles from Blandas are listed, but we found no 2026 dates, so check at the tourist office.
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