The Gardon river runs through a limestone gorge between Uzès and the Pont du Gard. In summer, the water turns emerald and the banks become the best address in the region. All spots are within twenty minutes of La Valette Boutique.
The broad riverbed directly below the Roman bridge is the most famous spot and the easiest to reach. The left bank has a gradual pebble entry, shallow enough for children. The deeper channel in the middle is where adults swim. In the early morning before the site opens fully, you may have the river largely to yourself. The bridge above catches the first light. Fifteen minutes from La Valette Boutique.
Collias is the kayakers' starting point, twenty minutes from La Valette Boutique. Below the village, the river enters the gorge proper: limestone cliffs, overhanging trees, pools of water so clear you can see every stone on the bottom. The paddle downstream to the Pont du Gard takes roughly two hours and passes spots unreachable by road. Some of the best swimming is where nobody else stops.
The stretches of the Gardon east of Remoulins are calmer, less visited, and lined with plane trees that throw shade across the water by mid-afternoon. Access points are informal: a path off the road, a gap in the trees. Locals know these spots by heart. Ask at La Valette Boutique and we will point you to the right ones for the season and the water level.
The Gardon is a Mediterranean river. In high summer the water is warm and low. After autumn rains it can rise dramatically within hours. Never swim after heavy rainfall. The best swimming months are June through September. Bring water shoes for the pebble riverbed and sun protection for the gorge, where the limestone reflects heat.
Two restored apartments near Uzès, in the Gard, South of France. The Gardon river is fifteen minutes by car. The Pont du Gard swimming spot is the closest.
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