The Eurovelo8 in western Provence has many attractive sections. But if you follow the official route eastwards, just east of Saint Remy de Provence you are directed to Manosque in the north. Here you are advised to take the train. So what if we want to get further east without taking the train? There is an alternative – La Durance à Vélo.
LA DURANCE À VÉLO – AN EV8 ALTERNATIVE?
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La Durance à Vélo
We’ve noticed for a while that official EV8 websites recommend that cyclists use the train service between Manosque and Meyrargues. This seems a shame, not least because there are so few trains. However, there is an alternative.
A project known as La Durance à Vélo aims to create a cycle route along the length of the river Durance. Though it only exists in patches, and is so far little documented, the possibility exists to join up some of these cycleways so as to create an alternative route that avoids the need for the train between Manosque and Meyrargues.
Here we give it a go, cycling the 60 kilometres between the EV8 west of Cavaillon, and Meyrargues, where we can rejoin the official EV8 route. We searched out quiet lanes, tracks used by local cyclists, and quiet village streets to connect 4 existing cycle paths that follow this beautiful river.
There are 4 principal stretches of cycleway along the river Durance that concern us. The first is right at the start of our journey. If you follow the EV8 for around 3 kilometres east of the village of Mollègès,you come to a cycleway crossing. The EV8 continues north east to Cavaillon, but we turn right on the La Durance à Vélo to Plan d’Orgon. After 2.5 kms it runs out.
We then used quiet lanes, principally Chemin de l’Aiguille north of Orgon, and Chemin des Parties south of Orgon, to connect to the next stretch of cycleway. This lies 11 kilometres farther south east. For 4 kilometres, this cycleway winds its way around two lakes, and along the shores of the river Durance. There is then a signed lane, Chemin de Sénas, all the way to the village of Mallemort. In total, this section is 8 kilometres long.
After leaving the village of Mallemort, we come to the 18 kilometre long completed section of La Durance à Vélo. This runs to just beyond the village of la Roque D’Anthéron. Beyond this, there is a further 2 kilometres of signed cycle path that runs out along the Canal EDF. Here, local cyclists use 4 kilometres of stony towpath to reach the next quiet track.
Finally, there is a little-known cycleway south of Pertuis, along the south bank of the Durance. This runs for another 8 kilometres, after which we arrive at the busy D556.
Cycling 300 metres south to the next roundabout, we can turn left on to the D15, which has a fairly generous cycle lane on either side of the roadway. 2 kilometres farther on is the quiet lane Chemin de la Petite Bastide, which eventually leads us to Meyrargues station and the EV8. Out of a total of 60 kilometres, we rode over 38 kilometres on dedicated cycleways. Most of the rest was on quiet lanes or tracks. We only had to use around 4 kilometres of road.
Improvements Needed
How could this route be improved? Well, the first section at Plan d’Orgon could be extended south. The line of the old railway runs for another 700 metres or so. This would avoid using the main road to chemin de l’Aiguille. Then, the short stretch of main road (D24B) we used to enter Orgon is wide enough to accommodate cycle lanes or paths on either side. Similarly, the 300 metres of D556 south of Pertuis could offer a more generous cycle lane, similar to that on the D15. But most important of all, a proper cycleway needs to be built along the Canal EDF to connect the existing La Durance à Vélo, between Mallemort and La Roque d’Anthéron, with the cycleway south of Pertuis. This would result in an uninterrupted cycleway of over 30 kilometres.
In the end, the choice is yours. You can follow the official EV8 route north to Manosque, then take the train. The big attraction on this route is the Luberon Regional Park, where there is a series of dedicated cycleways. Or you can choose La Durance à Vélo. Much shorter, with equally attractive segments along the river. And no need to take a train.