Provence Travel Podcast: Lavender Season in Provence
Provence in lavender season is one of our favorite trips in France, and in this Provence travel podcast we talk about the trip that made us fall completely in love with the region. We stayed near the lavender fields, explored Lake Sainte-Croix and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie and learned pretty quickly that visiting Provence during lavender season is not quite as straightforward as the photos make it look.
Our Provence Lavender Trip
We stayed in a tiny village called Montagnac-Montpezat, so small it had maybe two restaurants, no grocery store, and a local bar where we were very obviously the foreigners. It looked like a movie set, the kind of place where you half expect someone to start singing like they’re in Beauty and the Beast. Our Airbnb hosts, however, were not thrilled with us; it turned into our one and only bad Airbnb review, over a very French miscommunication about what “leave it like you found it” actually meant (they wanted the beds remade and laundry done, not just stripped and left by the machine).
One of the things we loved about lavender season was finding small roadside fields and farm stands where visitors were welcome to stop. Between the fields you’ll find little stands and trucks selling honey, lavender cookies, soap, lotions, and candles, run by the actual farmers. We came home with several pounds of lavender honey candies and a stack of hand-painted soap dishes as gifts.
Lake Sainte-Croix and the Gorge du Verdon
Before diving into the lavender fields, we spent time at Lake Sainte-Croix, which feeds into the Gorge du Verdon, an almost impossibly aquamarine gorge you can view from high above or explore by rental boat. The lake itself has a long walkable shoreline, beach cafes, several small beaches, and even a campground for budget travelers. We took Rex swimming there (dog rules seemed to depend on who you asked, so use your judgment).
Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
Our favorite stop was Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, a village built into the cliffside with a waterfall splitting the town in two. It’s tiny but full of cute little French cafes, and it’s famous for ceramics: we found a shop selling antique-style hand-painted apothecary jars labeled with things like opium and cocaine, straight out of an old pharmacy. They weren’t cheap, but they’re a genuinely special, only-available-there souvenir.
When to Visit Provence for Lavender Season
We visited Provence in June, when many of the lavender fields were already in bloom but the busiest summer crowds had not fully arrived. Bloom times vary by elevation and weather, so exact timing changes from year to year. If lavender is the main reason for your trip, it’s worth checking current bloom reports before you go.
More Provence Travel Planning
Explore more of our guides to help you plan your trip.
Provence in Lavender Season → our full written guide with photos and trip details
France Travel Guide → start here for planning a French getaway
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