We (Brinysaurus and TonTon) recently traveled to Provence, France. Our main goal was to see lavender fields in full bloom. We did a lot of research in advance to find out where exactly are the most beautiful lavender fields. While there was a ton of information about this on different travel blogs and websites, our experience while actually in Provence was that a lot of the locations provided by these blogs are inaccurate, outdated, too crowded, or not specific enough to be useful. If your dream is to see lavender fields in Provence, welcome to our blog :). In this post we will provide the exact coordinates, descriptions, visiting tips, and photos of the most beautiful lavender fields that we found during our week long stay.
The three lavender regions of Provence
Provence is a vast region of France famous for lavender production. The most beautiful lavender fields can be found in roughly three communes: Valensole, Luberon, and Sault. The following is a brief description of the three areas and how they are different.
Valensole is a plateau covering an area of about 800 square kilometers. It sits at an average height of 500 to 600 meters and is well known for its vast fields of lavender. Valensole features gentle rolling hills (much less hilly than Tuscany, as a comparison) and generally flat land. From Valensole you may see the limestone mountains of the Pre-Alps to the northeast, the Devoluy Massif to northwest, and Mount Ventoux to the west. The mountain ranges provide dramatic backdrop to the lavender fields.
Luberon is a valley, with many picturesque villages. The lavender fields in Luberon tend to be on the smaller scale and surrounded by trees and hedges. While pretty, they generally don’t have the same dramatic backdrop as the fields in Valensole. For a traveler, the focus of Luberon is mainly on quaint villages that are very much typical of Provence.
Sault is also a plateau, but with higher elevation and more hills than Valensole. As a result, lavender in Sault blooms later than in Valensole, by about one to two weeks. The fields in Sault tend to be about mid-sized compared to those in Valensole (the most sprawling) and in Luberon (the smallest).
Coordinates of the most beautiful lavender fields in Valensole
In Valensole, the most beautiful lavender fields can be found along departmental roads D6, D8, D15, and D56.
You can click on the field names below to find direction to them in Google Maps.
The fields at Lavandes Angelvin (D6)
This is an iconic lavender field, perhaps the most photographed lavender field in all of Provence. Neat rows of lavender running down a slope and up the hill, terminating where two trees stand against the blue silhouettes of Mount Ventoux mountain range.
This field appears in countless promotional travel publications, yet usually not named. The field belongs to the Lavandes Angelvin, which farms and produces lavender products. Their facility and store are right next to the field.
The field is not fenced, as typical of all lavender fields in Provence. So you can come and take pictures at any time. Please remember though that this is private property, and you’re allowed to enter thanks to the generosity of the lavender farmers. Respect the lavender plants, avoid trampling and walking over the lavender rows, because doing so will damage the plants.
Because this field is very popular, to avoid the crowd, the best time to visit is in the early morning and late afternoon. These times, the sunlight is also much softer, allowing the blue-purple hues of lavender to really pop. So you will get better looking pictures as well as a more peaceful visit experience.
There is ample free parking provided by the farm, opposite of the field. Click here for the parking location.
The fields at Terraroma Lavande Amandes (D6)
A mere 2 minute drive from Lavandes Angelvin, this field is also an iconic sight. What sets it apart from most lavender fields is the juxtaposition of lavender and sunflower. The butter yellow sunflower stands in stark contrast to the intense blue-purple of lavender. The entire field also on a curved slope, making for dramatic compositions.
Like Lavandes Angelvin, Terraroma is very popular with tour buses and day trippers. Therefore, it’s best to visit early in the morning or late in the afternoon, in order to enjoy a peaceful atmosphere and also to avoid the harsh light of the mid-day sun.
Parking is across the road, at the Terraroma Lavande Amandes farm and store premise. Click here to find Google Maps direction to the parking lot.
Lavender field with stone houses (D15)
This is a classic photo spot, with a small stone house set in the middle of a vast lavender field. Like the field at Lavande Angelvin, this spot appears in many travel blogs and promotional publications, but very rarely named and I have not seen one accurately located.
There are many view points of this field, but only one will give you the most beautiful view like what you see in those blog photos. Click here for Google Maps location. It is unpaved road, but it is flat, quite wide and fits a small camper van. You can drive here, set out your picnic mat, and have a glass of wine while admiring the view.
Don’t go to the view point on the other side of the field – it is quite a bit more crowded, and in my opinion, the view looking from here lacks the “drama” of a good mountain backdrop.
Lavender field with a gorgeous slope (D8)
Click here for Google Maps location.
This is a very large lavender field with a beautiful slope, where the lavender rows run perpendicular instead of parallel to you. So you get a very beautiful perspective of seemingly converging lines. Because of how large the field is and the way the slope curves up and down, the rows appear to be endless.
There is no designated parking around here. You can park on the road side, but please be careful as RD 8 is a main road and cars go quite fast here. While visiting in peak lavender bloom season, also be mindful of the harvest trucks and avoid impeding their entry/operation in the field.
We came here on our first day in Valensole, before sunrise. A harvesting operation was taking place, and the air smelled so sweet and intense of lavender fragrance. Just before the sun peaked through, the purple hues of lavender flower was at its most intense. It’s really interesting to see how the lavender was being harvest, one tractor “mowing” the lavender bushes into a perfectly round shape, shearing off the flower stems and transporting onto conveyor belt, to be shot over to the container truck driving parallel to the tractor.
The contrast between the green hue of freshly cut lavender bushes and the intense purple of lavender flower makes the photos taken here some of the best photos of our entire lavender chasing trip in Provence.
Lavender field to catch sunrise (little road off of D8)
This field has rows that run perpendicular to Eastern direction. As a result, it is great if you want to take photos of lavender field which the rising sun in the background. There are some trees in mid-ground, which provide some interesting compositions.
From this location, looking north-east back at RD8, you can see the rustic buildings of the lodge Le Grand Logisson. With the lavender in the foreground, dry wheat field in the mid ground, and the buildings in the background, it is a beautiful picture.
Lavender field with Pre-Alps in the background (D8)
The lavender rows in this field run perperdicular to the Pre-Alps in the background. So you get a very nice perspective of converging lines towards the mountains. Because the rows run in north-south direction, the morning sun shines on the rows from the side, creating deep shadows and depth in the photos.
There is a large clearance next to the field that you can park at. Click here for the Google Maps location.
Bonus: a vast sunflower field (D8)
We discovered this sunflower field while driving along D8. It is not marked on Google Maps as a sunflower field, but it is a vast field with so much sunflower growing, the yellow was intense.
The field gets unobstructed light direct from the Eastern direction, while the afternoon sun shines on the flowers from the back. So it is better to visit at sunrise, the early morning, or just before and after sunset.
There is no clear designated parking, but you can park on a large empty field right next to the sunflower field (at the time of our visit). Click here for the Google Maps location.
Lavender field at Chapelle Saint Georges
The unique feature of this field is the immense backdrop of a limestone mountain cliff. We came upon this spot by chance in a late afternoon. The light reflecting off the white limestone gave the lavender an ethereal quality.
Click here for the Google Maps location.
Lavender field with forest in the background (D108)
Lavender field with forest in the background (D56)
A large lavender field with forest and mountain in the background. It seems hardly any tourist came here. We were here all by ourselves in the morning.
Click here for the Google Maps location.
Lavender field with nice hilly curves and a small clump of trees (D56)
This large lavender field has some of the best curving rows we saw, with a large clump of trees at the far end providing a nice focal point.
Click here for the Google Maps location.
Coordinates of the most beautiful lavender fields in Luberon
The lavender fields in Luberon are small and intimate. Usually they are set among trees, which block the views, so while pretty, they don’t have the same drama as the fields in Valensole. That said, there is one location that is unique and very beautiful: Senanque Abbey.
The lavender field here is small, but is set against an imposing abbey and tower. Because it is located in a deep valley, sunlight doesn’t hit the lavender and abbey well until around 9am (when we came). You can see below how much of a difference the presence of sunlight makes. In my opinion, the light brought the scene to life. Under the sun, the sandstone color of the abbey’s walls pop against blue-purple lavender. It is very beautiful.
The abbey provides a free parking lot with lots of spaces, but because this is an extremely popular spot, it fills up quickly. We arrived around 8:30am, and there were just two other cars. When we exited an hour later, the lot was completely full. Several cars were circling around waiting for empty spots.
Entering the premise is free, and you can enjoy the lavender sight at any hour. Entering the abbey costs 8 euros, and the abbey is open from 9am to 4pm during the summer. We did not enter the lobby because we had visited similar spaces in the past. But we did walk a bit around the eastern perimeter of the abbey, which hardly anyone visited. It was quiet, and you get a much better view of the cathedral and the monks living quarter. Please be respectful and quiet while visiting.
Click here for Google Maps direction to Senanque Abbey parking lot.
Coordinates of the most beautiful lavender fields in Sault
Lavender field near Monieux
This field is in a remote location, but it is worth the drive. Once you park here, take the dirt road and walk about 5 minutes to this location. The view is gorgeously framed by a row of big trees and winding road.
Another field with beautiful view is here. The backdrop is green mountains around Mont Ventoux. It is a bit different than lavender fields we saw elsewhere.
Lavender field near Simiane-la-Rotonde
Simiane-la-Rotonde is a small hill-top village on the way between Valensole and Sault. Here you can see views of lavender fields, with the village in the background. Some of the nicest views of Simiane-la-Rotonde actually are from far away, while driving on D701 towards the village.
There are many fields around Simiane-la-Rotonde. The field at this location has the best view in my opinion, as the rows run almost perpendicular to the village, providing nice converging lines. It was already harvested when we visited. I can imagine how beautiful the scenery would be at full bloom.
There is only road side parking here, so please be careful not to impede the traffic.
The best time to come here would be in sunrise and early morning, because the village faces east and get into shadow in the afternoon due to the mountains in the back.
Lavender field near Banon
Banon is a small hill-top village, famous for its goat cheese. There are lavender fields around the village, but the most beautiful view is from a field South East of the village. Click here for the Google Maps location. We came here during noon time, but the best light would be found at sunrise and in the early morning.
Across the road from the field is Chocolaterie de Banon. We had a fantastic tasting experience here. 35+ different treats, all delicious. Hygiene is taken in serious consideration here, and the store had designed a great tasting flow. We bought a Chocolate spread with hazelnut here (12 euros) as gift, and it was very well received and tastes much better than, say, Nutella.
After the lavender field and the Chocolaterie, we drove up the village to Fromagerie de Banon to buy the famous goat cheese. We were surprised by how charming the village center was. It’s tiny, but with a beautiful fountain, large plane green trees that provide ample shade, beautiful rustic stores and homes, and a lively atmosphere. We ended up buying 5 kinds of cheese here, for about 20 euros. They were all delicious. Our favorite was Tomme de Provence, which was the shop owner’s recommendation when I asked for her favorite.
Lavender field with borie (stone huts)
Borie is a type of stone hut typical of Provence. People used to live in them hundreds of years ago. Some of the most well preserved bories are located among the lavender fields just outside of Ferrassière. Click here for the Google Maps location.
Belvedère de Saint-Jean
Click here for Google Maps direction.