Visit and tour of Colorado Provençal via the ridges (official route)

The hike begins with a visit to the Colorado Provençal Belvédères trail (pedestrian rate), a listed site managed by the Colorado de Rustrel Association, and continues with a tour of the Colorado via the ridges (GR®) to discover views of other ochre quarries. The hike reveals all the nuances of ochre colours in these former open-air quarries.
Please note! The Mille Couleurs car park is reserved exclusively for visitors to the two marked trails managed by the Colorado de Rustrel Association for a limited period of approximately 3 hours. If you wish to hike the Tour du Colorado via the ridges, you must park in the village and pay the pedestrian entrance fee for the Belvédères trail.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.18 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 304 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 310 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 573 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 324 m

Photos

Description of the walk

The entrance to the Colorado Provençal Belvédères trail is located at the ticket office of the "Mille Couleurs" car park along the D22 between Rustrel and Gignac. Information will be provided at the ticket office.

(S/E) At the car park exit (marker 1), follow the orange markings of the Belvédères trail in the direction of travel.

(1) At marker 2, turn right to follow the trail that runs along the bed of the Doa River. From marker 13, the trail begins to reach the ochre quarries, and the ochre sandy soil turns red.

(2) From markers 14 to 21, the trail crosses the old main quarry called "Sahara". Do not go beyond the wooden posts and ropes that mark the fragile areas. The ochre sand dunes must not be climbed for their protection.

(3) Marker A indicates the continuation of the Orange route. The Blue trail returns to the car park. Take the Orange trail, which enters the forest and leads to three viewpoints.

(4) The first viewpoint overlooks the main quarry. Continue along the trail.

(5) The second offers a view of an old quarry where fairy chimneys can be found. Return to the trail at marker I to continue.

(6) The L marker indicates the white quarry called "white desert" formed by kaolinite. Continue to follow the orange markings on the left to return to the car park.
At marker P, take the shortcut across the Doa River if the water level allows it, otherwise continue to marker Q and take the footbridge, turning right at the end of the footbridge. You will return to the start of the blue and orange marked trails and the site entrance sign.

Start of the Colorado Tour via the ridges

The Colorado Tour via the GR® allows you to see other ochre quarries, although you cannot access them as they are private property. Much of the walk is through forest or along fields. The most spectacular part of the site is on the Belvédères trail.

(1) At marker 2, turn right onto the track, cross the Doa river ford, follow the GR®6 and GRP® Around the Luberon and Monts de Vaucluse, marked in white and red on the DFCI MV41.
After one kilometre, the track overlooks the Barriès site, a former ochre quarry. This is private property and is not accessible.

(7) Continue along the track to the Barriès signpost.

(8) Leave the GR®6 on your left and continue towards Pradenques on the track on your right. At the tarmac road, turn left for about a hundred metres, following the yellow markings.

(9) At the Pradenques signpost, turn right onto the road towards Ubac de Pradenques, following the yellow and red markings.

(10) Leave the road at a slight bend and take the ridge path to the Croix de Cristol signpost. Be careful not to take the paths that descend before reaching the Croix de Cristol; continue on the path marked with a red cross and a yellow cross.

(11) At the Croix de Cristol signpost, head towards Rustrel and Istrane. Be careful, as the path can be slippery in some sections of the descent. Towards the end of the descent, you will have views of the Colorado cliffs and old ochre quarries.

(12) Cross the Doa River, go up the road to the right of the water treatment plant, turn right onto the "Chemin de la Poste" road and continue along it to the Colorado car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 372 m - Colorado car park
  2. 1 : km 0.11 - alt. 359 m - Crossroads of the two circular loops. Follow the - Dôa (torrent) Affluent du Calavon
  3. 2 : km 1.04 - alt. 357 m - Entrance to the quarry known as the "Sahara"
  4. 3 : km 1.32 - alt. 362 m - Follow the orange markings.
  5. 4 : km 2.23 - alt. 416 m - Sahara viewpoint
  6. 5 : km 2.36 - alt. 417 m - Belvedere of the fairy chimneys
  7. 6 : km 2.67 - alt. 413 m - Quarry known as the white desert
  8. 7 : km 4.38 - alt. 434 m - Former Barriès quarry (private site)
  9. 8 : km 4.74 - alt. 470 m - Barriès post
  10. 9 : km 5.52 - alt. 531 m - Poteau Pradenques
  11. 10 : km 6.02 - alt. 552 m - Ridge trail, on the right
  12. 11 : km 8.8 - alt. 518 m - Poteau Croix de Cristol
  13. 12 : km 10.15 - alt. 324 m - Wastewater treatment plant
  14. S/E : km 12.18 - alt. 372 m - Colorado car park

Notes

Visiting the Colorado
The Colorado Provençal in Rustrel is a private site classified as a natural monument of historical interest. The Belvédères trail winds its way through former open-air ochre quarries that were exploited fromthe 19th tothe 20th century. The Colorado de Rustrel Association manages this tourist site, which is subject to visiting instructions.

Pedestrian admission fee includes a leaflet with a map of the two trails, the history of ochre, and the activation code for a mobile discovery app to learn all about the site's industrial history, ochre mining, geology, fauna and flora.
For opening hours, prices and conditions of access for the day, visit https://www.coloradoprovencal.fr

Voice server: 04 90 75 04 87.

It is best to visit during the off-season as the site is very busy, or come as soon as it opens in the morning. In July and August: the forest is subject to a Vaucluse prefectural decree due to the risk of fire: https://www.risque-prevention-incendie.f... and the Colorado website).

Please note: the Colorado Provençal site is monitored, and visitors must follow the instructions and stay on the marked trails.
The land crossed by the hiking trails is private property. Please respect it and do not stray from the marked trails (risk of falling cliffs and landslides).

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 29 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
gentiane73
gentiane73

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 31, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk that takes in the Colorado Provençal; we set off early in the morning so we didn’t meet anyone. Beautiful views of the Colorado. It’s not difficult, but do take care with young children as there are a few places with steep drops.
Thanks to the author of this walk.

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Horusanubis
Horusanubis

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 07, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

I have very mixed feelings about this hike: the first part was absolutely stunning (magnificent ochre colours, incredible scenery 🤩), but after point 7... it was completely uninteresting: a long stretch alternating between tarmac roads, farm tracks and forest paths with absolutely nothing of note or interest...

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Gépa
Gépa

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 02, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Popular on the short circular loop, less so on the long circular loop.
A beautiful, easy hike with stunning views.

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C isa
C isa

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The route is particularly popular in the ochre section.
The first and last sections offer beautiful hiking.
The middle section must be magnificent at the start of the lavender season.
However, in October it may be of little interest as the lavender will have been harvested.
This region of the Luberon is superb.

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DACHRIST
DACHRIST

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful route, well described and easy to follow ...

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NicoleJeanLouis
NicoleJeanLouis

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

in my comment yesterday about the tour of the Colorado I forgot something: the chemin de la poste between 12 and 1 has been renamed route d'Istrane, which explains why some people haven't found it! I don't know if it's possible to rectify this in your comments.

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NicoleJeanLouis
NicoleJeanLouis

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We did this hike with 5 trained people (from 60 to 85 years old)! It was a bit difficult to find the start of the crest circuit, at the 1000 couleurs car park you have to take the same direction as the Sahara and Belvédère circuits, at the bottom of the descent go straight on to cross the Doa. It's not very visible on your map because the DA and 1 markers are a bit obscuring; the rest of the route is impenetrable, the vegetation obscures the view of the quarries, which is a shame! The descent path between 11 and 12 is very rough, so you need to be careful. We came across a small group who had chosen to do the hike in reverse and were having trouble!
The Sahara and Belvedere circuits are getting smaller and smaller, and the vegetation is invading too. We did them several times a few years ago, and you could follow the valleys as they got deeper; I hear there are landslides... a little disappointment, but not for your description!

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Chaden
Chaden

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very busy route on the short loop. Then, as soon as you get away from it, it's quieter. A very nice walk.
Thanks to the author for this walk!

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Cathy13690
Cathy13690

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We did the hike in the morning when the site opened, which was a good idea as there are a lot of people on the paying section afterwards.
Parking cost us 4 euros for the day and we did the walk with our golden retriever.
It was a nice walk with no great difficulty, the Colorado is very beautiful but not very extensive, and it's a good thing we hadn't made the trip just to walk around it, because it's over pretty quickly.

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Decugis
Decugis

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk with sumptuous views thanks to perfect weather! The season is ideal, with low numbers of visitors, which adds to the charm of this route.

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Rhiannon
Rhiannon

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Really nice walk. The description is quite detailed and easy to follow. We did it in March, so it wasn't too crowded, which was ideal. On the other hand, most of the walk is surrounded by fields of lavender that are not in bloom, which was a shame. I'd therefore recommend doing it during the season.

The first part is actually the 'Belvédères' circuit of the Colorado Provencal, which is very well signposted, so you don't need the description until you get to 'Début du Tour du Colorado'. This part is really easy.

The second part is almost a separate hike. A little more difficult than the first part because of the difference in altitude. This trail was very lightly used, so we really enjoyed the peace and quiet.

On the way back, we couldn't find the 'chemin de la poste' and as we were parked at the Colorado car park we had to walk along the main road to get back to the starting point, which wasn't very pleasant and was a bit dangerous. There is a 'chemin de Istrane' running parallel to this road which is much better. It's on the right as you come up from the water treatment plant.

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karkad
karkad

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The route is tracked using the app and GPS. Magnificent views and immersion in the heart of the ochre and old quarry sites along the trail, which are easy to explore up close, especially in the final section. Be careful on the edge of the cliffs, especially in wet weather! Magnificent walk with varied scenery, 2 roe deer crossed in the forest! Thanks to the author for sharing this with us, we really enjoyed it!

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zechanoir
zechanoir

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The itinerary is fairly easy to follow, but beware of those who use a compass. After passing marker 10, always follow the red and yellow signposted itinerary and return down a signposted path (signposted Rustrel) at marker 11. The intermediate signs "Caution, do not take the downhill paths" were more of a hindrance than a help! Follow the signs and it will be easy.

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Blobtrotteur
Blobtrotteur

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A must!

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Ange Heureux
Ange Heureux

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

We did the 2 loops as indicated, with a stop at the stand to pick up sandwiches for the grand tour. Update: price of parking: €8, for a place for the day, leaflet, and an explanatory app with geolocation that's pretty well done (with the day's code printed on the leaflet, not to be forgotten for the Belvederes tour). Having visited the real Colorado parks, we were a little disappointed by the size. In fact, it's the same scale as a santon with a human figure.... but the colours are beautiful, especially with a blue sky and few people, as we were there at almost 9am.
We were able to take some great photos. On the other hand, there were fewer photos on the grand tour. Not many views, but a leisurely climb, a picnic in a field on the edge of the ridge path on the Caseneuve plateau, and a descent with a few viewpoints. Admittedly, there is a bit of tarmac at the end of the route, but not on the main road and it allows you to see the ochre from a distance.
Well worth doing.

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