Everything you need to know about the lavender fields in the Provence
Oh, the lush lavender fields in France. I am sure you have seen the incredible pictures all over social media: purple hues as far as the eye can see. When I found out that their prime blooming time is around my birthday (July 3rd, if you must know) I knew that I simply HAD to go. After a quick google search and realizing just how remote these fields are, the only question left was: How? Here is everything you need to know about the lavender fields in the Provence:
I really found myself in a pinch here. There are no taxis in the area and surprisingly, no tours. There is a small train station Manosque – Grรฉoux-les-Bains and you can get around by bus, but even then it’s at least 1 hour walk to the closest fields and the busses aren’t running at the times where you need to be at the fields, which is either very early morning or quite late in the evening. Most picturesque fields are really in the middle of nowhere so I would not recommend to even attempt this with public transport.
Really the only viable option you have is to drive. I did the Provence area as part of my road trip through Southern France and took the train from Marseille to Aix-en-Provence (well, I took the taxi – but only because the train station had to be evacuated that day…). Aix is an incredible cute city and I really recommend to stay a day here. In general, I highly recommend to come to this area not only for the lavender fields but to enjoy the Provence! It’s a beautiful area with rolling hills and mountain backdrops.
When to go
The lavender flowering season takes place between June and August. The best time to visit these beautiful fields is usually between the end of June to mid-July when the fields will be in full bloom. It is impossible to predict the exact perfect time far in advance, but I definitely would recommend to go ealier than later. The reason is that the weather tends to be very hot with no clouds and the fields start to burn. I rather have a bit of green than patches of brown.
When to start planning
The Valensole Plateau’s lavender fields are perhaps the most famous and photographed in not only Provence but in the world. If you’ve been planning to visit the lavender fields in the Provence, I hope you planned early enough: the prime location of Valensole only really has a few twenty-something accommodations available and they tend to book out as far as one year in advance.
Yep, you read that right. Better make that reservation right now! I, in fact, was way too late when I started planning my journey in January for the same year of July, which means I ended up in a less than ideal situation: In a tiny hostel, in the middle of nowhere, accompanied only by temp workers of the area. It was, uh, definitely an experience.
Where to stay
The best options to stay close to the fields are in Valensole, Riez or Manosque. I’ve seen other people recommend as far away as Aix, but it took over 1 hour by car from there so I don’t recommen that.
Valensole is the best option in the middle of many fields but it tends to book out very far in advance. There are also not many dining options, it really is just the location to visit the lavender fields.
Manosque is where I stayed and I found the location pretty convenient. I actually also liked the fields in this area more than the famous one in Valensole. The city is also bigger – although I stayed at the very very outskirts, due to my lack of foresight in planning, so there was only one single restaurant. It was enough to get by though!
Riez is a small city in the national park on the plateau of Valensole, so kind of in the middle between those cities. Accommodations are only a few but it can be a nice location to stay at.
If you can, I recommend to rent a Provence villa with a pool, as Provence in summer gets very very hot. I really wish I did that as I was melting away under the heat.
Best lavender fields to visit
- Luberon is typically the first to bloom around the end of June, but they aren’t as highly concentrated as those in the Valensole or Sault Plateaux.
- Closely followed in bloom are the Manosque and Valensole lavender fields from early – mid July.
- In general, lavender grown in the highest altitudes of Provence is the latest to bloom, at the beginning to mid-August, such as the Sault Plateaux.
An important note โ some lavender farmers in Provence have put up fences surrounding part of their farms in an effort to thwart visitor numbers. Only enter fields where visitors are accepted, only walk between the rows (not over them), never pick the flowers and treat the fields with respect. This is someone’s living so make sure to not damage any crops. Additionally, if there is a farm nearby make sure to stop and buy something to support the local businesses after visiting their fields.
How to take pictures in the lavender fields
If you want to capture the deep purple hues of the fields, you will have to go either at sunrise or sunset. Note that sunrise in France in July is around 6am and sunset is around 9:30pm. If you go too late (after 8am in the morning) not only will it be super hot super quickly, but the sun will already be so high and intense that it will wash out the fields a lot. In direct sunlight, the lavender fields often look yellow or brown. It really is imperative to go when the sun is at its lowest to capture the purple hues.
In case you think going that early or late will mean the fields are empty, that is definitely not the case. These are the ultimate photography spots in July so you should aim to arrive at least one hour before sunrise/sunset to get a good spot and also have time to try different angles etc. You do not want to waste those precious moments when the light is at its best! I had to get up at 2am, be ready by 3am so that we arrived 4:30am at the fields so we could capture all the pastel hues as well as the sun rising. It was hard but definitely worth it!
In terms of equipment, especially at low light in the early morning or late evening, I recomment to use a camera and a lens with a low aperture. You can use your phone, but the quality can be quite bad in low lights. I personally really love a dreamy look so I usually use my Sony GM zoom lens 24-70mm 2.8f. Being able to zoom in and out quickly is especially helpful when you have a narrow window of time like sunrise and sunset.
If you need someone who knows the area well and takes amazing pictures I highly recommend my friend Eny-Therese who offers photography at the lavender fields of Provence every year. She has taken all the pictures in this post and I’ve worked with her multiple times, she really puts so much care into her photography.
Other things to see in the Provence
The Provence is famous for its lavender fields but there are also many gorgeous sunflower fields! Here you will find miles and miles of sunflowers with rarely anyone in your way as everyone is busy seeing the lavender. Some fields are even directly next to the lavender fields.
You can also find olive trees and wheat fields all over the Provence which are really beautiful to shoot with.
Overall, Provence is an amazing region full of gems to explore! The lavender fields are definitely worth a visit but I highly recommend to add on a few days to immerse yourself in the culture of this area.
