Colorado of Provence

The Colorado of Provence is tourist place located on the commune of Rustrel in the department of Vaucluse and the area Provence-Alp-Coast of Azure.

The site

Colorado of Provence is on the commune of Rustrel and extends on more than 30 hectares.

Its ground paths make it possible to discover eroded cliffs including/understanding more than 20 ocher colors.

The " circus of Barriès" , the " circus of Bouvène" , mud tanks, chimneys of fairy, the place known as " sahara" , the tunnels, the bed of Doa (the small local river) offer decorations varied to the hikers.

Passage du way of great excursion 6 (GR6).

History

Several million years ago, the sea is withdrawn by leaving behind it a ground rich in iron minerals.

At the end of the 19th century, the ocriers break the ground to recover of them the pigments and Rustrel then becomes an important center of production.

After a long decline, the exploitation of the sites of extraction stops little by little. In front of the variety of colors and landscapes, an association is formed in order to safeguard the site and starts a tourist exploitation then.

Access and infrastructure

In edge of the secondary road 22, a shaded carpark, a space with tables of picnic and a reception (" the house of Colorado") + service of restoration proposing ices, drinks, crepes, sandwiches, etc

The paths semi-are marked out with barriers and staircases by place in order to channel the passages and to thus avoid a too fast erosion of the site.

Exploitation

It is about a private site managed by an association gathering owners and voluntary.

Part of the right of payment of the entry is used with the expenditure of installation and maintenance.

Geology and origin

These cliffs date from the Crétacé and are made up mainly of ochreous sands, white sands and ferruginous armours.).

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