Pont d'Arc, Natural stone arch in Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, France.
The limestone arch spans 60 meters in width and reaches 54 meters in height, forming a natural bridge over the Ardèche River.
The arch formed over 500,000 years ago when the Ardèche River eroded through the rock meander, creating this geological formation.
The area near Pont d'Arc contains the Chauvet Cave with Paleolithic art dating back 30,000 years, marking early human presence.
Visitors can access two beaches near the arch for swimming, while numerous rental services provide canoes for river exploration.
The natural arch serves as the gateway to the Ardèche Gorges, where the river flows through a 24-kilometer limestone canyon.
Location: Vallon-Pont-d'Arc
GPS coordinates: 44.38194,4.41667
Latest update: June 23, 2025 09:39
Geological forces have carved openings, arches, and caves into rock formations across continents through millions of years of erosion. Water, wind, and weathering have shaped these natural structures from various rock types, creating landmarks that reveal the Earth's ongoing transformation. The formations appear in diverse environments, from coastlines where ocean waves carve passages through limestone cliffs to desert regions where wind erosion creates openings in sandstone walls. This collection spans locations such as Durdle Door along England's Jurassic Coast, where a 200-foot (60-meter) arch rises from layers dating to the Mesozoic era. The Faraglioni Rocks off Capri reach heights of 360 feet (109 meters) and include a natural passage navigable by boat. In landlocked regions, formations like the Eyes of God in Bulgaria's Prohodna Cave display symmetrical ceiling openings where sunlight penetrates the rock. Desert sites such as Las Ventanas in Argentina's Andes showcase wind-carved arches in remote sandstone landscapes. Each location offers direct evidence of erosion processes that continue shaping these geological features, from readily accessible coastal points to isolated areas requiring significant travel to reach.
Breathing in Ardèche means feeling the warm stone, the wind descending from the gorges, and the clear water stretching between the cliffs. Here, nature tells everything: caves hold traces of the earliest artists, villages nestle against the rocks, and bridges have connected the shores for centuries. Ardèche is not just a landscape; it’s an experience. We walk, climb, pedal, and marvel at the shapes water has carved into the stone. The Pont d’Arc, the Chauvet Cave, the deep gorges, the twisted woods of Païolive—all exude a raw, honest beauty. Between hikes, a hot chocolate in Tain, a castle visit, or a swim remind us that the real wealth here is the time we take.
Chauvet Cave
690 m
Gorges de l'Ardèche
4.2 km
Grotte Chauvet 2 - Ardèche
2.9 km
Aven d'Orgnac
6.9 km
Musée de la Lavande
4.7 km
Château des Roure
3.6 km
Réserve naturelle nationale des gorges de l'Ardèche
5.9 km
Grotte de la Madeleine
7.2 km
Goule de Foussoubie
3.9 km
Grotte des Huguenots
885 m
Grotte du Déroc
1.5 km
Town hall of Vallon-Pont-d'Arc
3.3 km
Baume d'Oullins
5.6 km
Parc animalier des Gorges de l'Ardèche
6.8 km
Grotte de la Vacheresse
694 m
Borne milliaire de Vagnas
5.4 km
Parc animalier des Gorges de l'Ardèche
6.6 km
Dolmens du Chanet
6.4 km
Chanet dolmen
4.8 km
Baume de Ronze
7.1 km
Église de l'Assomption de Vagnas
5.8 km
Église Saint-Saturnin de Vallon-Pont-d'Arc
3.4 km
Église de Saint Remèze
6.9 km
Église Saint-Julien de Salavas
3.1 km
Temple de Vallon-Pont-d'Arc
3.3 km
Temple de Salavas
3.2 km
Aven de l'Arquet
6 km
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