Le Gour du Ray
Natural, complete and fun canyoning just a stone's throw from the Côte d'Azur
The Gour du Ray canyon is located close to the medieval village of Gréolières in the Préalpes d'Azur Regional Nature Park, at the bottom of a green valley at the foot of the Cheiron mountain (1789 m).
This pretty canyon, sometimes mineral and deep, sometimes open and green, runs through the upper part of the Loup valley and its famous Gorges.
This route is much less popular than the Canyon du Loup is ideal for a half-day of wonder and excitement away from the crowds.
This complete and varied canyon is a great compromise between discovering canyoning and thrills: you can learn to abseil in complete safety, and get your adrenalin pumping on the jumps and slides in the beautiful, deep pools of fresh, crystal-clear water sculpted by the elements.
The Gour du Ray Canyon activity
There's no shuttle here; once you're at the meeting point with your guide, the adventure begins. canyoning begins immediately with the distribution of equipment: wetsuit and neoprene socks, harness and helmet.
After a short walk of just 10 minutes, entirely downhill, you'll arrive at the banks of the Loup where you'll begin the activity with a briefing. And off you go for a 2-hour descent in a wild setting. After a short river walk, the difficulties begin. A short 4-metre abseil gets you into the swing of things, before a gradual sequence of jumps, slides and more substantial abseils. The water is cool and crystal-clear; 3/4 of the way down there's a large basin, a natural pool several metres deep, where you can make a number of jumps... up to 10m for the most daring! A final dip with a beautiful slide takes you to a turquoise pool ideal for a final swim.
After taking off your equipment and packing a bag with your wetsuit, a 30-minute uphill walk through a shady forest will bring you back to the starting point.
- 8 people maximum for 1 instructor
- 4 people minimum for an outing
- 50 for groups of 6 people or more
How do I get to the start of the Gours du Ray canyon?
This route is in the middle of the Alpes Maritimes (06 ), which makes it accessible:
- From the Gorges du Verdon and Castellane (04) : 1h
- From Nice, Cannes, Antibes, Mandelieu: 1 hour 30 minutes
- From Grasse, Saint Vallier de thiey: less than 1 hour
To get to the meeting point with your guide, drive to Gréolières and then take the D79 towards Andon, continuing for 3.5km. The meeting point is by the roadside, with various car parks between two small bridges spanning the La BOUISSE and HAUTE BOUISSE rivers.
Customer testimonials
A great canyoning experience with Pierrot! There were 6 of us aged between 6 and 54 . Pierrot is very nice and it goes very well with children! Thank you
A wonderful experience with Tom at the clue d'Aiglun.
Tom is really great.
We recommend it!
Incredible experience. Simple, approachable instructors in a great atmosphere and, above all, a feeling of confidence. Idyllic setting. I would recommend .
FAQ about the Gours du Ray canyon
What are the Gour du Ray's strong points for canyoning?
The main strength of this confidential canyon is that it is little used and therefore remains wild. It is particularly accessible, complete and varied. The multitude of obstacles and the progressive nature of this route make it the canyon of choice for anyone with a thirst for adventure.
What can you do after canyoning at Gour du Ray?
The nearby village of Gréolières, with its shops, bar, restaurant and grocery shop, is a great place to grab a bite to eat. Don't forget to take a look at the ruins and the typical narrow streets of the village. If you like typical hilltop villages, then go to Gourdon or Tourettes sur Loup. If you want even more adrenalin, opt for a flight in a paragliding on the Cheiron with Ailements paragliding, and if you still have some energy left, there are plenty of hiking opportunities. Animal lovers will be delighted with the safaris offered by the Monts D'azur de Thorenc Biological Reserve where you can admire bison, Przewalski horses, deer and wild boar.
TESTIMONIAL : Le Gour du Ray: An unforgettable canyoning trip during our holiday on the Côte d'Azur.
On holiday in the south of France with family, we were looking for a sporting activity to escape the sweltering heat with the children. My brother told us about canyonning, which he'd done with Tom from Ailements and had very good memories of, and to finish convincing us, he showed us a video. The kids are already looking forward to it, so we book straight away.
We will be meeting near Gréolieres less than 1 hour from Mougin to the Gour du Ray with our guide Tom, my brother, my husband and the children who talk of nothing else.
We meet up with Tom and everything goes quickly, equipment distribution, a short approach walk and we're in the water. I'm not going to mention the minor difficulties in putting on the wetsuits, whereas the guide does it in no time at all, effortlessly!
During the briefing, the children were excited, but they had to pay close attention - luckily Mum was watching! And off we go, off to a great start with an abseil, but it's a small one and Tom puts everyone at ease. The water and the setting were perfect, and we let ourselves be carried along by the water and the obstacles. As the obstacles grew, so did our stress levels (especially for me). There's a large pool where you can do various jumps over and over again, and it's a break for me while the rest of the team have a great time. A final 10m abseil gives me one last shot of adrenalin and we're out of the canyon. Too short for some, who already want to do it all over again - perfect for me! A superb day out discovering canyoning at its best, in nature, far from the crowds and worries.
Thanks to Tom, our guide for the day, for a great time.
Some photos of the Gour du Ray
