Pont du Loup is a hamlet of Tourrettes-sur-Loup (06140), where the Gorges du Loup open out, about 15 minutes from the Gréolières landing field. People come here to swim in the gorges in summer, visit the Confiserie Florian, have a beer at the Bacho or walk up to Gourdon. Here is the advice of our school, based in Gréolières since 2013.
Loup Valley
Pont du Loup, or Le Pont du Loup as some guidebooks write it, is a hamlet in the commune of Tourrettes-sur-Loup, in the Alpes-Maritimes (06). It grew up on the banks of the Loup, where the river comes out of the Gorges du Loup, on the road from Grasse to Vence.
The hamlet is open to all, every day, according to the Pays de Grasse tourist office. You will find a free car park and the Confiserie Florian shop, a stone's throw from the river.
Upstream, the Loup has carved out a steep-sided valley, with its rock pools and limestone cliffs: that is where we recommend swimming. The hamlet is also one of our ideas for an unusual activity near Nice.
Our school, Ailéments, has been based in Gréolières, upstream of the gorges, since 2013. We run canyoning in the gorges and tandem flights at Gréolières. When our clients ask us what to do after the canyon, we tell them about Pont du Loup.
Pierrot recommends swimming in the gorges, upstream of the hamlet, "but be careful, to park, you need to be patient". In summer, the water of the Loup is around 19 °C.
In the gorges, the river forms clear pools between the rocks. In summer, its coolness draws plenty of swimmers and parking spaces along the gorges are in demand: leave yourself some margin if you have an appointment afterwards.
Bring water shoes: the bed of the Loup is made of pebbles and rocks polished by the current. Add a towel and something to drink.
The Loup is a coastal river that rises in the Préalpes de Grasse. Downstream of the hamlet, the Rives du Loup departmental park runs along the river from La Colle-sur-Loup to Villeneuve-Loubet.
The path is easy and shady, with spots for picnics and swimming; dogs are allowed on a lead, according to the French Riviera France Tourisme. The Gorges du Loup are also a Natura 2000 site.
The Saut du Loup waterfalls have drawn visitors for a long time: in the past, people went there from Pont du Loup, getting off the train. The site is private. There is an entrance fee, which pays for the upkeep of the viewing platform, from where you see the falls, the Cascades des Demoiselles and a large pool called the Grande Marmite.
You cannot go down to the water and there is no walk around it, French Riviera France Tourisme points out. In the same car park, the Saut du Loup distillery has been distilling lavender for three generations; its shop opens from mid-July to September.
When a client comes out of the canyon and asks us what to do, Pierrot first mentions "the tour of the Confiserie Florian", then "the walk up to Gourdon along the sentier des falaises" (the cliff path). Add a beer brewed in the hamlet.
Since 1949, the Confiserie Florian has occupied a former perfumery. Citrus fruit, rose and violet from the region become candied fruit, jams and chocolates here.
The confectioner offers a guided tour of the workshops and a tasting, both free of charge. Since June 2026, a tea room with a shop has opened next to the historic site.
The Bacho is the craft brewery of Pont du Loup: the beer is brewed on site.
It is the evening drink Pierrot recommends to round off a day in the valley, after the canyon, the flight or a swim.
Pierrot's second idea is on foot: the walk up to Gourdon along the sentier des falaises (cliff path), from the hamlet to the hilltop village that overlooks the Loup valley.
Up there, take time for the village: stone lanes, a castle and craft workshops.
Bar-sur-Loup has stood on its rock since the 13th century, above the Loup valley. People come up for its castle, its Gothic church with a remarkable altarpiece and its shady little squares.
The viewpoint, the Courmes waterfall and the hikes in the gorges, including the Chemin du Paradis, are gathered on another page: what to do in the Gorges du Loup.
The hamlet was born of the roads and the railway. It grew at the end of the 19th century, with the railway line, the tourists and their hotels, says the Pays de Grasse tourist office. Its name comes from the bridge that spans the Loup.
After the County of Nice became part of France, Napoleon III launched a major road plan, including the road from Grasse to Vence. At the end of the century, the train brought visitors.
In the Belle Époque, Pont du Loup became a popular tourist resort, known for its trout and crayfish. Even Queen Victoria came here, on the Chemins de Fer de Provence train.
The viaduct on the Nice-Meyrargues line of the Chemins de Fer de Provence was built from 1890 to 1892: 315 m long, 11 arches of 20 m, up to 55 m high.
It was destroyed in 1944, during the Second World War. Its remains still mark the landscape.
Today the people of the hamlet are called the Lupipontains. In the past, they were known as Patarasiens, or Sautabaou on the Gourdon side: Pataras is said to have been the name of a bandit who hid in the Gorges du Loup.
Our school is in Gréolières, about 15 minutes from the hamlet. The same team runs canyoning and paragliding: do the canyon in the morning and end the day in the hamlet, or fly at Gréolières and then come back down for a swim.
We meet at the Gréolières landing field, then our 4x4 takes you up to take-off in about 20 minutes. You fly tandem with a state-qualified instructor (DEJEPS or BEES), facing the sea and the Mercantour.
The Ascending flight (€140, from age 7) is our best-seller; the Educational flight and the Prestige flight are from age 12, video included. The Child flight is for 5 to 6 year olds.
Choosing my tandem flight
The Gorges du Loup canyon, a renowned canyon in the area, takes 2 hrs 30 on site, from age 8, for €55 per person (€50 from 5 people). Natural slides, swimming sections and jumps of up to 10 m, every jump optional; you need to be able to swim and put your head under water.
We meet in the gorges, after the D6 tunnel. The evening before, we always check in with you: exact time depending on the weather and GPS location. The Gours du Ray, the first canyon we recommend, is upstream, beyond Gréolières.
Discover our canyons
Ailéments' signature package: flight in the morning, canyon in the afternoon, for €190 per person, from age 8. The combo can be booked even for two: for the canyon, you join a group that is already going.
Especially popular with hen and stag parties and groups of friends. Discover hen and stag parties near Nice.
See the comboAiléments has been in Gréolières since 2013, with more than 20 years of experience and +1291 reviews. As Pierrot puts it: "we are a small outfit. The idea is to do quality work."
State-qualified instructors, 10,000 flights without a serious accident, wings serviced every year or every 6 months at Aerotech, the Gréolières workshop. Want to learn to fly yourself? The courses of our paragliding school near Nice take place in Gréolières.
Book the combo
Gorges du Loup canyon from age 8 (€55), Ascending flight from age 7 (€140), combo from age 8 (€190) and Prestige flight from age 12 (€250). Flights meet at the Gréolières landing field, about 15 minutes from the hamlet.
The hamlet is in Tourrettes-sur-Loup, on the road from Grasse to Vence. For your GPS or a map, type "Pont du Loup 06140 Tourrettes-sur-Loup", or the coordinates 43.71978, 6.99255 taken from Mappy.
Allow roughly 15 minutes between the Gréolières landing field and the hamlet, according to Pierrot: after a morning tandem flight, you have lunch in Pont du Loup.
Head towards Cagnes-sur-Mer and Villeneuve-Loubet, then drive up the Loup valley to the hamlet.
Head for Grasse, then follow the signs for Vence over the heights of Le Bar-sur-Loup.
From Grasse, follow Le Bar-sur-Loup then the Gorges du Loup: it is the shortest route.
According to Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Tourisme, the hamlet's car park is free. In summer, finding a space near the swimming spots in the gorges takes patience.
The hamlet has public toilets and a viewpoint indicator; pets are welcome. The nearest tourist information office is in Tourrettes-sur-Loup, place de la Libération.
Gréolières is only about 15 minutes from the hamlet: a flight in the morning, a swim in the gorges in the afternoon, and the valley until evening.
A quiet valley that recharges you, far from the overcrowded tourist spots: that is why so many visitors make the drive, even from far away.
Book your dayFree tour of the Confiserie Florian, then a walk along the Loup or set off on foot towards Gourdon along the cliff path.
Have lunch on site, or in Gourdon with a panoramic view over the valley.
Your choice: canyoning in the Gorges du Loup (2 hrs 30 on site) or a tandem paragliding flight at Gréolières, about 15 minutes away. On hot days, end with a swim in the gorges.
When to come: summer for swimming; canyoning is open from 1 April to 31 October, best from June to September; spring and autumn for walks.
A paragliding gift voucher, for a tandem flight at Gréolières: another way to discover the Loup valley, seen from the sky.
Valid for 1 year and transferable, it arrives by email within the hour, ready to download, and is paid online or on site after the flight. For a birthday, a hen or stag party, or just to give someone a treat. Any questions? Contact us.
Order a gift voucher
Gourdon and Tourrettes-sur-Loup can be visited on the same day as the hamlet, like Le Bar-sur-Loup. Further afield, Grasse, Vence and the Caussols plateau complete the tour.
Gourdon clings to its cliff, at an altitude of 760 m, and is one of the Most Beautiful Villages of France. From the place Victoria, the village offers a view over nearly 80 km of coastline, according to the Routard guide.
We fly there too: Gourdon is one of our Ailéments paragliding sites.
Pont du Loup is a district of Tourrettes-sur-Loup, known as the City of Violets: the flower has been grown here for generations.
Two gates open onto a curving Grand Rue, lined with stone houses and craft workshops. Violet Festival every year, in late February or early March.
The perfume-related skills of Grasse are inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Add Vence and the Matisse Chapel, or the Caussols plateau and its lunar landscape.
Canyoning in the Gorges du Loup, just a stone's throw from Pont du Loup.
Saut du Loup, hiking, history, swimming, parking, families, public transport, Confiserie Florian, canyoning and flying.
You drive there: the Saut du Loup waterfalls are a private site, with their own car park. There is an entrance fee, which pays for the upkeep of the viewing platform, from where you watch the falls. There is no access to the water and no walk around it: for a swim, choose a spot in the gorges instead.
Yes. From the hamlet, Pierrot recommends the walk up to Gourdon along the sentier des falaises (cliff path). Further down the valley, at La Colle-sur-Loup, the Rives du Loup park has an easy, family-friendly path. The longer hikes in the gorges, such as the Chemin du Paradis, are on our Gorges du Loup page.
The hamlet grew at the end of the 19th century, when the Chemins de Fer de Provence train arrived. In the Belle Époque, it was a resort popular with high society, visited by Queen Victoria. The viaduct, built from 1890 to 1892, was destroyed in 1944.
Yes, in summer. Pierrot recommends swimming in the gorges, upstream of the hamlet; the water is around 19 °C. To park, you need to be patient, and water shoes will come in handy.
To go from pool to pool deep in the gorges, the answer is still a guided canyoning trip.
Yes, the hamlet has a free car park. In summer, spaces close to the swimming spots in the gorges are in high demand: allow for a little patience.
In the hamlet: the Confiserie Florian, the Bacho and swimming in the gorges. Nearby: Gourdon, Tourrettes-sur-Loup, Le Bar-sur-Loup, the Saut du Loup, the canyon and tandem paragliding at Gréolières. For the natural sites of the gorges, see our guide to the Gorges du Loup.
Absolutely. The Confiserie Florian appeals to young and old alike, and the Rives du Loup path is easy. The Gorges du Loup canyon is open from age 8, and paragliding from age 5 with our Child flight (ages 5 to 6).
Allow 1 to 2 hours for the hamlet, the Confiserie Florian and the banks of the Loup.
With a swim, the walk up to Gourdon or an activity, plan for the whole day, like most of our clients.
The hamlet is mainly reached by car, along the gorges road. For buses, ask at the Tourrettes-sur-Loup tourist information office. Without a car from Nice, you need a ride-hailing car (VTC) to reach our meeting points.
Pont du Loup is a hamlet of Tourrettes-sur-Loup, where the gorges open out. The Gorges du Loup are the steep-sided valley the river has carved upstream, over several kilometres: that is where people go canyoning and hiking.
For opening hours, the safest bet is the official Confiserie Florian website, to check before you come. The guided tour of the workshops is free, and so is the tasting.
Yes, it is even Ailéments' speciality. The paragliding in the morning + canyoning combo in the afternoon costs €190 per person, from age 8, and can be booked even for two.
Everything is organised by the same team from Gréolières, about 15 minutes from the hamlet.
Four pointers to plan your visit to Pont du Loup.
A district of Tourrettes-sur-Loup (06140), open to all. Swimming in the gorges in summer, water around 19 °C, free parking but patience in season.
Gorges du Loup canyon from age 8 (€55), tandem flight at Gréolières about 15 minutes away, and the Combo day of paragliding and canyoning at €190. +1291 reviews.
A popular resort in the Belle Époque, visited by Queen Victoria. Viaduct built from 1890 to 1892, destroyed in 1944. Confiserie Florian since 1949, free tour.
Gourdon (760 m, Most Beautiful Villages of France), Tourrettes-sur-Loup (violets), Bar-sur-Loup (castle and church).
