Where to Find the Best Lavender Fields in Provence, France

The Provence lavender fields are the best in the world. And for any color lover, visiting these sprawling purple fields in the height of blooming season is a total bucket-list item.

However getting the exact timing right can be tricky. Even more complicated is to know where to go and at what time of the day to get the best shots.

In this post, I will show you how to find the best lavender fields in Provence, including google maps location and best time of day to take photos in the field.

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When to Visit Provence to See the Lavender Fields in Bloom

When we first planned our trip to France to see the lavender fields, my research told me that visiting anytime between the middle of June to the end of July would be the best time to see the lavender fields. While this may be true in a sense, in order to see the fullest, most vibrant lavender fields, you need to be more specific. Most lavender fields are generally the fullest at the end of June and the beginning of July, and by mid-July farmers start to harvest the fields.

However this all depends on weather conditions that year, as well as which region of Provence you are planning to visit. Generally, the higher the altitude, the later the lavender will bloom and the later it will be harvested.

If visiting Provence in June

By late June, most of the lavender fields in Provence are full and near full bloom. The lavender in the Luberon Valley is usually the first to bloom with the Valensole Plateau following close behind.

If visiting Provence in July

The first week in July is the best time to visit the lavender fields across all regions. This is a good time when the most fields will be in full bloom, and you don’t risk fields already being harvested.

The upper Luberon lavender fields (around Rousillion, Gordes) are generally harvested around the 15th of July. The lower Luberon (around Lourmarin) and the Valensole lavender fields are typically harvested around the 25th of July.

[All of the photos in this blog post were taken during the beginning of the third week of July in 2019]

If visiting Provence in August

By August, most of the lavender fields in the Luberon Valley and Valensole region have been harvested, however you may still be in luck. During the first two weeks of August, you may still be able to catch some fields in the higher altitudes of the Sault region.

How to Get Around Provence Region in France

There isn’t really reliable public transportation in this area of France. You are out in the country side, and therefore the absolute best way to get around the Provence region of France is to hire a car. This will allow you to visit the small villages of the Luberon Valley and Valensole Plateau at your own pace and according to your schedule.

Renting a car is usually pretty cheap in this area, especially if you get a smaller car (perfect for parking in the small villages) and can drive manual. If you need an automatic car, book in advance as they are limited!

Check out my post on International Travel Planning Process for more details and tips on renting a car in Europe.

Map of the Lavender Fields in Provence by Region

Where to Find the Best Lavender Fields – Luberon Valley

The Lush Field with Mountain View – Saint Christol

This lavender field in Saint Christol is right off the roadway, with a stunning mountain view in the background. We visited both during sunset and sunrise and can say that the light during both of those time is magical. See below for the difference shades of the lavender fields you will see during the different times of day.

[photos above taken during sunset]

[photos above taken during sunrise]

Google maps location: 44.022949, 5.507163

The Small Field with Stone House – Saint Christol

This field is located right next to the above field. It is much smaller but has this charming stone house that caught our attention as we were leaving. The sun was already decently high in the sky at this time which causes a more washed out purple color to the fields. Since the sun would set over this field along the horizon in the background, I would love to come back here and take some photos at sunset time.

[photos above taken at mid-morning]

Google maps location: 44.019207, 5.509910

The Small Village Field – Oppède

We stayed in this lovely village of Oppède during our time in the Luberon Valley and it was the perfect base town to explore the towns in the area including Ménerbes, Lacoste, Bonnieux, Roussillon, Gordes, and Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt. We stumbled upon this beautiful lavender field as we pulled off the main street and onto the backstreets near our bed and breakfast. I just loved the towering mountain backdrop and the French country house to tie it all together.

[photo above taken at mid-afternoon]

Google maps location: 43.864170, 5.164085

The Fields at the Sénanque Abbey

This spot is extremely busy with people parking all along the side of the road. We initially didn’t plan to stop here, but were driving by on our tour of the Luberon Valley towns and say a massive backlog of cars. Therefore, we decided to stop also and see what was going on. While the Sénanque Abbey is an extremely popular tourist spot in Provence, you are not actually allowed to access the lavender fields around the Abbey. There is a smaller lavender field right in front of the Abbey, but in 2019 it was being replanted therefore there was no purple. You can still catch this stunning field a little further away with the Abbey in the background.

[photo above taken at mid-afternoon]

Google maps location: Sénanque Abbey

Where to Find the Best Lavender Fields – Valensole Region

The Field with Two Trees – Valensole

This was the field I was most excited to visit after seeing maybe photos online beforehand. And to my surprise it is not that hidden or hard to find. Right off highway D6 on the “Route de Manosque” in between Valensole and Manosque, you can pull right off the road into a designated parking lot and carefully cross the street to this field.

It is actually one of the most touristy spots we visited. If the designated parking lot didn’t give it away, you can tell a touristy lavender field because the pathways between the rows of lavender will be wider and there will be less bees in the bushes. Regardless, this is one of the lavender fields in the Valensole plateau that we spent the most time in because of the ease. You can see in the photos below one night at sunset we watched the field turn from a golden purple, all the way into a deep dark purple after the sun had set.

[photo above taken at sunset]

What’s so cool about the lavender fields is the variety of colors you can see from the very same field. Below are some photos we took during the day at the exact same field when the sun was high in the sky. The fields all over the area will appear to be more blue/grey/purple in the afternoon.

[photo above taken at mid-afternoon]

Google maps location: 43.821859, 5.936477

The Lavender and Sunflower Field

This field is right down the road from the one above on D6 on the “Route de Manosque” and is really unique because the lavender fields are right next to the sunflower fields. This gives an amazing contrast of purple against yellow and can make for some great photos.

Google maps location: 43.818653, 5.933177

The Roadside Farm – Roussillon

This was a little gem of a field that we spotted during our tour of the French Villages in the Valensole plateau after leaving the town of Roussillon.

[photo above taken at mid-afternoon]

Google maps location: 43.915310, 5.321316

The Stone House & Mountain View – Puimoisson

Another one of my favorite lavender fields, this one can be found right off of the D8 highway past Valensole right before you read D953. What I loved most was how massive this field was. There was plenty of space for everyone to take pictures without interrupting the others. Plus the stone house and mountain background gave this field a particularly nice scenic vibe. We walked for probably about 15 minutes deep into this field to get closer to the stone house and to create a more rolling effect with the hills. Now to caution, there were WAY more bees in this field than the more touristy spots above. I thought for sure I was going to get stung, but luckily didn’t!

[photo above taken at sunset]

Google maps location: 43.895729, 6.113966

The Dramatic Rolling Hill – Brunet

Another great spot, just down the road on highway D8 from the above spot you can find another sprawling field. I would love to come back to this spot at sunrise to catch these fields in deep dark purple! This field also faces the same direction as the one above, so you would get similar pink/golden purple tones at sunset!

[photo above taken at mid-afternoon]

Google maps location: 43.8881564, 6.0582291

Where to Stay in Provence, France

Luberon Valley for Charm

You really can’t go wrong with picking any of the picturesque villages of the Luberon Valley to call a home base during your time in Provence. We decided on the village of Oppède simply because we found a great family-run bed and breakfast with a pool and outdoor cooking space!

Aix-en-Provence for a Bigger City Feel

This is a great option if you want to be closer to restaurants and the sea-side town of Marseilles. Aix-en-Provence is about an hour drive to either the Luberon Valley and the Valensole plateau so it is a good middle point for exploring both the regions. While you lose the proximity and charm of the smaller French villages, that is made up by the access to the coast of France, ease of travel by highways and more abundant shops and restaurants.

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie for France’s Most Beautiful Village

This is a good base for the Valensole region, and it also claims to be France’s most beautiful village, a name I cannot disagree with. On top of all that, what I liked about this village was the proximity to the Valensole lavender fields above as well as the Gorge du Verdon, a great place to cool off in the French heat of July.

What the Pictures Don’t Tell You About Lavender Fields

There are literally bees swarming every around the bushes. In some of the more touristy fields, the lavender is planted further away from each other, leaving more walking room between and way less bees. This would be my suggestion if you planned to take photos with children. The field with two trees in the Valensole area was one of these more touristy, and less bee-action fields.

You may also enjoy these other European flower related posts:

• Where to Find the Best Fields of Tulips in the Netherlands
• Visiting the Flower Carpet in Brussels (Incl. a Secret Viewing Spot)
• How to Visit the Cherry Blossom Avenue in Bonn, Germany
• Spring in Paris: the Best Spots for Blossoms

You may also enjoy these France related posts:

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