Straddling the Var and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, the limestone cliffs on either side of the turbulent Verdon River are known as one of Europe’s loveliest canyons. The 40 or so communes composing the “Pays du Verdon” cover an area of almost 440,000 acres, designated as a Regional Nature Park in 1997.

This huge playground is an open invitation to try your hand at rafting, canyoning, canoeing, sailing, paragliding, mountain biking, hiking or riding. The visitor crosses fields of vines and lavender, the lakes of Esparron and Sainte-Croix, the dams of Quinson and Artignosc, much appreciated for bathing. Far from contenting itself with tourism in the great outdoors, the region is also home to little communities such as Aups and Barjols in the Var, or Riez in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.

“The Verdon real-estate market is made up of localities right on the riverbanks and others within a 30-minute drive,” explains Yann Grossi of the agency that bears his name. If the river is a magnet for people just passing through, the real attractions of the part of Verdon within the Var are the lake of Sainte-Croix, the little town of Aups and authentic villages on the periphery. Largely dedicated to secondary use until the year 2000, the destination has since witnessed a reversal of the trend. French and foreign seniors invest in the sun in anticipation of retirement, creating a dual phenomenon, now well-established, of migration from north to south, or from the coastal area, saturated, noisy and expensive, to a peaceful and more affordable countryside. These buyers are mainly looking for a comfortable villa, preferably all on one level, from 120 to 140 m2 (with at least 3 bedrooms) in a garden of 1,000 to 2,000 m2, accompanied by a garage and pool, or capable of accommodating one, at prices between 300,000 and 500,000 €. This clientele is very hard to satisfy : in fact, the houses available, originally intended as weekend or holiday homes, do not yet meet today’s standards in terms of comfort. In this price range, properties need refurbishment and the sum required to acquire then rehabilitate them often exceeds the property’s real value. Fortunately, things seem to be improving. Foreigners always focus on the top end of the market, from 500,000 € upwards ; desirable properties, such as a “bastide” of 200 m2 in excellent condition with almost 2.5 acres of land, start at 700,000 €. First-time buyers do not pay more than 300,000 € : 150,000 € in the case of a village house, or between 200,000 and 300,000 € for an unpretentious detached home. Building land is of interest to three categories of buyers, radically opposed in terms of profiles. Prepared to invest 100,000 € at most, the first will obtain less than 1,000 m2, often far from amenities ; the second pays 100,000 to 150,000 € for a plot of 1,000-2,000 m2 with mains connections to be installed, in a rural setting with little housing but near a village, with a total budget of 300,000-350,000 €. Finally, building plots proposed at 150,000-250,000 € inevitably offer some specific advantage, in their configuration, location, view, or all three together. The total investment including construction generally exceeds 500,000 €.

“The “Pays du Verdon” is composed of distinct micro-markets,” says Pierre Legras of Bastides Accents du Sud. "At the edge of the Lac de Sainte-Croix, Bauduen, commonly called the “Little Saint-Tropez”, offers a certain charm. Subject to seasonal factors, the site suffers from lower value for money as compared with an address in the Upper Var and properties are consequently harder to sell." A village house of 55 m2 facing the lake is currently worth 214,000 €, an apartment of 67 m2, 225,000 €. These examples are more or less comparable to those in Cotignac, in the area known as “Provence Verte”, at the edge of the Verdon, a village still overpriced given the current economic situation. In Aups, the “POS” (land occupancy plan) is now switching to “PLU” (local urban planning), land is becoming scarce and available houses are few and far between. As a result, prices remain steady, without ever reaching the excessive levels posted by Bauduen and Cotignac. Elsewhere, after some negotiation, buyers come to realistic agreements. Fuelled by demand from senior citizens and first-time buyers, activity is more strained than in Draguignan or Brignoles, which benefit from hubs of employment. Detached homes are doing better than village houses, which have suffered the full brunt of the departure of the British.