Hôtel & Spa des Gorges du Verdon sits 938 meters high on a panoramic ridge near La Palud-sur-Verdon, offering jaw-dropping views of the Verdon Gorge’s wild expanse. This family-run 4-star hotel (three generations have managed it since 1973) proves that comfort and sustainability can co-exist in one of France’s most beautiful natural settings. The hotel is celebrated as an ecotourism leader – it holds both the European Ecolabel and the Green Key certification, and participated as a pilot in the nearly Zero Energy Hotels initiative. Concrete eco-actions are visible everywhere on site: The hotel generates much of its electricity from on-site solar panels and a mini wind turbine that catches the plateau’s breezes. All waste is sorted; organic matter from the kitchen is composted and later used in the hotel’s herb garden and flowerbeds. Single-use plastics have been outright eliminated – you won’t find plastic bottles, straws, or disposable cups here. Instead, guests receive glass bottles to fill with pure local spring water and reusable bamboo straws for their Provencal iced tea. In rooms, amenities are in refillable ceramic dispensers made by a local potter. To reduce waste further, the hotel did away with individually wrapped foods; breakfasts feature homemade granola, jams, and local honey in bulk, and even the slippers are washable/reusable. Water conservation is tackled by low-flow fixtures and an innovative graywater recycling system that irrigates the gardens. And those gardens! Landscaped with native lavender, rosemary, and oak, they require minimal watering and provide habitat for butterflies and bees (the hotel keeps several beehives, producing its own lavender honey). Guests are invited to “adopt” an olive tree in the region via a carbon-offset program – a beloved initiative that helps replant olive groves in this part of Provence. In the kitchen, Chef conceives menus around locavore principles: trout from local rivers, goat cheese from a nearby farm, vegetables from the hotel’s network of organic farmers, and wine from regional vineyards. The food is authentic and fresh, and they’ll cater to vegetarians with produce-forward Provençal dishes. The hotel spa offers Cinq Mondes treatments and features an outdoor jacuzzi positioned for stargazing – and thanks to the hotel’s remote location and commitment to cutting excess lighting, the night skies here are extraordinarily clear. They even provide telescopes for guests to admire the Milky Way. Perhaps most importantly, the hotel’s ethos is embodied by the family and staff: they truly “do their best to preserve our planet” and invite guests to join that mindset. It feels genuine and welcoming. Between hikes or kayaking in the gorge, you can relax by the solar-heated pool or take a yoga class on the terrace at sunset. And when you depart Hôtel des Gorges du Verdon, breathing deeply after days of fresh air, you’ll likely carry home not just photos of the epic canyon, but a bit of the hotel’s contagious love for protecting the natural world.