11 national parks in France

Looking for untouched nature? In France, you can choose from 8 national parks on the mainland and 3 overseas.

Not every patch of greenery can be called a national park. There are various regulations involved to protect nature. Fortunately, visitors remain welcome in the parks.

1. Port-Cros (Var)
The island of Port-Cros is located near Toulon. The national park encompasses not only that island but also the other tiny islands off the coast of the Côte d’Azur.

2. Guadeloupe (overseas)
Cloud forests, mangroves, tropical forests, volcanic mountains, and countless flowers. You will find it all on this island. A unique feature is the Guadeloupe woodpecker, which is found only there.

3. The Pyrenees (Hautes-Pyrénées)
Rugged mountains that provide a home to rare animals such as the brown bear and the bearded vulture. The high mountains are regularly breathtaking, so beautiful are the views.

4. Les Calanques (Bouches-du-Rhône)
High cliffs that plunge vertically into the sea and picturesque bays. A calanque is formed when a river carves out a valley, which is subsequently submerged by rising sea levels. The result? A very special natural area for hiking or sailing.

5. La Vanoise (Savoie)
La Vanoise was France’s first national park (established in 1963). No fewer than 1,200 different species of plants and flowers live in the park. You will also find ibex, chamois, golden eagles, and bearded vultures.

6. Parc national de forêts (Haute-Marne and Côte-d’Or)
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this park is that 80% of the forest was already there during the French Revolution. Here you can encounter the black stork (also rare). During a walk, you may also come across roe deer, red deer, and wild boar.

7. Le Mercantour (Alpes-Maritimes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence)
Here you can step back in time. In the center of this park lies the Vallée des Merveilles, featuring many prehistoric drawings. Furthermore, the park is known for its many animals, such as chamois, ermines, Alpine ibex, mouflons, and wolves.

8. Les Écrins (Isère and Hautes-Alpes)
Mountain peaks higher than 4,000 meters, which you can walk around if you follow the GR54. You might just encounter chamois, ibex, and marmots.

9. Les Cévennes (Lozère, Gard, Ardèche, and Aveyron)
On the French mainland, this national park is the largest, covering nearly 3,000 square kilometers.
Here you will find a varied landscape, from mountains to plateaus to river gorges. The area also served as the backdrop for the heartwarming film Antoinette dans les Cévennes, which we wrote about last year.

10. La Réunion (overseas)
A large part of the island consists of national park: more than 1,000 square kilometers. If you love tropical forests, volcanic mountains, and cirques, you will be in your element here.

11. French Guiana (overseas)
The largest national park in France covers no less than 20,300 square kilometers. From the coast, the park can only be reached by plane or canoe. The park contains the protected Amazon rainforest.