The Camargue is a beautiful area of Provence, France, known above all for its free horses and flamingos that can be spotted here without any problems, here is your travel itinerary.
La Camargue it shouldn't have been included in our trip to the south of France due to lack of time, but since I was very fond of it, we went there and shot it in one day. Wherever you read you will find that they recommend a minimum of three days to visit it, in fact I have promised myself that sooner or later I will come back and turn it well. However, I assure you that one day is enough to have it in your heart.
It is a moist piece of land that is located in Provence but he has very little of Provence. Forget the green all around, the scent of flowers, the expanses of vineyards and imagine a wild land, where many animals are free and there is nature but combined with swampy areas and parts a little desert.
The town that you absolutely cannot miss to start visiting the Camargue is definitely Arles. This city was founded by the Romans and is located on the Rhone River. It totally fascinated me because it immediately reminded me of the paintings of Van Gogh which I love. It is no coincidence that the famous painter lived here for a long time.
Having very little time available, we saw the essential, such as the amphitheater The Arena which is located in the old city center and is really beautiful, the magical boulevard Alyscamps which leads to a ruined church and has inspired many paintings by Gauguin, the beautiful church Eglise Saint-Trophime e Place Victor Hugo, where Van Gogh cut off his ear.
I was sorry not to see theMontmajour Abbey, a few kilometers from Arles, painted several times in Van Gogh's paintings. They say it is truly a marvel, a place surrounded by greenery and silence.
Although Arles is an excellent starting point for visiting this wonderful land, for me the best known and most beautiful country in the Camargue is certainly Saintes-Maries de la Mer.
This picturesque village is also called the country of the gypsies. Every year, in the period of May, Gypsies arrive from all over the world for their patron saint, Saint Sara La Nera (the statue can be found in the crypt of the church) and for a couple of weeks the streets of Saintes-Maries de la Mer are filled with life, lights, colors, traditional dances, special events, up to the day of the patron saint in which the statue is carried in procession by the gypsies to the sea and blessed. They say it's a wonderful party and I can't believe it.
Saintes-Maries de la Mer is a small wonder, its narrow streets, white houses and a little gypsy atmosphere make it a truly magical place.
The first thing to do once you arrive, in addition to getting lost in the town between streets and shops, is definitely to visit the Èglise des Saintes Maries and, above all, you cannot not go up it; from above you will have a spectacular view over the whole Camargue.
If you have time and you are not as drawn as we are, you should definitely go to one of the beautiful white beaches just outside the city, I assure you that they are wonderful and wild. Another very nice thing to see is definitely the Provençal market which is held on Mondays and Fridays. It is very colorful and particular and you can find many interesting objects as well as things to eat. The country's symbolic animal is the Flamingo and I warn you that you will not be able to leave without a gadget dedicated to him :)
As I told you at the beginning, I very much wanted to see the Camargue, especially to see the free animals. Near Saintes-Maries de la Mer, there are many riding schools that offer you the opportunity to take a nice horse ride but, for me, the most beautiful thing was to see the free horses .. it had never happened to me ! Not to mention the flamingos: I took a long time to see my fiance to see pink flamingos in their natural environment and it was beautiful.
Having little time and not being able to do the bike ride due to various stretches, we didn't know how to tour the areas but a fantastic train came to our rescue! In the center of the village, for € 7, you can take this little train that will take you for about an hour around the area. You will be able to see various animals that live there and the landscape all around which is very particular. The lady who guides it gives a nice explanation of the Camargue and for those who don't understand French there is a guide in English. In short, really nice to get familiar with the place.
Another way to see a beautiful piece of Camargue is to visit the Pont de Gau Ornithological Park.
The park is located about 4km before Saintes-Maries de la Mer and occupies an entire portion of the Camargue. Inside you can find a comfortable pedestrian path with many specific areas for close-up observation of animals in the wild, such as Flamingos, Horses, Herons, Beavers and many others. I have read that the visit takes at least a whole morning but it is absolutely worth it.
In short, as you will have understood, our tour was very hasty but I am still very happy to have seen a part of this wild land that I fell madly in love with. I highly recommend visiting the Camargue towards the end of May, when there is a gypsy festival and the weather is not very hot.
I hope to return soon, it is now in my heart.
