Map of Bouches-du-Rhône

Tourism in Camargue

Take a look at the tourist guide to Camargue and plan a holiday for you and your family on our website. Tourism in Camargue means more than 250 accommodation suggestions (hotels, holiday lets, gîtes, B&B etc.) and addresses of museums and country parks. VisitProvence.com. There’s no better site for tourism in Camargue.

Saintes Maries de la Mer

Pèlerinage de la Vierge Noire

24 May

The procession organised on this day is in honour of Sara and the Gypsies. The statue of the patron saint of the Gypsies, is carried to the sea to symbolise the wait and welcome of the Saints Mary.

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Saintes Maries de la Mer

Pèlerinage des Saintes Maries Jacobé et Salomé

25 May

After morning mass, a fishing boat containing the statues of the two Marys is carried out to sea, accompanied by a crowd of pilgrims, including Herdsmen on horseback and the costumed women of Arles.
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Arles

Event(s)

Port Saint Louis du Rhône Course de Ligue PACA
Arles 8e Festival Européen de la photo de nu
Saintes Maries de la Mer Le long des golfes clairs
Arles Journées camarguaises à la manade Bon

Camargue

CAVALCADES IN CAMARGUE

There is more than meets the eye to Camargue. This vast, flat area, forming a mosaic of lakes, marshes, paddy fields and arid landscapes, bathed in sunshine and salt water and swept by winds, is a genuine world apart, with a fragile equilibrium. Synonymous with rebellion and adventure, this land of myths and legends has many a story to tell. A kingdom of wild birds and animals, Camargue is also a place that man has continually tried to tame, as reflected in the bulls and horses that have become its emblems. Proud in every sense of the word, boasting a unique and unbending character, Camargue is quite simply different.

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Today's photo

Camargue in pictures

Portraits of town

Focus

From abrivado to bandido

Arles

From abrivado to bandido

Before the event of motor-driven vehicles, the ""gardians"" (Camargue herdsmen) rounded up the bulls in the grazing grounds of Camargue on horseback, then herded them to local villages to take part in various festivities. This operation - from pasture to arena - is referred to as the ""abrivado"".
Today, the ""abrivado"" is also synonymous with the region's legendary bull runs, when bulls charge through the village streets to the arena's bull pen escorted by herdsmen while brave (or foolish!) spectators try to lure the animals out of the pack.
Bandido: after the contest, the bulls are released in the streets once again, and escorted back to the pasture by the ""gardians"".

Arles

Arles, a book of images

Here on the banks of the Rhône river, basking in the sunlight that bewitched many artists, lie centuries of history… Often referred to as "little Rome", Arles harbours a beautiful succession of ancient monuments, to be visited at a slow pace. Read more

Saintes Maries de la Mer

Saintes Maries de la Mer, the gypsy soul

Famed for its vast beaches, long jetty where you can enjoy endless walks in the salty wind, charming marina and lanes lined with little, white houses, Sainte-Maries has everything you need for a relaxing short break. But these are not its only charms. Every year on May 24th and 25th, thousands of gypsy pilgrims gather in Saintes-Maries to pay tribute to the Holy Maries during a long and [...] Read more