Page 301 - Lonely Planet France’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

new generation makes houses her alleged re-
its mark. Make a beeline 2 Parc mains, along with those of
for the Saturday-morning Ornithologique du Marie-Salomé and Sainte
market (bd des Lices) and Marie-Jacobé, the Maries
pack a Camargue-worthy Pont de Gau of the town’s name.
picnic basket with local Itching to get in among Shunned by the Vatican,
goats’ cheese, olives all that green? Parc this paleo-Christian trio
and saucisson d’Arles Ornithologique de Pont has a powerful hold on the
(bull-meat sausage), or do de Gau (%04 90 97 82 62; Provençal psyche, with
likewise on Wednesday www.parcornithologique.com; a captivating back story
mornings on bd Émile D570, Pont du Gau; adult/ involving a boat journey
Combes. child €7.50/5; h9am-sunset from Palestine and a
With precious little Apr-Sep, from 10am Oct-Mar), cameo from Mary Mag-
parking within the old a 60-hectare bird park, dalene. Sara is the patron
town, unless you’re makes for a perfect pit saint of the gitans (Roma
staying at a hotel with stop. As you meander people), and each 24 May,
a garage (usually an along 7km of trails, thousands come to town
expensive extra), opt for flamingos pirouette to pay their respects and
the secure municipal overhead; the pink birds party hard. Don’t miss PROVENCE & SOUTHEAST FRANCE 27 THE CAMARGuE
facilities on bd des Lices can’t help play diva. the ex-voto paintings that
(€7 per day). Secreted away in the line the smoke-stained
marshes, though, is every walls, personal petitions
54 p244, p303, bird species that calls the to Sara that are touching
p409 Camargue wetlands home, and startlingly strange in
The Drive » Take the D35A including herons, storks, turns.
across the Grand Rhône at the egrets, teals and raptors. This town is the
Pont de Trinquetaille, then follow easiest spot to organise
signs to the D570 – you’ll soon The Drive » Continue south promenades à cheval
be in no doubt you’ve entered on the D570. The last stretch of (horseback riding); look
the Camargue. Continue south road into Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer
on the D570 until Pont de Gau, is dotted with stables – little- for Fédération Française
4km before you hit the coast, white-horse heaven, so get out d’Equitation (FFE) ac-
around 30 minutes all up. your camera. credited places, such as
the friendly Les Cabanes
TRIP HIGHLIGHT de Cacharel (%04 90 97
LINK 84 10, 06 11 57 74 75; www.
YOUR 3 Stes-Maries-de- cabanesdecacharel.com; rte
TRIP la-Mer de Cacharel, D85A; 1/2/3hr
Apart from a stretch of horse trek €20/30/40) on the
l Roman Provence fine sand beaches – some easterly D85A.
Slot in the 30km – the main attrac- 54 p303
Camargue trip’s loop tion at this rough-and-
south from either Nîmes tumble beach resort is the The Drive » The scenic D85A
or Arles. hauntingly beautiful Ég- rejoins the D570, then, after
lise des Stes-Maries (www. 10 minutes or so, turn right
m Lavender Route sanctuaire-des-saintesmaries. into the D37. Stop at Méjanes
for supplies or to visit the
From Arles, fr; place Jean XXIII; hrooftop legendary fish restaurant Le
take the 570N and 10am-noon & 2-5pm Mon-Sat, Mazet du Caccarés. The D36B
the D28 (direction 2-5pm Sun), a 12th-century dramatically skims the eastern
Châteaurenard), then church that’s home to lakeshore; it’s a 20-minute
the D900 to Coustellet. a statue of Sara-la-Kali, journey but is worth taking your
or black Sara. The crypt time over.

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