För att komma till Saintes-Marie kan du ta en 30-minuters bussresa från Arles, 38 km norrut.
Les Saintes Maries de la Mer is about 24 miles (38 kilometers) north of Arles. Drive or take the A4 bus, which takes about 30 minutes. From Avignon, it’s about 50 miles (80 kilometers). Free parking can be found by the beach. Public transportation is not available.
In May, gypsies make their annual pilgrimage to the city to honor Sarah, patron saint of the Roma people, with a parade through the streets. In June, Feu de St Jean is celebrated withxa0 bulls and horses running through the streets, with throngs saddling up to jump over a big pire. Lavender and sunflower fields bloom from mid-June through August, and during this time, farmers markets and cultural festivals are plentiful.
Western Europe’s largest river delta, the Camargue spreads out over 540 square miles (140,000 hectares) containing wetlands, pastures, sand dunes, and salt marshes populated by an extraordinary variety of special animals. Here, some 400 bird species find a home including pink flamingos feeding off the lagoons. Endemic white horses run wild and cowboys raise black bulls to face matadors in rings.
