While the Camargue may not look very large on the map of France, it is nonetheless internationally renowned. Its landscape is as unique as its fauna. And the tourists who regularly flock to its hotels are equally interested in its history and traditions.

The secret delights of the Camargue, beyond the clichés

Whether you elect to stay in Montpellier, Avignon, Marseille or Arles, you simply have to leave your hotel and get out and sample the delights of the Camargue over a weekend. You are bound to marvel at the salt marshes, the rare spectacle provided by the greater flamingos and the sight of the Camargue bulls. Beyond its trademark clichés, the Camargue also boasts less well-known delights: how could one fail to enjoy the luxury of a day spent on one of its beaches, amongst the dunes and reeds, doing nothing but listening to the soft lapping of the Mediterranean?

A pilgrimage weekend in the Camargue

The heart of the Camargue never beats very far away from your hotel. Along the roads, you will see marshes and fishermen’s huts, little white houses with rounded, thatched roofs. You can also take advantage of a stay in the Camargue to visit a ranch or “manade”, an estate typical of the region where bulls – the mascot of the Camargue – are reared. Finally, no stay in the Camargue would be complete without a visit to Saintes Maries de la Mer: the legend of St Mary Jacobe, St Mary Salome and their servant Sara, Christians who fled persecution in Palestine aboard a boat and whose journey ended here, is still celebrated every year by the gypsies. A pilgrimage to this Camargue village and its carefully studied decorous appearance have a heart-rending charm that will hold you in their thrall until you regain the haven of your hotel bedroom at the end of your excursion.

Fine dining in the Camargue: an original tang to the terroir

Where fine dining is concerned, the Camargue combines the best of Provençal cuisine with some very local specialities. The locally grown produce is a source of inspiration; in the Camargue restaurants, sampling the regional gourmet specialities will be one of the highlights of your stay. You can try langoustines and mullet, clams and mussels, tellin shellfish, “rouille” (aïoli flavoured with chilli pepper) and “tielles” (small highly spiced seafood pies), not forgetting stuffed squid or – an absolute must - “Gardianne de taureau” (bullmeat stew), a real treat: this slow stewed meat speciality is found only in the Camargue where it is served with wild rice grown in the Rhône delta.