Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DISTANCE : 85KM
DURATION : ONE DAY
Driving Tour
The Wild Southeast
For a jaunt to the edge of the world, drive south from Arles along the D570 (direction Stes-Maries de la Mer).
After 2.8km, turn left onto the D36 (direction Le Sambuc and Salin de Giraud) and within seconds you're in the
Parc Naturel Régional de Camargue. Four kilometres on, turn right onto the D36B (direction Gageron) and at the
crossroads continue straight.
Soon after, the D36B dramatically skims the eastern shores of the Étang de Vaccarès . The wetland is at its
most savage here and much of the area is off-limits, making the nature trails and wildlife observatories at La
Capelière particularly precious. Play voyeur as little egrets and grey herons frolic in the marshes and buy a permit
for the nature trails at
Salin de Badon (7km south).
Cut back to Le Sambuc for lunch at La Chassagnette , Estrambord or Le Mas de Peint , which also offers
horse-riding and jeep tours by appointment.
South along the D36C skip through Salin de Giraud, an unexceptional village that grew up around Europe's
largest salins (salt pans), producing 800,000 tonnes per year. For the salt mad, visit the
Les Salins de Giraud
museum inside the village saltworks.
More soul-stirring is the windswept panorama of the pans, salt mountains and diggers two kilometres south of the
village at the
point de vue (viewpoint) along the D36D.
The unforgettable final 12km leg of this southbound journey passes pink flamingos wading through water on your
way to
Domaine de la Palissade , a nature centre with walks and horse treks.
The road terminates at
Plage de Piémanson 3.7km south, where campervans park overnight on the sand.
On the return to Arles along the D36, you can swing into the tiny Musée du Riz du Petit Manusclat and
Domaine de Beaujeu , to learn about and buy local produce. Then dine well at
Restaurant La Telline in
Villeneuve.
Stes-Maries de la Mer
POP 2344
This remote seaside outpost has a rough-and-tumble holidaymaker feel, with whitewashed
buildings crowding dusty streets. During its Roma pilgrimages, street-cooked pans of
Search WWH ::




Custom Search