Almost encircled by the Rhone and looking out onto the Mediterranean, no-one comes to Saintes-Maries-de-laMer, a centre of pilgrimage at the end of the world by chance. The village takes its name from Saints Marie-Jacobé and Marie Salomé, who supposedly landed on the beaches of Camargue with Sainte Sara after fleeing Palestine.
Over and above its rich heritage and a culture deeply rooted in the land, a wind of freedom blows in the heart of the Camargue, a stretch of land surrounded by water: sea, river and marshland with a horizon that stretches over the 40 km of fine sandy beaches and protected zones with the occasional fence or traditional herdsman’s hut.
The capital of the Camargue, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, is the ideal destination for nature-lovers presenting a landscape shaped by the twin influence of the water and salt, with land devoted to the production of rice and the extraction of salt. This immense protected area is where numerous animal species thrive, the most emblematic being horses, birds and the famous pink flamingos, not forgetting the bulls. The ideal getaway location to admire the traditions through various events that are programmed throughout the year, notably those involving cattle.
Bulls are without a doubt part and parcel of the landscape and life of the locals and quite naturally linked to the festivals, including the famous course camarguaise or Camargue bullfighting.
If you are looking to discover more about the cattle and horsebreeding traditions in the Camargue, then the choice is yours. At Manade Layalle you can experience a typical and traditional evening in the Camargue. Baumelles on the other hand has its own bullrings for games and events. The Manade Raynaud proposes trips on a tractor and trailer to discover the herdsman at work. At the Manade Cavallini, visitors can learn all about cattle breeding and rice farming while at the Manade Bec, you can see the herdsmen at work and the sorting station. Definitely worth the experience !
