If you are wondering where to go for 3 days in France, if you are looking for long weekend ideas in France to get away from it all, get away from it all, be amazed, so go Camargue !
If, like me, you like discovering splendid landscapes, observing a wild and unspoiled nature, strolling in typical small villages and sitting around a table with gastronomic specialties, wines and good cheeses ... then here is how to organize a 3-day weekend in the Camargue.
In this article, you will discover a 3-day circuit in the Camargue whose itinerary allows you to visit the must-sees of the Camargue and thus enjoy one of the most beautiful regions of the South of France...
Where to go 3 days? Why the Camargue?
For a total change of scenery, to discover a well-marked culture, for a total immersion in a wild nature with its pink flamingos, its white horses and its famous bulls, the Camargue is a perfect destination for a 3-day weekend in France.
Where to go 3 days? The Camargue by train
From Paris, you can take the train and be in less than 4 hours in Arles. Indeed, from the Gare de Lyon, you can take the train to Nîmes (2h58) then the Intercité connection to Arles (24 minutes).
See timetables and prices on: https://www.thetrainline.com/fr/compagnies-ferroviaires/sncf
Where to go 3 days? Circuit in Camargue
3 days is short to discover the Camargue. So, to optimize your time and not miss out on interesting visits due to lack of time, it is best to plan an itinerary.
Indeed, whether you arrive by train or by plane, to visit the Camargue, you will need to rent a car.
And to develop a good itinerary, you have to make a list of the main destinations to visit according to your tastes and desires and check the opening hours of the sites to coordinate your time.
Then, depending on the geographical location of your accommodation and the location of each site to visit, it will be better to group the visits located nearby and thus define a small personalized tourist circuit!
This is exactly what I did for the 3-day weekend in the Camargue that I propose to you below.
3 days in the Camargue - What program?
This 3-day circuit in the Camargue starts from the city of Arles and ends on a mythical beach passing through Aigues Mortes, the Salins de Giraud and the Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer:
- Arles
- Aigues Mortes
- Ornithological Park of Pont de Gau
- Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
- Saltworks of Giraud
- Piémanson beach
3 days in the Camargue - Map of the tourist circuit
Ce road trip in Camargue is about 150 kilometers long and is therefore easily done in a 3-day weekend.
3 days in Camargue - Arles
To visit the city of Arles, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and have time to take advantage of its historical wealth (ruins and beautiful architectural remains from the Celtic, Greek and Roman times) and its impregnated cultural richness especially by the passage of Van Gogh, it is better to plan to spend a whole day there.
Here is a nice itinerary that allows you to take a little tour of the Provencal market in Arles and to visit the essential sites of Arles on foot in 1 day: Arles in 1 day - Tourist tour on foot.
Where to sleep in Arles?
Only 300 m from the amphitheater, in the heart of the historic center of Arles, here is a really nice hotel for your 1st night in the Camargue:
3 days in the Camargue - Aigues-Mortes
For this second day, you will have to take the road to reach Aigues-Mortes in about 50 minutes (47 km).
The orange roofs of the houses of the city of Aigues-Mortes, the walls at the top of which you will have a panorama as far as the eye can see and the salt ponds, it is a simple overview of the tourist attractions of Aigues Mortes.
After your morning in Aigues Mortes, you can drive to the Pont de Gau Ornithological Park.
3 days in the Camargue - Ornithological Park
The visit of Ornithological park of Pont de Gau is ideal for discovering, observing and photographing the famous pink flamingos of the Camargue in their natural environment.
You will enjoy a 60 hectare natural park with paths arranged to observe, in a landscape of ponds and marshes, the wild flora and fauna of the Camargue region.
It takes about 1 hour to visit the park.
So you can take the road back to Les Saintes Maries de la Mer in 10 minutes (7 km).
3 days in the Camargue - Saintes Maries de la Mer
Small fishing town, very picturesque with its white houses, its XNUMXth century church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Mer, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is a major place of pilgrimage for gypsies.
This unmissable town in the Camargue can be visited for its strong cultural identity but also for its beautiful beaches, bars and restaurants where you can taste the gardiane (a specialty made from bull meat).
Where to sleep in Saintes Maries de la Mer?
Very well located in Saintes Maries de la Mer, this accommodation is only 400 meters from the beach, 2 minutes walk from the town center and in the middle of wild ponds !!!
3 days in the Camargue - Salins de Giraud
From Saintes Maries de la Mer, you will take the road towards the village Saltworks of Giraud.
It will take 1 hour (60 km) to access the vast area of the Giraud salt marshes. It is a spectacular site for its grids in pink and orange colors. This site represents a great ecological interest but also an economic asset for the region thanks to the traditional exploitation of Camargue salt.
3 days in the Camargue - Piemanson beach
If you have enough time, you can end your weekend in lazy mode. Indeed, only 12 km from the Giraud salt marshes, you can laze on one of the last great wild beaches of the Camargue: the beach of Piémanson.
Renowned for being one of the wildest beaches in France, it is a mythical beach in the Camargue. It stretches for more than 7 kilometers in landscapes bordered by small dunes and ponds.
This totally wild site had become the largest wild camping site in France, completely free, with many caravans, camper vans and ephemeral cabins which were set up freely for the whole summer.
But if the authorities have long turned a blind eye, the site is now prohibited for wild camping. Not sure that this ban is really respected ...
Another idea for a weekend in the South of France?
Visit of the city of Avignon (close to the Camargue)
un good cheap weekend plan in Marseille
or an trip to the Gorges du Verdon
or an idea ofromantic getaway in Catalonia