WALKING HOLIDAYS COLLECTION 2020

France – Camargue, Alpilles & Crau
8 days from £899 May & October
La Camargue, les Alpilles and la Crau – the French ‘golden triangle’ of
biodiversity. The Camargue, with its white horses, black bulls and pink
flamingos, needs little introduction. Just to the north, the jagged, limestone
peaks of the Alpilles mountains are a striking contrast to the vast wetlands
of the Camargue. Sandwiched between the two is la Crau, a unique, ancient
steppe landscape where shepherds have tended their flocks for 6,000 years.
You’ll discover the amazing flora and fauna of all three environments on guided
walks with an expert naturalist. You’ll also enjoy the manmade wonders of the
city of Arles, your holiday base, renowned for its Roman monuments, Van Gogh
scenes, and, of course, Provençal cafés and restaurants!!
• 7 nights bb in Van Gogh’s Arles • 3 included excursions • Services of
an expert guide
PROGRAMME
DAY ONE: Flight to Marseille or Nîmes,
transfer to your hotel in Arles (one hour
from Marseille, 40 minutes from Nîmes)
for seven nights hotel accommodation.
Two dinners in the hotel are included
during your stay, leaving five nights
to sample the delights of the local
restaurants. Your Tour Director will be
on hand to assist. A walking tour of
the city will show you the major sights
and attractions of this splendid city -
the remarkably intact 1st century AD
amphitheatre could entertain 30,000
spectators and is still used today; the
Musée Réattu, a 15th century priory of
the Knights of Malta on the bank of the
river Rhône; the Place de la République
with its obelisk and impressive town hall.
Devotees of Van Gogh will recognize
many parts of the city from his paintings,
including the courtyard of the old hospital
where he was treated after cutting off his
ear, the amphitheatre, his café terrace,
and the Rhône - especially on a starry
night!
DAYS TWO TO SEVEN: There are three
included walks during your stay in Arles.
Walk 1: La digue à la mer. Transfer to
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (23 miles). On
the way you’ll hear the story of the Three
Marys (Jacob, Salome and Magdalene)
and their servant Sarah, patron saint
of Gypsies, thousands of whom have
been making the annual pilgrimage to
Stes-Maries for centuries. ‘La digue’ is
the dyke built in 1859 to keep the sea at
bay. This is a long but easy walk which
takes you into the heart of the Camargue
National Nature Reserve. Landmarks
along the route include the Rousty sluice
gate, the old customs house and the
working Gacholle lighthouse whose 60ft
tower can be seen from miles around.
Common bird sightings will include
warblers, gulls, terns, waders and avocets
but the emblematic Pink Flamingos are
especially visible at the end of the walk in
the Fangassier lagoon where between 15
and 20 thousand breeding pairs (Spring
only) should be waiting for you. 11 miles
– flat.
Walk 2: Travel by coach to the Domaine
de La Palissade at the mouth of the
Rhone (28 miles). On the way there you
should see numerous species of heron,
Glossy Ibis and many migrants: Marsh
Terns, Caspian Tern, Bee-eaters and
Rollers. On a 1 mile flat walk you can
see a breeding colony of Slender-billed
Gulls, Gull-billed Terns and Little Terns.
Sometimes, the world’s largest Tern
species, Caspian, can be seen with the
smallest: Little!” Leaving the Domaine,
you take the short ferry crossing from
Salin de Giraud to Port Saint Louis and
travel 17 miles to la Crau Nature Reserve.
Legend has it that the countless polished
stones covering the terrain were rained
down by Jupiter and used as missiles by
Hercules in battle after he had used all his
arrows. On a 2 ½ mile flat walk you would
hope to see Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Lesser
Kestrel, Larks and Tawny Pipit.
Walk 3: Les Alpilles – Saint Paul-de-
Mausole, Glanum and the Vallon de St
Clerg. Coach transfer to Saint Rémy (19
miles) where you meet your guide. Your
walk to Les Baux de Provence (6½ miles,
250m ascent/ descent) passes Saint Paulde-Mausole
(where van Gogh painted
over one hundred works of genius while
a voluntary patient in the rest home for
just under a year) and continues past the
archaeological site of Glanum. Walking
through the valley of St Clerg, you have
some time at the foot of the two-holed
rock looking out for the Bonelli’s Eagle
and also the Short toed Eagle, Sub Alpine
and Sardinian Warblers. Your walk ends in
Les Baux where you take a short walk on
a path overlooking a wonderful landscape
in search of Blue Rock Thrush at the foot
of the imposing ruined citadel. Transfer
back to your hotel in the late afternoon.
DAY EIGHT: Free time until departure for
the airport and your flight home.
Bird sightings above are based on departures in
the Spring. Autumn sightings are as follows:
Walk 1: La digue a la mer. Common bird
sightings will include gulls, waders and avocets
and, of course, the emblematic Pink Flamingos
will be present all along the walk.
Walk 2: Domaine de la Palissade & la Crau.
You would hope to see Flamingos, Herons,
waders and ducks, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Little
Bustards and Calandra Larks.
Walk 3: Les Alpilles. Sightings include
Wallcreeper and Blue Rock Thrush, Bonelli’s
Eagle and Sardinian Warblers.
YOUR HOTEL
BEST WESTERN ATRIUM HHH,
Arles (seven nights)
This is a modern hotel built around an
old town house. The hotel is centrally
located opposite the Tourist Office.
Its 90 rooms are on 4 floors and have
air-conditioning, bath or shower
and wc, satellite tv, hairdryer. Rooms
have internal atrium view or a view
of the town. Wifi is complimentary
throughout the hotel. There is an airy
restaurant with a glass roof and a bar.
(www.hotelatrium.com)
If you have friends who are not
walkers interested in this itinerary, it
is featured in our Escorted Holidays
brochure with a touring programme.
16 | www.preferredts.com Please refer to the enclosed ‘Dates and Flight Information’ for details of departure dates, prices and flights.