Wild France with the Camargue

Resort:	Wild France with the Camargue
Operator:	Titan Travel
Destination:	Europe
Price From:	£1995.00

Overview

Embark on an alternative barge cruise experience of Frances popular south coast. Discover the wilderness of the Camargue, home to thousands of birds, and witness the extraordinarily red salt marshes that lie before the old town walls of Aigues-Mortes. Explore the largest of the lagoons along the Languedoc coast and discover how herders manage their untamed livestock. Well also taste fresh local shellfish and farm produce, and delve into scenes of French history in Arles.

Whats Included

6 nights cruise on MS Anne-Marie
International flights. Prices are based on return flights with easyJet from London Gatwick. Supplements may apply from other airports
17 meals: 6 breakfasts (days 2-7) 5 lunches (days 2-6) 6 dinners (days 1-6)

6 excursions and visits

Tour of Arles
Excursion to the Camargue and Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
Tour of Aigues-Mortes including the salt museum
Explore tang de Thau with shellfish tasting
Visit Saint-Guilhem-le-Dsert and a manade

Plus

All-inclusive drinks (excluding champagne and selected wines/spirits)
Welcome cocktail party
Onboard entertainment
Free Wi-Fi in lounge and bar
Titans VIP door-to-door travel service
Titan tour manager
Porterage

Itinerary

Day 1 UK – Montpellier/Marseille – Ste

Titans VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home for your flight to Montpellier or Marseille. On arrival, transfer to Ste to embark our ship. Take time to settle in before a welcome cocktail party and dinner. We remain in port overnight.

Day 2 tang de Thau – Saint-Guilhem-le-Dsert

This morning we explore tang de Thau, the vast and attractive lagoon thats been a great source of salt since ancient Greece, and is now also famous for its oysters and mussels. We visit the tang de Thau Museum, for an insight into the work of the local shellfish farmers and fishermen, and taste some shellfish.
The afternoon is dedicated to Saint-Guilhem-le-Dsert, one of the most beautiful villages in France. An abbey was built in this remote location in the 9th century, and the charming stone village quickly developed around it.

Day 3 Ste – Palavas-les-Flots

We’ll spend the morning cruising towards Palavas-les-Flots. In the afternoon, we set out to visit a manade, a semi-wild group of horses or cattle, and learn about the life of their herders. We travel by wagon and take part in a bull sorting, and snack on delicious farm produce. In the evening, theres free time to explore the spa resort of Palavas-les-Flots, with a coastline of 7km.

Day 4 Palavas-les-Flots – Aigues-Mortes

Join us for a tour of Aigues-Mortes, a beautiful 13th-century, fortified city with a rich heritage, located in the middle of the marshes. We board a tourist train to tour one of the most incredible sites in Provence – the red salt marshes – and visit the salt museum.

Day 5 Aigues-Mortes – Gallician

Well spend the morning cruising towards Gallician and then set out on an afternoon excursion to the Camargue. This largely UNESCO-protected natural park is a biosphere of dramatic mountains and wetlands that support hundreds of thousands of migratory birds as well as native flamingos, egrets and herons – a popular destination for birdwatchers.
Then, enjoy some free time in splendid Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer – considered a holy place by several cultures. It was named after the Three Marys who are said to have stood by the cross of Christ and then fled here and built an oratory. The towns unusual, fortified church is an important gypsy pilgrimage site.

Day 6 Gallician – Arles

We spend the morning sailing to Arles and cruise along both the Rhne and Rhne Ste canals. In the afternoon we explore the cultural centre and important Roman ruins of Arles, immortalised on canvas many times by Vincent Van Gogh. Travelling inland, we find out about olive oil production in Provence. We finish our tour by tasting some local products, and return to our ship, where we dock overnight and enjoy a gala dinner on board.