Arles and the Camargue

I was working in Lille for a month and so looked at what budget destinations might be available from Lille Airport for a long weekend. Marseille caught my eye and I planned (in outline) a day’s walking in Les Alpilles (from Les Baux) and a day’s cycling with my camera around the Camargue to see some wildlife. I booked two nights in Arles (which I had visited before, many years previously) and one back at Marseille–Provence Airport for my early morning return flight. But if this website is meant to extoll the virtues of good advance planning then this is the trip when it all went horribly wrong.

Costs. Flight £60. Taxi (shared) to Lille Airport €6.00. Taxi from Lille Airport €23.00. Car hire €199.00. Arles hotel (B&B) €70.15 per night. Marseille–Provence Airport hotel €66.00. Evening meal with drinks €11–€29. Glanum entrance €7.50. Aigues-Mortes entrance €6.00. Total cost of trip £500.

Places I stayed and was happy with. Hotel Arles Plaza, Arles (Days 1 and 2, Read my review); Hotel Kyriad Marseille–Provence Airport (Day 3, Read my review).

Books. Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain and Europe by Klaas-Douwe Dijkstra and Richard Lewington (Bloomsbury Wildlife, 1st edition); Collins Butterfly Guide by Tom Tolman and Richard Lewington (Harper-Collins, Paperback edition).

Day 1: Travel to Arles. Caught 11.30 am Lille Metro into city centre but then where was 12 noon bus to airport? It had broken down. And France’s 4th largest city only has one airport shuttle bus. Shared a taxi with four other disgruntled travellers. Flight (scheduled for 1.45 pm) was delayed, eventually by nearly 3 h. Arrived at Marseille–Provence Airport. I had planned to catch a train to Arles but I was the last person in France to find out that all the trains were on strike and likely to remain so for the whole weekend. At 6.30 pm there was no chance of reaching Arles by bus. So, in contravention of all TUW’s principles, I was forced to hire the very last car left at the airport. It was a motorised shopping trolley better known as a Smart “Fortwo” car and Avis ripped me off roundly. Surviving high winds and heavy lorries, I arrived in Arles at 8.15 pm, found my hotel (pre-booked), and enjoyed beer and pizza.

Day 2: Wildlife and history tour. Had 7 am breakfast “to beat the heat” and drove to nature reserve of Marais du Vigueirat (I reasoned that if I had a car then I might as well use it). Arrived at 8.15 am and walked round the reserve; it was 17 °C and soon began to drizzle. Somewhat dispirited, I headed for a canal near Saint-Martin-de-Crau that I had read about. The sun came out and the canal turned out to be a very satisfying experience, with some excellent butterflies and, especially, dragonflies and damselflies. Next, I headed for the interesting Roman site of Glanum and then went onto the castle and hilltop town of Les Baux, which I had visited 20 years previously. This was horribly touristy (my previous visit had been in a December), it began to rain some more, and my spirits started to sink again. I left, the sun came out, and after exploring the nearby hillside for butterflies, I headed back to the Saint-Martin-de-Crau canal and then went onto the Etang des Aulnes for some more wildlife photography. I then returned to my excellent Arles hotel, walked round Arles, and then went out for dinner.

Day 3: Wildlife and history tour. Had 8.30 am breakfast: had overslept and it was already 22 °C by the time I left the hotel. Crossed Rhone for the first time and headed into main part of the Camargue. Arrived at small nature reserve, La Capilière, and walked the marked trail. Drove through the Camargue and arrived at the walled cité of Aigues-Mortes. Walked round the town walls. Headed back to Arles and the canal near Saint-Martin-de-Crau (for the third time, but it was worth it) – it was now 28 °C. Drove back to Marseille–Provence Airport, dropped the car off, and caught the shuttle bus out to my airport hotel (pre-booked).

Day 4: Travel back to Lille. Woke at 5 am, caught 7 am flight back to Lille, and arrived 8.35 am. Got taxi back to my Lille accommodation (frustratingly, it took a very indirect route) and was in work at 9.15 am.

Wildlife seen. Beaver, Slow-worm, Lesser Purple Emperor, Southern White Admiral, False Ilex Hairstreak, Marbled White, Spotted Fritillary, Great Banded Grayling, Cleopatra, Swallowtail, Large Skipper, Spanish Gatekeeper, Scarce Chaser, Orange-spotted Emerald, Western Clubtail, Southern Skimmer, Keeled Skimmer, Black-tailed Skimmer, Pronged Clubtail, Norfolk Hawker, Lesser Emperor, Small Pincertail, Emperor, Broad Scarlet, Copper Demoiselle, Goblet-marked Damselfly, Orange White-legged Damselfly, White Featherleg Damselfly, Small Red Damselfly.

Reflections. Day 1 was one of the most unpleasant days I have experienced. I felt such a fool not knowing about the train strike. Had a black, bottomless pit been handy when I was told ils sont en grève, I would have happily jumped into it. But things improved... the Arles hotel was very nice, Glanum was very interesting, and – best of all – the canal near Saint-Martin-de-Crau was one of the best wildlife locations I have encountered, although I did get horribly bitten by mosquitoes. Les Baux and Aigues-Mortes were a little too touristy and expensive for my taste and the drive over to the latter (in my shopping trolley) a trifle dreary.

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