France's Mediterranean Inn-to-Inn Trail

France Horseback Riding Vacation

The Camargue is a part of France's province of Provence. It is one of the most natural and unspoiled parts of France. The Camargue is the area of the Rhone River delta where the mighty Rhone joins the Mediterranean Sea.

The Camargue is a striking landscape of lagoons, salt marshes, dunes and rice fields. The greatest number of inhabitants are the pink flamingoes of which there are about 50,000, the Camargue cowboys (or Guardians) tending the black bulls and the famous wild horses.

The Camargue Inn-to-Inn trail winds by stone farm houses and radiant fields overflowing with olive trees. As the trail moves from the area of the Luberon region (the foothills of the Alps) towards the sea, an interesting change of scenery takes place. As you move ever closer to the sea you see fewer and fewer signs of civilization and more signs of nature's work. It is an extraordinary experience.

Horseback riding through the Provence that Cezanne painted so beautifully, the air is usually filled with the scent of the herbs that grow so easily in the shaded sunlight. Here white oaks, cypress trees and melon fields mix with fields of lavender and sunflowers.

You will ride to the ancient Roman city of St. Remy de Provence which is considered to be one of the most beautiful villages in Provence. And because much of Provence is so beautiful, that is a singular honor. Here you will see stone houses, meandering streets, local artists, outdoor cafes, and many fountains set amongst the Roman ruins. As you enter the Camargue, you will see the landscape change to dunes, beaches and pine forests. This is a protected area and part of a regional park since 1927. It is only open to horseback riding by special permission, but you are a welcome guest here. You are welcome to ride in the dunes and along the white sand beaches as well as to swim with your horse. Here you can also gallop along the deserted beaches or in the surf.

A last festive dinner will be spent in the village of Les Saintes Marle de la Mer, the main town of the Camargue where legend has it that Mary Jacobe, the sister of the Virgin Mary, landed almost two thousand years ago.