Where to stay near Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône?

Hi, Our son, currently in Central America, will board a sailboat on 04/16 to cross the Atlantic. He’s expected to arrive around 05/31 in Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, and we’d like to welcome him on the day he arrives. I’m looking for accommodation in the area for a few days around that date, from which we can explore the Camargue. We’ll be bringing our e-bikes. Could you tell me which towns to look in and which areas to avoid, please? I think Port-Saint-Louis isn’t a great option if we want to avoid the toll for the ferry every time we leave by car. Thanks for your tips. Claire

PS: Are there a lot of mosquitoes in late May/early June?

Hi, it's pretty obvious you should get a room in Saintes-Marie-de-la-Mer. Plus, the advantage is that this town is part of the Camargue. Otherwise, you could stay in Arles.

Thanks, I’ll check out what I can find there 🙂

Hello,

You can stay in Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, but it really depends on when you're going! There are quite a few hotels there, and from there you can get around the Camargue easily. You’ll be able to see Camargue-style races (not bullfights!) and if you're there between May 24th and 26th, you can witness the Gypsy pilgrimage (Festival of Saint Sara). But be careful: The issue at this time is that it might be a bit expensive, and hotels could be fully booked. Plus, it’ll be difficult to park and get around... So it’s better to stay in the nearby areas, right in the heart of the Camargue or even in Arles (a beautiful city) – the gateway to the Camargue. Otherwise, a good tip: Camping Les Bois Flottés in Salin de Giraud https://www.camping-les-bois-flottes.fr/

https://www.thegoodarles.com/good-time-agenda-sorties-et-evenements-pays-d-arles/fete-des-gitans-saintes-maries-de-la-mer/

Thanks! We found accommodation near Arles this morning. We won’t be there for the Gitane pilgrimage, but if you’ve got any tips for things to see, walks, or bike rides in Arles and the Camargue, don’t hesitate 😉. I’ll look into Camargue races—it’d be great to see that with our son 🙂

I’m going to look into Camargue bull races—it’d be great to see that with our son

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLdEdtXNjTY

but if you have any tips for visits, walks, or bike rides in Arles and the Camargue, don't hesitate

I recommend getting the IGN map at 1/100,000 scale—it’ll be enough, covering the Bouches-du-Rhône department. These maps show secondary roads and even important bike paths. Maybe they’re sold in Belgium too

Maps are useless—there are tons of apps you can download on your phone, like geovelo, maps.me, komoot, etc.

Yeah, okay, but an app on a smartphone doesn’t give you the details of the terrain. Plus, it’s not as useless as you might think—I use it a lot when I’m out in nature.