Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
Stes Maries de la Mer is at the southern edge of the Camargue, in southern Provence, on the Mediterranean. It can be reached most easily from Aigues-Mortes to the west or Arles to the north-east.
Well placed for exploring the Camargue region - indeed almost the only town of any significance in the whole camargue region - Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is a small town, dominated by its church, and surrounded by attractive streets of simple white washed houses, many of them now shops focussing on the tourist market
On a thin peninsula jutting into the Petit-Rhone delta region, the town is almost completely surrounded by water, and numerous beaches and dunes are to hand, as well as the possibilities of exploring the Camargue region.
There is a small active harbour in the town to amble around, with a couple of harbourside restaurants etc
Apart from the tourists who visit the town, it is also a pilgrimage town for Gypsies, who gather in great numbers in the town each May to commemorate Sara the Black.
The fortified church in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is very artfully lit with halogen lighting, and the stone interior not over-cleaned, making it very atmospheric. You can see the statue of Sara in the church - go to the rear of the church and descend the stairs
There is then a separate entrance to the side of the church where you can ascend to the ramparts and look out over the town and the Camargue (there is a charge for this part of the visit).
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The Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer hotels listed feature descriptions, guest reviews, ratings, location maps, online booking etc. as well as the 'best-price' guarantee. The search for hotels in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is provided by booking.com. General holiday / vacation options- See Provence gites for Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer holiday rentals - Holiday villages in Provence Holidays nearbyLooking for something close by? See a wide choice of hotels, holiday villages and holiday rentals at: Places to Stay near Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer Car HireFind locations offering car hire nearby at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer car hire VisitSee Visit Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer for places to visit near Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer including: a detailed map, villages in bloom and most beautiful villages DiscussAsk questions or leave a comment about Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer in our Provence forum Airports near Saintes-Maries-de-la-MerAvignon airport at 72 km Marseille airport at 87 km Montpellier airport at 53 km Nimes airport at 34 km Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer property for saleSee Provence property for sale
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Tourist Classifications for Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
- Listed as "Plus Beaux Detour" town in France (ie recommended stopover place)
- approved Station Classée (resort paying particular attention to facilities for tourism)
Places to visit near Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, France
Explore places of interest within about 70 kilometres on a map at places near Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.
Some places to visit within 30 km: 
29 km: Aigues-Mortes (Fortified town) 33 km: Arles (Provencal town) 3 km: Camargue (Natural Park) 33 km: Roman Arles (World Heritage Site)
See also Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (version Francais)
