Arrival in Avignon

Upon arrival in Avignon and checking into your hotel, you may choose to explore the narrow cobbled streets of this beautiful medieval city on foot, especially the sprawling and magnificent Palais des Papes and fortifications, the papal residence and seat of Western Christianity in the 14th century.

Avignon to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence; 25km/15.5mi. Optional 8km/5mi to the Montagnette

Today you leave the UNESCO-protected city of Avignon by riding along its fortified walls and exit via one of the 14 impressive “portes” (town gates). You soon cross the Durance River to enter countryside dotted with traditional farmhouses, canals, fruit orchards, and cultivated fields. Your easy ride follows narrow quiet roads through the peaceful villages of Maillane and Graveson before reaching your home for the night. There is an optional climb to the monastery of Saint Michel de Frigolet, its architecture from Romanesque all the way to Baroque. Your ascent of the Montagnette—literally small mountain—is worth the effort, granting splendid views of the Rhône Valley.

Layover day at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

There are many options for exploration in and around the pleasant town of Saint-Rémy, including the colorful market on Wednesday morning. You may visit the Roman ruins of Glanum, or stroll along the Van Gogh path lined with reproductions of his works facing the very scenes that inspired them. The monastery where the artist spent the last year of his life is also worth a stop, still used today as a psychiatric hospital. If you prefer to take a day trip, the stunning perched village of Les Baux de Provence is only 20 minutes away by taxi (at your own expense), or for a more challenging ride, you can climb the 1,600 feet (15 miles) by bike. Bicycle route notes for an easier loop ride through the Provencal countryside are also provided.

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence to Arles; 27km/17mi

A relaxed departure on your bike out of Saint-Rémy takes you along quiet country lanes—heading south and leaving the Alpilles mountain range behind you. There is ample time to stop at the 12th-century Romanesque chapel of Saint Gabriel, as well as at the Moulin du Calanquet, a family-owned olive mill where you can learn about their sustainable practices and taste the numerous varieties of “green gold” that they produce. As you approach Arles, you enter the flatlands of the Camargue region, a protected Regional Natural Park also recognized as a wetland of international importance.

Layover day at Arles

For cyclists who arrive in Arles on Saturday, you have the opportunity to visit its large, bustling market, where a plethora of regional products are beautifully displayed. Local specialties include olives, of course, but also cheeses, boar sausage, fougasse (a fluffy pastry flavored with orange blossom water), and uniquely flavored homemade nougat. The town’s claim of fame though, comes from its dominant status in the Roman Empire, as seen in it well-preserved amphitheater—a World Heritage site, and still in use today. Arles is home to several of Van Gogh’s masterpieces, a famous photography festival, as well as traditional bullfighting.

Arles to Le Sambuc; 33km/20.5mi

Beyond Arles and continuing south you enter the plains and wetlands between the Rhône River and the Mediterranean that is Western Europe’s largest river delta. This important regional park is a unique ecosystem of marshes and dammed lagoons with over 400 bird species, including one of the few European habitat of the greater flamingo. Just a few feet above sea level, you ride through wheat fields, rice paddies, orchards and vineyards, along country roads paralleling narrow canals bordered by bamboo, poplar, and willow. You can pause for a wine tasting at the Domaine de Valériole estate. With centuries’ long tradition of livestock raising, you ride past bull and horse farms lining the huge marshlands of the Vaccarès. Upon arrival at your traditional estate, you may choose to take a horseback ride (at your expense) through the domain’s fields and lagoons.

Le Sambuc to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer; 32km/20mi

This morning your route continues south through the Camargue and its vast expanses of rice paddies and marshlands. Dozens of bird species flock to the wild lagoons to nest and feed, including countless herons, ducks, and egrets. The route along a narrow dike leads to the lighthouse’s interpretive center where you learn about the unique ecosystems and observe the thousands of pink flamingoes that nest in the region. Your journey ends just outside the town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, known for its white-washed homes and the Gypsy patron saint Sara, whose raft is said to have drifted to these shores 2,000 years ago from Palestine, making the town a twice yearly pilgrimage site. You can ride to the beach nearby and explore the seaside town and church said to house the remains of Saint Sara.

Departure

Your trip ends at your leisure after breakfast and a one-hour transfer takes you back to Arles.