An easy self-guided cycling holiday from Avignon to Arles. In just four days cycle through the Alpilles and part of the Camargue, a real mix of exceptional natural beauty, ancient history and some of the most beautiful provençal villages bathed in sunshine. A few pedal strokes are enough to lead you from Avignon, the city of the Popes, into the heart of the Alpilles where the landscape alternates between rocky bars and hills scented with thyme and rosemary.
Cycle on small roads between olive groves, vineyards and cypress trees with the pleasing scent of the scrubland accompanying you as you go, passing by the artisty village of Saint Remy de Provence and its colourful market, once home to Vincent van Gogh, the charming village of Maussane & one of the most beautiful villages in France: Les Baux de Provence. You spend a night in Arles, a town classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, before heading into the heart of the Camargue Regional Natural Park, the meeting point between the salty sea and the softness of the continental waters.
Pedal on perfectly flat routes between rice fields and marshes, admiring the wild white horses, bulls and countless migratory birds, including majestic flamingos. And what could be better after a day in the saddle than a little pampering in your hotel spa?
Your trip begins in the heart of Avignon. A medieval city on the banks of the mighty Rhône River, Avignon hides many treasures: the Pope’s palace, the 12th century bridge, the 14th century ramparts still intact, and many museums and churches.
Meals included : none
Night : Avignon
. Charming & Superior accommodation : hotel with a swimming pool, open from May to Sept
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You start your biking itinerary between the Durance and Rhône Rivers, through a mosaic of orchards and cypress trees. You cycle into the quaint village of Barbentane before climbing up on the “Montagnette” – literally “little mountain” – where your wide-sweeping views of the plains are accompanied by the scent of roasting pine needles and aromatic herbs. At the back of the Montagnette lies the monastery of St. Michel de Frigolet, built over eight centuries ago. You cycle through the charming villages of Graveson and Maillane before reaching Saint Rémy de Provence, an artists' town where Van Gogh spent the last year of his life.
You continue towards the Romanesque chapel of Saint Gabriel. From here you follow alongside the imposing silhouette of the Alpilles, among olive groves and almond trees. After lunch or a picnic in Fontvieille, you can visit the elegant Château d’Estoublon estate and sample their olive oils and fine wines. Riding into the heart of the Alpilles, you reach the famous Les Baux de Provence, a medieval village built atop a vertiginous rocky spur, and listed as “one of the most beautiful villages in France”. You continue biking southward to Arles. Here you get a glimpse of the famed Camargue region of vast flatlands covered in rice fields, and ranches with white horses and bulls. You pass an interesting set of Roman ruins along the way: a flour mill serviced by a 2000 year-old aqueduct. Arrive in Arles, capital of the Camargue, with its Roman amphitheatre. 
You leave Arles and head south towards the vast expanses of the Camargue. Horses, ponds, bulls, rice fields and reeds: the landscapes do not deceive, you are in the middle of the Camargue! You will discover the great wilderness of the Camargue with its large lagoons, its pink flamingos, and its ponds as far as the eye can see. The Vaccarès - from the Latin "vaccarum regio" (country of cows) - a vast pond of water covering one third of the area occupied by the ponds of Camargue. The National Reserve of Camargue was created in 1927 to protect animal and plant species.
End of trip in Arles after breakfast. Bye Bye Provence 
