The history of Saintes Maries de la Mer

The village of Saintes Maries de la Mer, land of welcome, tradition and pilgrimage, is built between sky and sea, where the Rhône embraces the Mediterranean.

A legendary site, its shore welcomed, at the dawn of Christianity, Marie Jacobé, Marie Salomé and their servant Sara, persecuted Christians fleeing Palestine on a rudderless boat. The village offers the visitor the image of its haughty and protective church and promises a visit rich in emotions under an ever new light.

In the shade of its Romanesque bell tower, the visitor strolls through the cobbled streets, in the footsteps of pilgrims. From the roof of the church, gazing on the lookout, nose and hair in the wind, he lets himself be won over by the emotion of the great outdoors, future scenes of discovery and warm encounters with the men and women herdsmen who walk through horse on the pastures of bulls promised to a glorious future.

From the village, his footsteps guide him towards the dunes, the fine sandy beaches, the vast expanses of reeds and the herds. Lover of nature and wide open spaces, he tastes the joys of hiking and horseback riding, admires the ballet of birds, gives in to the intoxication of navigation and sliding in high winds.

Saintes Maries de la Mer is the capital for those who fall in love with the Camargue, bewitched by its wild beauty, its culture and its living and authentic traditions.