PROVENCE AND THE CAMARGUE

Avignon – Aigues-Mortes on even weeks

Reverse itinerary on odd weeks

SUNDAY, Day 1   Avignon
Transfer from a defined picking point to Le Phénicien which is moored close to the Avignon ramparts. Time for a little nap or a free visit of the town. Our first dinner on board gives an indication of the high standard of cuisine that will be served during the cruise and the accompanying wines have been specially chosen from top-notch local vineyards.

Golf option: Arrival day, no golf today.

MONDAY, Day 2   Avignon / Vallabregues
History and wines are our centers of interest today. We start with a visit of one of the best cellars of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. After the vineyards and the cellar visits, a wine tasting is organized. Then we take a guided tour to learn about the religious and artistic importance of the city's prestigious past with the palace of the Popes visit.

Golf option: Golf Grand Avignon, 18 holes, PAR 72, 6046 m. Charming and quiet golf with bunkers and lakes. Uncommon covered practice area over water.

www.golfgrandavignon.com

This afternoon, we sail down to Vallabrègues, a quiet and charming little port where it is good to rest and play the pétanque. The wines tasted in the morning are back on the table at dinner.

TUESDAY, Day 3   Vallabregues / Arles
Spots of legend are many in the surroundings and we have the choice between the monumental Pont du Gard and the charming mediaeval village of Les Baux de Provence for example.

Golf option: Golf de Châteaublanc, 18 holes, PAR 72, 6141 m. Nice golf famous for organizing national competitions all year long. www.golfchateaublanc.com

After lunch we cruise down to Arles. Thanks to its wealth of Roman and mediaeval monuments, many of which are classified world heritage sites by UNESCO, the city could be called an open-air museum.

WEDNESDAY, Day 4   Arles / Bellegarde
Our guided visit in Arles will delve deep into antiquity and, at the same time, unravel the joys and despair of Van Gogh who painted 300 canvases during his year here in 1888.

Golf option: Golf de Servanes, 18 holes, PAR 72, 6121 m. Top ranking French golf and the unique experience of playing golf within Cezanne's favorite landscapes.

www.opengolfclub.com/pagregriviera.html

And so to the Camargue as we head west on the Canal du Rhône à Sète that links the Petit Rhône with the étangs, those inland seas that nudge the Med to the south of Montpellier. We moor in Bellegarde, a typical village proud of its bull fights traditions.

THURSDAY, Day 5   Bellegarde / St Gilles
After a guided tour to Beaucaire or Tarascon, the twin towns separated by the Rhône river, and their famous castles from the middle age, we set off for a heady visit of a famous Costières de Nîmes cellar. There we shall learn about how the ancient Romans made the wine, 20 centuries ago. The tasting session promises to remain in our memories for long.

Golf option: Golf de Nimes-Campagne, 18 holes, PAR 72, 6200 m. Since 1969, definitely one of the most beautiful private golf courses in France lately opened to green cards.

www.sunfrance.com/golf/campagne.asp

We navigate on the canal down to Saint Gilles, a city famous in the middle age for its Christian pilgrimages.

FRIDAY, Day 6   St Gilles / Aigues Mortes
For our last day of excursion, what would you say about a nice trip in the deep heart of the wild Camargue? There we reach one of the most prestigious manade, a typical ranch, where the gardians à cheval, the local authentic cow-boys, show us how they tend the herds of bulls on their superb white horses.

Golf option: Golf de La Grande Motte, 18 holes, PAR 72, 6161 m. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Senior, this famous golf course meanders through The Camargue landscapes. Black bulls and pink flamingoes are not far.

www.sunfrance.com/golf/grandemotte.asp

Our final destination is Aigues-Mortes, a 14th century walled city rising from a flat landscape. This was the port from which St Louis set sail on his Crusades and it now provides us with a paradox - a perfectly preserved mediaeval fortress yet with a rectangular grid structure reminiscent of a new world town - the Camargue never fails to surprise.

SATURDAY, Day 7   Aigues Mortes
After breakfast, morning departure to the defined transfer point.

-        Golf Cruises are available for charter groups at a supplement of $700 per person. Please contact us for itinerary. (non golfers in the group do not pay supplement)

-        *Wine Appreciation Cruises are available for charter groups at a supplement $490 per person. A minimum base of 9 passengers is required  Please contact us for itinerary. 

-        Cycling Cruises are available for charter groups at a supplement $220 per person for all-road bikes and $390 for road bike rental. A minimum base of 9 passengers is required  Please contact us for itinerary.