Quick answer
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is about 77 km from Uzès, 1h17 by car according to a route planner. There is no direct bus: the best public transport route takes about 3h53 with transfers, so this is a day for a car. The Pont de Gau bird park, about 4 km before the village on the road from Arles, is open in winter, and winter is the best season for the flamingos.
Good for: a long day by the sea in the cooler months, flamingos, and a village with a church you can climb.
Not for: 24 and 25 May unless you want the pilgrimage crowds, or a car-free day.
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is the village on the Camargue coast where the Gitans gather each May. Aigues-Mortes and the Camargue covers the walled town and the wetlands on the way; Arles and Saint-Gilles lie on the same side, and Le Grau-du-Roi is the beach alternative.
| What | What to know | Check before you go |
|---|---|---|
| Drive from Uzès | About 77 km and 1h17 by car (a route planner, Rome2Rio; its page for the opposite direction gives 1h16). There is no direct bus, and the best public transport route takes about 3h53 with transfers. La Valette is five minutes from Uzès. | A live map on the day. |
| The church | Notre-Dame-de-la-Mer was fortified from the 14th century and dominates the village. A spiral stair, 53 steps according to one site, leads to the roof terrace with its battlements. The crypt under the choir holds the statue of Sara, patron saint of the Gitans, blackened by candle smoke. | Hours differ between pages (one gives every day 9:00 to 19:00, another 8:00 to 19:00 from April to September and 8:30 to 18:00 from October to March, with the roof from 9:00 to 18:00); the price of the roof also differs. Check on the spot. |
| The pilgrimage | Each year on 24 and 25 May the three saints are carried to the sea: Sara's procession on 24 May, the boat of the saints the next day. The 2026 edition took place on those dates and, according to a press report, brought several thousand people. | The programme of 2027 was not published when we checked. |
| The market and the museum | The Provençal market is held on Monday and Friday mornings, 8:00 to 12:30 according to one listing, on the avenue de la République (also called place des Gitans). The museum at 6 avenue Théodore Aubanel holds the collections of the former Baroncelli museum, which is closed; its listings give 10:00 to 12:30 and 13:30 to 18:00 every day from June to September, and Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 12:30 and 13:30 to 17:00 from October to May. | The listings differ on the closing dates of the museum; check them, and the market hours, before you drive. |
| The Pont de Gau bird park | About 4 km from the village on the road to Arles. Flamingos are there all year, in the largest numbers in winter, and their courtship displays run from December to late February; early light is best. For the winter season to 31 March 2027 most listings give 10:00 to 17:00 every day (one gives 10:00 to 18:00), closed on 25 December. The exit is separate from the reception and stays open until sunset. | Trail lengths differ between pages (2.8 km, 4.3 km, or loops of about 2.5 and 7 km), and the closing time differs; check the park's own times. We found no source on the beaches. |
In winter
Flamingos and quiet streets
Winter is the best season for the flamingos, the bird park stays open on its winter hours, and the market runs on Monday and Friday all year according to one listing. Wrap up: the coast is open to the wind.
A day
Market, church, flamingos
On a Monday or a Friday, start with the market, climb the church, then drive the 4 km back toward Arles for the bird park. On other days leave the market out and give the park more time.
Combine
Add Arles or Aigues-Mortes
Arles lies on the road you take back, and Aigues-Mortes and the Camargue has the ramparts and the salt flats. Saint-Gilles is a shorter stop on the way home.
Frequently asked
A day on the Camargue coast
About 77 km and 1h17 by car according to a route planner (Rome2Rio). There is no direct bus: the best public transport route takes about 3h53 with transfers.
Every year on 24 and 25 May: Sara's procession to the sea on 24 May and the boat of the saints on 25 May. The 2026 edition took place on those dates; the programme of 2027 was not published when we checked.
Flamingos live there all year, and the numbers are largest in winter. Their courtship displays run from December to late February, and early light is best, according to the park listings we found.
Monday and Friday mornings, 8:00 to 12:30 according to one listing, on the avenue de la République (also called place des Gitans). Check the hours before you drive.
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