France: Birds & Art in Provence

Eurasian Spoonbills and Greater Flamingo © Rick Wright

This leisurely tour combines comfortable birding in open landscapes with first-rate food and cultural sightseeing and a usually balmy climate.

Mediterranean France is an ancient landscape, justly famous for the diversity of its birdlife and for the richness of its 2,000-year-old culture. Our relaxed tour is based at a single comfortable hotel in Arles, the city founded by Julius Caesar for the veterans of his campaigns in Gaul. With easy access to the renowned coastal marshes of the Camargue and to cultural and historic sites from Antiquity and the Middle Ages to the days of Van Gogh, Arles is the perfect base to enjoy a classically Mediterranean avifauna alongside some of the most famous artistic and architectural treasures in the world.

On some days, birding will predominate, while others will be devoted primarily to historical sites, but most of our time will feature a balance between birds and culture. Late morning starts, leisurely meals, and plenty of free time built in for shopping, strolling, or enjoying the sights ensure a relaxed pace, and the food, the wine, and the varied landscapes of Provence combine to make this an especially appealing European sojourn for birders and non-birders alike.