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Remi grinning with her hair blowing in the wind as she rides standing up through the open roof of a safari jeep, with Alissa in a purple shirt taking the selfie and Dani in white behind them, the flat Camargue marsh in the background

France

Camargue Safari and Arles with Kids: Wild Horses, Flamingos, and Free Slides at LUMA

We took the 7:15 train from Nîmes to Arles for a private Camargue safari, then stayed on for a Roman arena, two playgrounds, and three stories of free twin slides at LUMA Arles.

Alissa ·

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After a relaxing weekend of parks, playgrounds, and market picnics near our Nîmes home base, it was time for the one big day trip we'd booked from there. Our last full day in France would be a safari.

We got up early to catch the train from Nîmes to Arles for our safari in the Camargue, the big river delta park south of the city. The express takes about 30 minutes but only runs once an hour, which meant getting on the 7:15 train even though our tour didn't start until 9. We'd rather be close and have breakfast than rush later, so we were out before nearly anyone else in Nîmes was on the street.

France, like a lot of places we've been in Europe, starts its day later than the US does. Some restaurants open at 8, more of them in tourist areas, but mostly for coffee and pastries, which is plenty for us. I picked up a few extra sausage rolls for the safari, and we found our tour meeting point.

Our private Camargue safari

We booked a private half-day 4x4 safari from Arles. Three jeeps were leaving that morning, and luckily one of them was just for us. Our guide, Oliver, was happy to adjust the stops to whatever the kids found most interesting, and that decision paid off almost right away.

Remi leaning against the front bumper of a Land Rover safari jeep on a country road, a blue sky with big clouds behind her
Dani smiling in sunglasses and a white shirt in the back of the safari jeep, with Arlo in a blue flamingo-print shirt and Remi grinning beside her

Remi posing with our jeep, and Dani, Arlo, and Remi settled into the back.

Cowboys, bulls, and Camargue horses

Because we skipped ahead of the other two jeeps, we arrived at an area just in time to watch the cowboys rounding up three bulls and herding them into a truck. The Camargue cowboys are called gardians, and they work the herds on horseback. These bulls had been picked for that day's training or competitions, and I wasn't sure which. Oliver said we would normally have seen the selection too, three bulls chosen out of dozens, but for some reason it had happened earlier that morning.

Either way, we got to see the horses and gardians in action, and the kids were happy. After the bulls were loaded and driven away, we spent some time up close with the horses and cowboys.

The horses are a breed specific to this region, adapted to life in the delta over thousands of years. Oliver pointed out their stocky build and wide hooves, made for walking through water, and told us they not only survive on the brackish water but are the only breed that can hold their breath and dive for food. Camargue horses are also born dark and turn white as they age.

Remi holding out a bunch of grass through a wire fence to a white Camargue horse while Dani helps her, more white horses standing in the dusty paddock behind
Oliver showed Remi how to hold the grass so a Camargue horse could take it right out of her hand.

We kept driving around the delta, past packs of bulls and cows and a few other manades (the ranches where the herds live) with horses waiting for their time to work. At one stop along the road Oliver pulled over and showed Remi how to hold bunches of grass from the side of the road, so she could feed the horses herself.

Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer

Next we visited an amazing little village at the end of the delta, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, which sits right on the Mediterranean. The village is known for its pilgrimages, including a big annual gathering of Romani people each May, and for its fortified church. According to legend, Mary Jacobé and Mary Salomé, two followers of Jesus, landed here by boat, and the church that stands in the village today dates to the 1100s.

We had 45 minutes here, and of course Remi was straight into the sea, diving into waves with pure smiles. Arlo slept through the whole stop, which we didn't mind after our early wake-up.

Waves rolling onto the dark sand beach at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, a stone jetty on the horizon and swimmers in the surf under a blue sky streaked with clouds
Arlo fast asleep in his seatbelt in the jeep, wrapped in a blue blanket and wearing a flamingo-print shirt

The waves at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, and Arlo sleeping through all of it.

Flamingos from the sunroof

After our rest we got back in the jeep and drove an off-road trail that's only open to safari cars, pedestrians, and bikes. That meant we could take off our seatbelts and stand up through the sunroof, which was a thrill for Remi. Arlo was happy to stay buckled in at first, but he finally asked to come up too.

Here, and a bit in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, we saw flocks of flamingos. They're native to this area, but somehow they still look very exotic.

Two pink flamingos wading in shallow grey water with their heads down, feeding, and a flat marsh shoreline in the distance
A close profile of Remi with her hair streaming back in the wind, one hand on the edge of the jeep roof, sky and marsh blurring past
Remi and Alissa in a purple shirt standing up through the open roof of the jeep, looking out over a sandy flat and marsh stretching to the horizon
The family standing in the open back of the white safari jeep on the trail, Dani holding Arlo up, under a big blue sky

Flamingos feeding in the lagoon, and the rest of us standing up through the roof on the off-road trail.

There were a few more small groups of bulls and cows, but otherwise not a lot of animal spotting. The scenery was beautiful enough, though, and the timing was just right: about 20 minutes down the trail, then back to the safari office in Arles to say goodbye to Oliver.

A few more hours in Arles

We decided to stay in Arles a bit longer to explore the town, and also because the only 30-minute express back to Nîmes was at 5pm. The other options involved transfers and well over 90 minutes of travel. What we found was a pleasant surprise: another beautiful city center packed with interesting alleys, few motorists, and great food options.

It feels more touristy than Nîmes, and we found out why when we reached the boardwalk. Its spot on the Rhône makes it a popular stop for river boat cruises.

We walked around the arena, which is not as big as the Nîmes amphitheatre but just as grand, and like Nîmes it's still in use today.

The weathered arched stone exterior of the Roman arena in Arles curving along a street, with a church steeple and old buildings beyond
Remi sitting on the stone steps in front of the arena with Arlo on her back, both beaming
A narrow gravel alley in Arles under a canopy of ivy and vines, Remi and Arlo walking ahead with Alissa
Remi standing with her back to the camera in front of a statue of the Virgin Mary and rows of red and colored votive candles in the stone church of Saint-Trophime

The arena from the street, the kids on the arena steps, an ivy-covered alley, and Remi at a wall of candles in Saint-Trophime, the main old church in the city center.

We walked through the Jardin d'été, and the kids played at the playground at one end. It was the first of two playgrounds we squeezed in before our train.

Remi and Arlo rocking together in a big wooden boat-shaped spring rocker on a red rubber playground surface under tall trees
Playground stop in the Jardin d'été.

LUMA Arles and the twin slides

Then we found something that really stood out. Looking for another nature escape, we stumbled onto LUMA Arles at the Parc des Ateliers, a former railway workshop district that's now an arts campus. Its centerpiece is the ultra-modern Tour LUMA, designed by Frank Gehry for the LUMA Foundation, which was founded by Maja Hoffmann. The tower is about 56 meters tall and covered in stainless steel panels that catch the light, and it opened in 2021.

The twisting silver stainless steel tower of LUMA Arles glinting above a stone wall and trees against a blue sky streaked with cloud
Silver tube slides spiraling down the inside of the LUMA tower atrium past a glass wall and stone-clad panels
The view from the viewing platform of the LUMA tower over the red-tiled rooftops of Arles, the edge of the steel tower in the foreground and the Rhône in the distance

The tower from the garden path, the spiral slides inside, and the view from the viewing platform at the top.

The standout for us, and mostly for Remi, was the three-story indoor twin slides, free to ride as many times as you want. She was nervous at first, but after watching me take the first slide, she followed and came out the bottom with a smile. She was halfway up the stairs for the next ride before Dani could catch up, and she likely did ten more after that. Arlo was too short, unfortunately, since attendants manage the slides and enforce the rules.

We managed to pull them away long enough to go up to the viewing platform and see a few of the installations. Most of the exhibits need a paid ticket, but there was plenty to do for free that we didn't feel the need.

Free at LUMA Arles when we visited: the twin slides, the 9th-floor viewing platform, the open installations on the 8th floor, and the library and art exhibit on the 4th. The slides have attendants who enforce a height minimum, so check with a younger kid before you promise a ride, and the other galleries need a paid ticket.

Gelato, one more playground, and the train back

After the tower we found a gelato spot, then one last playground near the river to kill some time before our train. We made it back to Nîmes exhausted and ready to say goodbye to France and head to Barcelona tomorrow.

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