Bouches-du-Rhône

Bouches-du-Rhône is commonly regarded as the oldest part of Provence. Bouches-du-Rhône is bordered by the Rhône Delta to the west, the Durance River to the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the south, while the Massif de Ste-Beaume forms a less pronounced border to the east.

This department is made up of plains and hills, vast expanses of gnarled olive trees, almond trees and tall, slender cypresses, and the Mediterranean coastline. This is also where you'll find the vast marshlands of the Rhône Delta, known as the Camargue, where you can see exotic birds, wild horses and bulls, flamingos and large salt mountains. The Camargue is also the centre of French rice production, so much so in fact that France is self-sufficient in rice. Carmargue is completely different from any other area in Provence.

Bouches-du-Rhône is also home to the ancient city of Arles with its magnificent Roman arena, the elegant university town and capital of Provence, Aix-en-Provence, the large harbour city of Marseille, famous for its fish soup, bouillabaisse, and the smaller port cities of la Ciotat and Cassis, where the coast is broken by the breathtaking Calanques, fjord-like coves between vertical white cliffs.

In Bouches-du-Rhône, temperatures rise to 28-35 degrees in high season. The highest temperatures will always be found inland. Temperatures are around 11 degrees centigrade in winter on the coast and slightly lower inland at around 7 degrees centigrade. In the hinterland, temperatures can even drop to freezing for short periods of time. The rainy season is usually during autumn and spring. This is also the time of year when you can experience the strong wind, the Mistral.