The tourist resort of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, surrounded by the étangs (shallow lakes) of the Petit Rhone delta, with the Mediterranean Sea in the distance. Legend suggests that three biblical Marys arrived here by sea, hence the name ‘St Marys of the Sea’
The River Rhone originates in the Swiss Alps and flows through the French Alps to the Mediterranean Sea (see map on the back page). It has a swift current which enables it to carry a large amount of material— some 20 million cubic metres each year — down to the sea. Shifting shingle banks are common in the lower course, and this makes the river difficult to navigate.
When the Rhone reaches the Mediterranean the current dies and the load is deposited. Because of the weak tide and currents in the Mediterranean the material deposited by the river has formed western Europe’s largest river delta.
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