The Camargue

Imagine… vast stretches of land and water, paddy fields as far as the eye can see, channels criss-crossing, an endless plain bathed in sunshine and caressed by the Mistral, the realm of flamingos, bulls and Camargue horses.

Natural Languedoc Roussillon, South of France

Camargue - Natural France

The Camargue is home to a quite exceptional range of flora and fauna, a true European sanctuary for wildlife: the land of the bull, of the horse and of both resident and migratory birdlife.

At the place where the ‘little arm’ of the Rhône stretches into the sea, you can hunt for happy memories and images all year round in an area that extends for over 20,000 hectares between the Little Rhône and Le Grau du Roi, in the heart of what is known as the plain of Aigues-Mortes.

This is where the romance of the Camargue, with its ‘cowboys’ and manades – herds of bulls or horses – gives rise in the summer season to traditional festivals that centre on the two animals that are basic to the Camargue: the horse and the bull. In Camargue, riding is a passion - and a great way to explore the area. After all this wealth of wildlife, there is yet another surprise in store for you if you come across the salt workers, gathering the salt that has been dried by the mistral, or the herdsmen, mounted on their horses and with their tridents in their hands, herding home the bulls in the evening.

Scamandre Regional Natural Park

Stretching over 215 hectares on the edge of the Scamandre lagoon, the park is surrounded by the largest cultivated reed-bed in western Europe. It offers an unbelievably wide range of habitats, each with its characteristic flora and fauna. To help to increase your awareness of the need to preserve such areas, you can learn all about them by means of guided tours and evening themed presentations.

Magnificent salt marshes... Aigues Mortes

Mountains of white camargue salt rise above the red water to meet the blue sky. In this magnificent landscape the salt workers produce sea salt. You can set off on board a little train to find out all about the ‘manufacture’ of salt and also about the flora and fauna of the Camargue.

INFORMATION

Réserve du Scamandre
Route des Iscles à Gallician
Tél: 00 33 (0)4 66 73 52 05
Site web: http://www.camarguegardoise.com

Les Salins du Midi - Pole Camargue - Route du Grau du Roi - 30220 Aigues-Mortes
Tél: 00 33 (0)4.66.73.40.24 – Fax 00 33 (0)4.66.73.40.21
Site Web: http://www.visitesalinaiguesmortes.fr
E-mail: salinstourisme@salins.com