Camargue (Provence - Alpes - Cote d'Azur, France) - exact location, interesting places, inhabitants, routes.
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The Camargue is a protected natural park in the Rhone Delta, unique for its boundless pastel landscapes, where the whitish sand of sea lagoons gives way to salt marshes and reed marshes with undergrowth of silver-violet tones. More than 300 species of migratory birds nest in the Camargue, including the pink flamingo - in spring the population of this species can reach 25 thousand birds! Other "living" attractions of the reserve include free-herding, black Camargue bulls and very hardy white stocky "mustangs", the ancestors of the prehistoric horse breed of the Paleolithic era.
The population of this region is engaged in the production of salt, the cultivation of rice, olives, organic vegetables and fruits, winemaking, farming and organization of ecological tourism. Many private hotels and farmlands offer secluded recreation with horseback riding, hiking trails, ornithological expeditions, sea fishing and beach holidays. The gastronomic souvenirs of the Camargue are, first of all, Le Muscat de Lunel and Bel Air la Cote wines, a variety of tapenades (pastes made from grated olives with spices and herbs), olive oil, sea salt with spices, raw smoked sausages and canned bovine meat stews.
In the south of France, on the Mediterranean coast, .
The Camargue is a wetland, a mixture of salt marshes, reed marshes, sea lagoons and alluvial sand islands. These places were chosen by numerous birds and many animals. The symbols of the Camargue are pink flamingos, black bulls and unique wild white Camargue horses that exist only here.
Geography of the Camargue:
The Camargue is divided by branches of the Rhone into three parts:
- Little Camargue (Petite Camargue) in the west of the Little Rhone
- Big Camargue - in the center between the Little and Big Rhone, mostly a lagoon.
- Plan du Bourg to the east.
Camargue landscape:
The Camargue is a flat, flat landscape of interspersed ponds and meadows. Not as impressive as the neighboring ones, but the main thing here is not the landscape, but nature. You don't even have to look too closely - you'll see interesting birds and animals in their natural habitat. It does not matter how you go to see the Camargue - by car, on foot or by boat - nature, amazing in its naturalness and beauty, awaits you.
To admire the birds, it is worth visiting the Pont de Gau ornithological park - it is from there that photos of tender flamingos crowded in the pond. Well, in addition to them, there are many other birds, information about which can be found from the information boards. The park is equipped with special viewing platforms to make it more convenient to admire the birds and disturb them as little as possible.
Ornithological park Pont de Gau:
This is a huge nature reserve with an area of 120 hectares, where you can see 260 species of birds. Some of them live in the park permanently, while others migrate depending on the season. For tourists in the park, a special route has been developed with viewing points in some places. The map can be obtained at the park, along with the entrance ticket.
- Entrance: 7.5 €
- Opening hours: summer 9:00 - 19:00
Camargue horses:
About 4,000 wild horses of a special local breed, which are called the "Camargue horse", live on the territory of the Camargue Reserve. An interesting fact is that the foals of Camargue horses have a bay or black color, but over time it brightens and becomes snow-white. Zoologists are still arguing about the origin of these beautiful animals. Genetically, the Camargue is close to the ancient horses of the Upper Paleolithic, common in Europe about 45 thousand years ago. Camargues differ from thoroughbred horses in their extraordinary endurance and unpretentiousness.
According to historical chronicles, after the conquest of Gaul, Julius Caesar quartered the veterans of the glorious 6th region in. They started breeding and improving the breed of local horses. It began to bring a good income, so it soon became a prosperous city.
View Camargue:
There are several options for admiring the beauties of the Camargue:
- On foot(there are several routes in the Camargue, on foot, by bike or by car. There is one route from, there is a themed route with flamingos)
- On a tourist mini train(from - 7 euros, inexpensive, but shaky)
- On the ship(from there are cruises on the Little Rhone, an hour and a half, 12 euros, with stops to admire the animals closer)
- Horse rides(depending on the time, from 20 euros per person, by prior arrangement)
- Car safaris(approximately - from 40 euros for 2 hours per person)
Cruises in the Camargue from Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer:
Most often, they go to the Camargue from the resort town. From here, in the high season, several routes along the Little Rhone depart, lasting an hour and a half. The trip is accompanied by comments. The ship stops at a couple of places so that tourists can take pictures of the animals closer.
- Cruise duration: 1:30
- Cost: 12 euros
- Route - Petit Rhone - from Saint Maries-de-la-Mer to Bac du Savage with stops at horse and bull farms when you can take pictures.
- 3 companies: Bateau Camargue, TIKI III, LES QUATRE MARIES
- Departure from the port of Sainte-Marie de la Mer
- Boarding is 15 minutes before departure.
- The minimum group is 6 people.
Cruises to the Camargue:
- Bateau Camargue: From July 9 to August 31: 10:45, 14:30, 16:10, 17:55, in September: 10:30, 14:30, 16:10, from October 1 to 13 10:30 and 14: 30, from October 14 to November 1 - 14:30.
- TIKI III: April - September 10:00, 14:30, 16:15, from July 14 to August 31 - additionally 11:30, 18:00, the second half of March and October - only 14:30.
- LES QUATRE MARIES: 10:30, 14:30, 16:15, in July - August - additionally at 18:00.
Click on the image to enlarge the map.
Photo 1: Camargue. Provence, France.
1. The Biosphere Reserve (Camargue) is located at the mouth of the Rhone River, in the very South of France in Provence,. The Rhone River, flowing into the Mediterranean, is divided into two branches and therefore the Camargue is divided into 3 regions: Plan du Bourg lies to the east of the Greater Rhone, Greater Camargue lies between the Greater and Lesser Rhone, and Lesser Camargue lies to the west of the Lesser Rhone.
Photo 2. White horses Camargue and flamingos.
2. Photo 2: Camargue,, reed lagoon. Camargue, Provence is a truly unique region in the South of France. Provence, perhaps, has no equal in France in terms of the variety of landscapes and industrial zones. Alpine meadows, mountains, plains, Mediterranean beaches and marshy areas such as the Camargue, make traveling in Provence an exciting adventure. In addition to natural beauties, Provence has the most picturesque, a lot of historical sights and artifacts that have survived to this day from the time of the Ancient Roman Empire.
3. Camargue Biosphere Reserve. Provence, France.
Photo 3. Camargue Biosphere Reserve, Provence, France.
In 1977, the Camargue acquired the status of a biosphere reserve, and it is largely thanks to this status that this marshy lowland has preserved the richness of flora and fauna. Over 300 types migratory birds find rest and food in the Camargue during long seasonal migrations. The Camargue is also famous for its high-quality rice, the plantations of which are located mainly in the territory of the Petit Camargue. The fauna of the Camargue is not inferior in diversity to its flora. The famous black bulls of the Camargue are highly valued in neighboring Spain, in addition, there is a fairly large population of wild white horses and pink flamingos in the Camargue.
4. How to get to the Camargue.
The nearest airport to the Camargue is the air harbor of Marseille, the capital of Provence. It is very convenient to get to the Camargue from Paris by railway. You need to buy a ticket for the TGV high-speed train to Avignon (about 40 euros), and then from Avignon get to Arles or, after that, transfer to a bus to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.
5. Routes in the Camargue. Provence, France.
Photo 4. Sunset in the Camargue, Provence, France.
a) The Riders' Trail. For inquisitive travelers, there are three interesting routes around the Camargue. The first walking route is called Draille de Mejanes, the so-called trail of drivers 4 kilometers from Sainte-Marie. Walking along this route, you can see a herd of black bulls on natural pastures and numerous families of wild boars in reed beds.
Photo. Camargue, Provence, France. Curtains on the Espiquette beach.
b) Flamingo trail. At 5 kilometers from the Salis de Giro, a route begins where you can admire the huge flocks of pink flamingos in their natural habitat at the mouth of the Rhone River () Also, in places where small sandbanks appear every now and then, you can admire the flocks migratory birds, if the time of your excursion coincided with the period of immigration.
Photo 5. Bridge over the Rhone, Camargue, Provence, France.
c) Safari trail. The jeep ride seemed to be the most interesting for us. The price is 20 euros for an hour and a half and 100 euros for an 8-hour trip, plus an hour for a free lunch.
6. Sights of Provence near the Camargue.
Photo 6. Expanses of the Camargue, Provence.
Near the Camargue there are several picturesque small towns of Provence. Aigues-Mortes is notable for its ancient fortress wall, which is quite well preserved to this day, in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer you can visit the most interesting ornithological museum, and from the height of the city hall tower you can enjoy an amazing view of the Camargue. On the Camargue coast there is a magnificent deserted Espiquette beach, about 8 kilometers long. The beach is wild, but very picturesque and absolutely free. Do not forget to bring some food and drinks with you, there are no restaurants near the beach.
7. The city of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, the heart of the Camargue, Provence, France.
Photo 7: City of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, Camargue, Provence, France.
- a small town in the western part of the Camargue, Bouches-du-Rhone department, the starting point for a variety of excursion programs and safaris in the Camargue reserve. But Sainte-Marie-de-la-Mer, as a typical representative of the cities of the South of France, is quite remarkable in itself. This is a calm and cozy town of Provence, in which a little more than 2.5 thousand inhabitants live. The main attraction of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is the ancient cathedral of the 11th century, Notre-Dame-de-la-Mer, whose architecture evokes thoughts of medieval castle with the main donjon tower. Judge for yourself: photo 7 - the main nave of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-la-Mer, the city of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, in the vicinity of the Camargue, Provence, France.
Photo 8: Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer neighborhood.
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is also notable for its stunning sandy beaches on the Mediterranean coast of France. In 2012, thanks to them, the city of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer entered the 10 the best places for a beach holiday in France. Nothing strange, but 6 cities in this ranking belong to the region of Provence, France. The beaches of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer compare favorably with their counterparts on the Cote d'Azur, which is some 30-35 kilometers from Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. The picturesque surroundings of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer attracted the attention of such great artists as Van Gogh and Picasso, and the famous American writer Hemingway fished several times near this small town in the southeast of Provence.
8. .
Photo 8: white horses, Camargue, Provence.
About 4 thousand wild individuals of the local horse breed live in the vicinity of the Camargue. These are the so-called Camargue horses, the correct name is the Camargue horse. A slightly irrational spectacle of wild horses prancing along the edge of the surf in the very center of densely populated Provence, some fifty kilometers from half a million Marseilles, it is precisely this unusual accessibility of pristine harmony wildlife attracts many tourists to the Camargue. The white horses of the Camargue have a characteristic ash-white color, but it appears only by the age of three, until this age the Camargue horses have a black color.
Genetically, the Camargue horses are close to the ancient horses of the Upper Paleolithic, which roamed the vastness of Europe about 45 thousand years ago. Compared with their thoroughbred counterparts, Camargue horses are distinguished by extraordinary endurance and unpretentiousness.
There is a mention in the historical chronicles of ancient Roman authors that after the completion of the conquest of Gaul, Julius Caesar quartered the veterans of the famous 6th legion in the city of Arles (located in Provence, on the banks of the Rhone River, 45 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea, located in the Bouches-du- Ron). So these same veterans took up breeding and improving the local Camargue breed. Over time it got pretty profitable business and Arles became a rather prosperous city in the South of France in Provence.
There is an incredible nature reserve in the south of France called Camargue (Camargue). The swampy area in the Rhone River delta, a kind of analogue of the Astrakhan Nature Reserve, is a real oasis for a huge number of birds: ducks, herons, bitterns, owls, storks, lapwings and, of course, pink flamingos, which will be discussed in this entry. These are incredible beautiful birds, "children of sunset", find an abundance of food and safe nesting sites in the reserve. There are not so many corners in Europe where you can admire such an amazing sight - a reddish-orange steppe and a bright blue lagoon strewn with white and pink dots. If you are lucky, you will see flamingos up close, and maybe even in flight. But even from afar, they will not leave you indifferent.
The Camargue is 930 square kilometers of salt marshes, reed marshes, sea lagoons and alluvial sandy islands. The easiest way to get here is by car - two hours from Marseille or an hour from Montpellier. The reserve does not immediately make an impression, but the more you drive through it, the more interesting and diverse landscapes open up to your eyes.
Sea salt is present on land, in water and in the air. Only certain types of plants can survive in conditions that combine salt water, sand and dry soil, scorched by the bright sun of Provence.
Thickets of European saltwort give a special piquancy to the Camargue steppes. This unpretentious annual plant, which survives well in salt marshes, blooms in red, transforming earthly landscapes into Martian ones.
In France, soleros is sometimes used as a condiment or even a side dish. Plants extract soda from the ashes, and succulent stems can serve as livestock feed or raw material for biofuel.
For the first time I saw in France the soil cracked from the heat. An additional contrast to this phenomenon is given by the river flowing nearby.
And again tenacious soleros, only not yet reddened.
And in some places the Camargue is a real desert. It's amazing how such different landscapes can exist side by side.
In addition to flamingos, the reserve is famous for the local breeds of horses (white) and bulls (black). I managed to photograph the Camargue horses at one of the camps, but I never met the bulls. But at least he completed the main task of the trip. Which - you already guess and will soon see.
The search for flamingos turned out to be quite exciting. To start, I went to information Center, where a kind Frenchwoman showed on the map the most interesting places in the reserve, including a lake where pink birds hunt. On the way there, at every turn, I kept an eye on all the birds, but as a rule, it turned out to be small herons.
At first, nothing interesting was noticeable on the specified lake. But as soon as we walked literally a hundred meters, bright points appeared in the distance. My heart suddenly started beating faster. Did I come here for nothing?
I take out the camera, unscrew the zoom - and here it is, happiness!
Flamingos are engaged in the extraction of food - molluscs and crustaceans, so they constantly keep their beak at water level. It all looks rather strange and even scary - such wineskins on three legs, wandering along the lake with a strange gait.
It was not easy to catch the birds in some interesting pose - I got only one frame of rather average interestingness. Flamingos only raised their heads out of the water for a few seconds, and then dived again with their beaks.
And there were quite a lot of points in the distance.
Too far - 200 mm zoom was clearly not enough. And you can’t get closer - there is a kind of exclusion zone. People do not interfere with the birds, and they, in turn, do not fly away and allow themselves to be photographed - from a decent distance.
Rejoiced that the desire to see flamingos was fulfilled, I drove on. On the shore of a salt lake (which was once part of the sea) I saw a lone bird that did not want to turn around to face the photographer. In the background is the Gaschol lighthouse. That's where we'll go.
The road to the lighthouse can be summarized in one road sign. This is really 4 km of gravel with speed bumps every hundred to two hundred meters. Although it is worth noting that the main roads in the park are of excellent quality. However, as elsewhere in France.
Gashol lighthouse was built in 1882. Nearby is a dam that protects the mouth of the Rhone from the effects of the Mediterranean Sea.
The observation deck at the top was closed, and two cyclists were resting in the courtyard. The distances here are quite large - from the parking lot to the lighthouse on foot about 15 minutes, and the smallest circular route past the lighthouse is 10 km - it is most convenient to walk on a bicycle.
The scenery here is truly African. To be honest, I still could not believe that I was still in Europe. Red steppe (or savannah?), a lake with flamingos and mountains on the horizon.
Again 4 km of speed bumps and we return to the lake with flamingos. And then - about a miracle! The birds came closer, and even illuminated by the evening sun. We immediately stop and take out the camera.
Flamingos are very methodically combing the lake, stretching out in a chain and almost dividing the water surface into conditional squares. Apparently, they explored the part farthest from the road during the day, and in the evening they approached the shore.
In this shot, flamingos again look like waterskins on legs. With their strange gait, they reminded me of creatures from some terrible computer game or a horror movie.
Seeing people with a camera, the birds began to slowly move away from the shore. It's nothing you can do. I got into the car and drove slowly along the lake. And then I realized that if you stay in the car, the flamingos will not take you for a potential enemy and let you get closer. I stopped on a deserted road, opened the window, took out Nikon - and for a while forgot about everything except the viewfinder window.
So close to these birds, I never dreamed of coming.
The soft evening sun highlighted the pink plumage of the adults and the gray clothes of the young.
Flamingos, it turns out, are monogamous, although they like to live in colonies of several hundred and even thousands of individuals. They can live over 30 years in captivity.
In the backlight, the birds appear translucent.
Mother and son. Maybe dad and daughter. Do not disassemble.
I'm not afraid to say that these incredible creatures have become one of the highlights of this year. For the sake of such a performance, it was worth crossing France. I regret that I do not have a lens with a large focal length. However, I already complained about this when I went to the air show in Le Bourget. Airplanes are birds too. And yet, between spotting and animalistic photography, I would choose the latter.
And you, dear friends, had a chance to take pictures unusual birds and animals? Maybe you have been on a safari in Africa or in some other reserves? Share information and staff.
The most famous of the regional natural parks include the Camargue Nature Reserve, which occupies the entire western part of the vast Rhone Delta (an area of about 81,780 hectares).
These ancient regions of salt marshes, reed marshes, sea lagoons, hundreds of channels and sandy islands are considered the last site in Europe where you can see relic semi-steppe natural complexes that have completely disappeared in other areas.
Here, on an area of almost one and a half thousand square kilometers, pink flamingos, egrets and many waterfowl still nest, and in total up to 300 species of birds have been recorded. In the unique juniper forest (local juniper reaches a height of up to 7 meters with a trunk diameter of up to 50 cm!) and in endless reed beds of numerous channels and brackish estuaries, there are more than a hundred species of mammals. But " calling card"The Camargue, along with pink flamingos and small black bulls, are wild white horses that are also found nowhere else in Europe.
Important advice! If you want to make a fruitful photo session, you will have to take at least a 400 mm lens, and preferably more. Animals are kept at a very large distance.
In several places there are special trails with observation posts from where you can look at the fauna of these places.
Another tip: come to the Camargue in the morning, preferably before dawn. I'm sure you can take wonderful pictures with birds there.
👁 Do we always book a hotel on Booking? Not only Booking exists in the world (🙈 we pay for a horse percentage from hotels!) I have been practicing Rumguru for a long time, it’s really more profitable 💰💰 Booking.
