Regional nature park of Camargue
Wild and essential, the Camargue is the territory where men live with horses, bulls, birds, the sky and the water.
The magic of a country with preserved natural spaces, a fragile sanctuary of exceptional flora and fauna in Europe, protected by the Camargue Regional Natural Park, it offers a unique panorama in Provence. It is also as a natural space of world interest that the city of Arles is classified by UNESCO as World Heritage of Humanity.
South of Arles, in the Rhône delta, the Camargue covers an area of 150,000 hectares between sky, land and sea. Covered with ponds and lagoons, it is a land of breeding horses and bulls that live in freedom amidst the flamingos and hundreds of other animal species. The Camargue is the largest wetland in France. It is internationally recognized for nature conservation and the protection of birds. Nearly 2/3 of the birds observed in Europe are present in the Camargue, which makes it a very popular place for bird watchers, professionals or amateurs.
Visits to museums or natural spaces, walking or horse riding between the sea and ponds, tourist route or rest on the beaches … it’s up to you to plan your visit, always keeping in mind that preserving the beauty of the Camargue belongs to you too!
To discover:
- Marais du Vigueirat Nature Reserve
- Marais du Verdier
- Capelière Nature Reserve
- Mas du Pont de Rousty
- Pont de Gau ornithological park
- Aigues-Mortes, citadel placed in the middle of marshes and lagoons
- Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, capital of the Camargue, seaside resort and place of pilgrimage.
Discovery tours
The Camargue Regional Nature Park offers 14 tours to discover its territory, on foot, by bicycle or by car, to observe all the diversity of the Camargue landscapes: from the vineyards in the north to the beaches in the south, via sansouires and the salt marshes. These sheets allow walkers to take full advantage of their visit while keeping in mind that the preservation of the beauty of this territory also belongs to them.
The Camargue Regional Nature Park, created in 1970, covers 100,000 ha of land in three towns, Arles, Les Saintes-Maries- de-la-Mer and Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, with a Park population of 10,000 inhabitants. Its main mission is to conciliate the development of human activities and nature conservation. The Park works in favor of “responsible” tourism, and accompanies tourism professionals who are looking for quality services (“Parc” label, European sustainable-tourism charter…), and by encouraging tourists to use alternate means of transportation other than the car.
Available in French, English and German, these 14 routes can be downloaded online at:
