Camargue

About a 50 minute car journey to the South-West of Avignon you will find 'la France Sauvage'- the very wild and haunting Camargue region.

This delta of the Rhone was officially established as a regional park and nature reserve in 1970, the Parc Naturel Régional de Camargue covers 820 km² that are some of the wildest and most protected in all of Europe.

Miles of flat pastures and salty wetlands inhabited by black 'toro' bull, white horses and diverse waterfowl including the pink flamingo, meet the wild and barren coastline.

There is a strong Spanish influence in this region, which you will see in the architecture and the national dress of the Camarguaise, especially the famous Cowboys of the Carmargue.

The salt marshes near Salin-de-Giraud in the southeast corner of the Camargue are famous for their salt production, producing up to 15,000 tons a day in the summer and the rice fields produce a quarter of all rice eaten in France

The Camargue's white sandy beaches and accompanying dunes continue for miles along this part of the French coast and although you will find that the more popular resorts and towns such as Saintes- Maries-de- la- Mer, Le Grau de Roi and Aigues Mortes are close to wonderful beaches, it is also possible to find almost deserted stretches to spend a day.

The medieval fortress town of Aigues-Mortes is a wonderful place to end the day after a long afternoon on the beach. The main Place is very lively and colourful and has an abundance of bars and good restaurants that specialise in seafood. Here you can relax on the terrace of a bar or restaurant and take in the very special evening light that you find only in the Camargue.