The Camargue

Around Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer lies a multifaceted territory, shaped by water, wide open spaces, and traditions.

The Camargue can be discovered through its landscapes and wildlife at the Pont de Gau Ornithological Park, but also through its traditional skills, such as rice cultivation and Camargue horse breeding. Museums offer a deeper understanding of this unique land: the Camargue Museum, the Rice Museum, and the Paul Ricard Museum at the Domaine de Méjanes.

Nearby, Arles offers another perspective on the region, while visits to bull ranches (manades) provide opportunities to meet those who perpetuate Camargue traditions.

A land of traditions

Between ponds, marshes, rice paddies, and pastures, the Camargue possesses an identity deeply intertwined with its environment. Here, horses and bulls are an integral part of the landscape, while rice cultivation bears witness to the work of people with this wetland. To better understand this territory, visits to museums, estates, and ranches offer numerous ways to discover its history, skills, and traditions.

Birdwatching

At the Pont de Gau Ornithological Park, nature can be discovered along paths laid out in a 60-hectare area.

Ponds, marshes, reedbeds and salt meadows provide habitat for numerous bird species. It is a particularly good place to observe flamingos in their natural environment, in the heart of the Camargue landscapes.

Understanding the Camargue

Housed in a former sheepfold at the Mas du Pont de Rousty, the Camargue Museum explores the relationship between humankind and nature in this region. The permanent exhibition allows visitors to discover the Camargue of yesterday and today through objects, installations, videos, and contemporary artworks.

Rice in the rice paddy

In Albaron, the Maison du Riz (Rice House) offers an educational introduction to Camargue rice cultivation. Located on a working rice farm, it showcases the equipment used, the rice grain itself, and its various processing stages. An outdoor trail also allows visitors to explore the rice paddies and this iconic crop of the region.

The Camargue horse

At Mas de la Cure, the Maison du Cheval Camargue (Camargue Horse House) offers visitors the chance to discover the breeding of purebred Camargue horses in their natural habitat. This former agricultural estate, located on the banks of the Petit Rhône river, is now a site dedicated to the preservation of heritage and biodiversity. Guided tours of the herd are available by reservation.

Méjanes & Paul Ricard

Between Arles and Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, the Domaine de Méjanes immerses you in the heart of Camargue traditions. Its Paul Ricard Museum retraces the life and career of the entrepreneur through his personal belongings, photographs, documents, and testimonials. The estate also offers opportunities to discover the Camargue bull herd and culture.

Arles & the herds

Just a few kilometers from Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, Arles is an essential stop for discovering another side of the Camargue. To delve deeper into the traditions, visits to the herds offer the chance to meet the herdsmen, horses, and bulls, and to better understand a culture deeply rooted in this region.