The words ‘the South of France’, or ‘Southern France’, immediately evoke memories of the bright colors of the Côte d'Azur - Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Nice and neighboring Monte-Carlo. Luxurious resorts, expensive yachts, world famous restaurants, hotels and casinos, where Arab sheikhs, Hollywood stars, billionaires from Russia and other countries like to throw away money. It is quite difficult to relax here economically and in a quality environment due to the number of people coming here in the height of the season and crowded beaches. And is it worth it? Quite nearby - in the triangle between Marseille, Arles and Montpellier, the real pearl of France is located - a natural park of incomparable beauty and rich in natural diversity.
It seems as if the Camargue is specially hiding from an inexperienced traveler. The 100,000-hectare regional and national park in the Rhône Delta can show its beauty only to those who want to get to know the region on foot or by bicycle - fortunately, hiking and cycling routes are well-thought-out. And there is certainly much to see here.
Where to begin
Arles is considered the official capital of the Camargue, but this ‘little French Rome’ is so nice and wonderful for studying the works by Van Gogh who lived and got treatment here that inevitably distracts from what the experienced ecotourists had done their long trips for.
Therefore, we immediately went to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer - the unofficial but real capital of the Camargue - and saved Arles for last obeying the voice of Nature and taking into account the weather forecast promising no rain or strong wind in the coming days. From here, many kilometers long tours begin through the unique landscape - the sea, dunes, various ponds, dams, swamps, salt marshes, mosses radiating all the colours of the rainbow, and hundreds of various plants.
However, even while traveling by bus from Arles to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer and crossing the Camargue from north to south, there is a chance to see local ‘attractions’ from the window - both jet black bulls grazing and the unique white horses that inhabit here only, many various birds and, of course, pink flamingos - the symbol of the Camargue.
Close, still closer
Walking through the vast Camargue, you can see them closer. We were lucky to take a picture of flamingos flying. But they will not let you get close to them - it’s a pity.
However, as for the close contact with wild bulls - this is different. However, we saw bulls only grazing peacefully behind the fence and well out of our reach.
In winter, there are no tours of the park by tourist trains, boats, but you can enjoy a safari. However, since all the most interesting things are in the national park, where any transport is prohibited except for bicycles - and we love long walks - we could easily do without bicycles and walked several tens of kilometers enjoying the nature and watching the local fauna.
And where is salt?
Over 90 percent of salt consumed in France is of Camargue origin. The famous fleur-du-sel that gourmets appreciate for its delicate taste and flavour is also produced here.
Salt fields come close to another town of the Camargue, or rather the fortress, Aigues-Mortes, which means ‘dead water’. The water near the fortress is really of unrealistic pink color. Here, special technology is used for ‘ripening’ salt, and heaps of white and grey salt can be seen nearby. By the way, the salt from the Camargue is perfect for preparing the most dainty dishes, and is a nice souvenir.
The fortress itself, by the way, has an amazing history. It was built by Louis IX who led the 7th and 8th Crusades that could hardly be called successful. Equally unsuccessful was his decision to build a fortress here. It was the first French access to the sea, so important and therefore so well fortified. However, much more convenient French ports soon appeared on the Mediterranean, while the sea receded and moved away from Aigues-Mortes leaving the fortress at a 5-kilometer distance from the coast - among fields, ponds, and now - the heaps of salt. However, the 7-century fortress looks like a new one - it did not experience serious sieges and battles. However, its towers were used as a prison, at first for the Knights Templar, and later on for Huguenots.
Now all the dark chapters of history are in the past and the town has become a place of tourist pilgrimage, and also a permanent residence for many creative people who escaped from megalopolises - artists, painters, writers. The ‘hotelier’ that sheltered us for a night turned out to be a renowned Parisian designer in the recent past. Therefore, behind the old façade, we saw an ultramodern interior, glass ceilings and his paintings in the style of Gauguin and Picasso’s late period.
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Nature and architecture, history, art and culture are intertwined in the Camargue and the surrounding cities of Provence so that you cannot even understand where you are. Here, small towns with beautifully preserved Colosseum of Rome and aqueducts coexist with the colourful port of Marseille and refined Montpellier, and crowded beaches - with hectares of pristine natural parks. Everyone can find here what he or she can afford and likes. The main thing is not to overlook what is really important.
P.S.
We visited the South of France in January 2020. It was +15oC - beautiful weather and clear sky. Then a strong wind blew briefly, the locals said that maybe it was even the echo of the famous mistral wind. There were also rainy days, when it was better stay in the city, and not in nature. We saw the weather and changed our plans accordingly. In addition to the Camargue and Arles, we visited Marseille, Cassis and the coves (calanque), Aix-en-Provence, Nîmes, Avignon and Montpellier. And we decided to visit the Côte d'Azur - all the time attracting us and being somewhere nearby - during one of our trips in the future.
