An experienced ornithologist or simply curious, the Camargue is a paradise for all birdwatchers. The pink flamingo is clearly the local star. But there are more than 300 species that find refuge in these vast expanses which are classified as a world biosphere reserve since 1977. Birds of passage, summer or winter, migratory birds and breeding birds, let yourself be surprised and charmed. Bring your binoculars or spotting scopes, you will enjoy the show even more.
Where to watch birds?
You will see birds everywhere during your stay in the Camargue: watch the pink flamingo or the greylag goose fly, observe a Western cattle egret sitting on a bull’s or horse’s back, catch the sight of a buzzard pricking his prey. You will see them without searching. They are on their grounds here. If you actively want to watch and approach them, you will have to move into the marshes and reedbeds. Following a free or guided tour on foot, by bike or on horseback, please don’t forget that you are in a protected area with rules to respect.
The National Natural Reserve of the Marais du Vigueirat
Discover the reserve on 15 kilometers of trails, on foot or on horse carriage, alone or with a guide. Observe some of the 300 listed bird species.
The Marais du Verdier
Managed by the association “Les Marais du Verdier”, this 120-hectare site is a true refuge for waterbirds. It belongs to the Tour du Valat.
The nature trail at the Mas du Pont de Rousty
You have free access to the trail, starting at the Camargue Museum and the headquarters of the Regional Natural Park. Between rice and reedbeds, shrubs and marshes, on an 80-hectare large area, herons, passerines and ducks take refuge to feed. An observation point allows you to watch without being seen. The five-kilometers trail is punctuated by landscape interpretation panels which tell you everything about the environments related to the freshwater inputs of the Rhône. Another point of interest: a traditional Camargue hut.
The Ornithological Park of Pont de Gau
Four kilometers north of Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, the Ornithological Park of Pont de Gau offers you the possibility to walk through a protected natural area of 60 hectares, entirely dedicated to the discovery of the fauna and flora of the Camargue. Nature animations organized by the Park reveal the secrets of avifauna.
Plus: the 2.8 km of trails in the southern part of the park are fully accessible to people with reduced mobility.
The draille des 5 gorges
This 15-kilometers trail between Les Saintes-Marie-de-la-Mer and the Domaine de Méjanes can be walked or cycled. All year long, along the Vaccarès pond, you can see pink flamingos, great egrets, Kentish plovers, bar-tailed or black-tailed godwits, Eurasian spoonbills and other birds that join in depending on the season. This trail also allows you to discover the agricultural activities present in the Camargue such as rice farming and extensive breeding of bulls and horses. The draille is freely accessible all year round.
The digue à la mer
The dike between Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer and Salin-de-Giraud runs along the southend of the Camargue National Natural Reserve. 20 kilometers of trails, freely accessible on foot or by bike to observe different bird species.
The Fangassier pond
Property of the Conservatoire du littoral, the Fangassier pond can only be visited with a nature guide. It’s the opportunity to better understand the life of pink flamingos. Each year, thousands of them gather on an artificial island built in the 70s to nest and reproduce.
The Domaine de la Palissade
It’s a special site due to the fact that the 702-hectares large domain has not been confined, unlike the rest of the Camargue. It evolves naturally with the different water levels of the Rhône and the seasons. Free or guided tours are available on foot, on horseback or by kayak. They will discreetly take you the closest possible to the fauna.
The They du Mazet
The They du Mazet is a sand formation shaped by the sea and the river, located near Port Saint-Louis du Rhône. Many birds have adopted this territory owned by the Conservatoire du littoral, as a feeding, resting and breeding area. A discovery trail is open on the north-eastern part (Anse de Carteau) but the access to the banks of the Rhône is prohibited to the public due to its fragility.
Find more information about the observation sites in the booklet Where to watch birds… edited by the Camargue Regional Natural Park.
Why are flamingos so pink? Why do they sleep on only one foot?
These questions are quite frequent.
The baby flamingo is a small grey or white wading bird. It is only after a few years of a very specific diet that its plumage will take the pretty pink shade. On his menu: the Dunaliella Salina algae and the Artemia shrimp. The latter contains carotenoid pigments and gives the beautiful coloration. Flamingos suck them with their curved beaks.
Delicate and a little sensitive to the cold, the flamingos sleep on one leg to keep the other one out of the water, hidden in the warmth under their wings. This position might seem precarious but is suitable for wading birds. It’s all about the balance.
Did you know?
The pink flamingo is a great dancer. Its courtship ritual lasts from December to March. The young couples stay together for the whole year.
Visit the Ornithological Park in Pont de Gau between December and February to see life in pink for a moment.
Adopt a flamingo!
Highlights
The Vaccarès pond
With 6500 hectares, the Vaccarès pond is at the junction of fresh waters from the Rhône and salty waters from the sea. The creation of the Camargue National Nature Reserve in 1927, at the initiative of the Société Nationale de Protection de la Nature (SNPN), has made it possible to protect this unique pond in France while also preserving human activities.
Taming nature
Located in the heart of the Regional Natural Park halfway between the towns of Arles, Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer and Port Saint-Louis du Rhône, the Vaccarès pond is the convergence point of a network of canals and roubines developed over centuries for irrigation and draining of the soils.
It has long been the object of conflict between farmers who needed fresh water and Salicists, who wanted to let the sea in to harvest more salt. Today, some professional fishermen are engaged in fishing à la trabaque (with keepnets) to catch eels and Atherina, locally called Joëls. The sagneurs (from the word sagno which means reed) still harvest the reeds used to cover the roofs of the typical Camargue huts.
Suspended time
This vast protected sanctuary is a must-see on your visit to the Camargue. It is where little black cormorants, grey herons, great egrets, plovers and of course pink flamingos live a joyful and peaceful life.
At La Caplière, the Maison de la Réserve et du Vaccarès close to the Vaccarès pond, the SNPN offers a visitors center, a discovery trail and an interpretation center.
You can also walk on the trails that start at Cacharel, or on the Digue à la Mer, starting either in Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer or in Salin-de-Giraud. Count a day for these circular hiking trails. Cycling tours or horse riding can also give you the feeling of being in a place out of time.