Camargue is a natural region between the Mediterranean Sea and the two arms of the Rhône, south of the city of Arles in France. This is the largest river delta in Western Europe, with many natural wonders, amazing wildlife, and vibrant traditions.
This post aims to highlight (through many images) eight gorgeous places for travel photography and local traditions discovery when visiting that part of the world. Of course, this is by far not exhaustive and it is not ordered in any specific ranking …
1- Visit the Saltworks of Aigues-Mortes
Who said that a factory / industrial zone can’t be a paradise for wildlife and photographers? Yes, I know, some remaining of my previous industrial life maybe 😂
The pink color is caused by an algae variety called “Dunaliella salina”, making the panoramic view on Aigues-Mortes medieval city walls absolutely stunning with the permanently changing pond colors.
The salt production goes back to Roman time and the area is today still in service but is as well a wonderful travel photography spot. The “Salins du Midi” is open to the public and organizes tours on a sightseeing train, but I would advise you to prioritize biking or walking if you want to discover the area and do some photography …
Beyond the amazing color and landscape, there are as well many birds, obviously, flamingos that are the stars of the area but let’s not forget the little and cute Mallard ducks as well …
2- Meet the guardians
Here you can discover immense horse and breeding ranches called “Manades”. Camargue will not be the wonder it is without the “Mamadiers” or guardians” that are the people taking care of those places. Those are families and people that breed and take care of the animals that live all year round in semi-freedom.
The passion for their animals, for their way of life, and their relationship to nature, is clearly common traits that are very visible when meeting those guardians.
So yes, France can claim proudly that they have amazing cowboys 😎
And as importantly, many and as amazing cowgirls as well …
3- Meet the Camargue horses
The Camargue white horses are one of the oldest breeds in the world. If you’re a passionate photographer or nature lover, a sunrise in a pond with Camargue horses is clearly an unforgettable experience 🤩.
The water reflections are creating endless photography opportunities
While in the heart of the Petite Camargue, you may have the privilege to be part of an organized discovery, where enthusiast guardians will run on a beach with their horses …
Seeing those beautiful animals under the golden sunrise light in the Mediterranean Sea is clearly a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Or course, while you might get lucky just going around to find horses in action, organizing either a visit to a Manade or a special setup for photography is highly recommended. Some local photographers organize photo tours or most Manade ranches would organize. open days to share their passion (check on the tourist office website for dates
A barefoot shooting session with horses galloping in the warm Mediterranean Sea during golden hours is as well really cool … And again, guardians treat their horses like their own kids so horses have fun as well …
Stallions playing together at the “who is the boss” game is as well an amazing experience not to miss if you can.
Be reinsured that it all ends up in a peaceful and friendly way, under the watch of hundreds of flamingos enjoying pond recovered quietness.
Talking about Flamingos, sunset is another opportunity to get spoiled with horses, guardians, and those amazing birds together (almost posing but not for long 😰)…
After beach barefoot, photography it is now a garden plastic boot shooting time in the middle of the swamps 😂…
The sunset light gives amazing travel photography opportunities (and some opportunities for the camera and the photographer to become a bit wetter than needed)
The guardians get wet as well to showcase their wonderful animals in action…
OK, I probably went over the top in the number of horses images in that post so time for a rest for readers and horses 😊.
4- Go to the “Pont de Gau” park
The “Parc Ornithologique du Pont de Gau” is a fantastic 60-hectare ornithological re\serve that offers the ideal conditions to observe and photograph many bird species and hundreds of flamingos in their natural habitat.
Many trails in the park allow nature lovers and photographers to observe very closely those wonderful birds.
The birds there are totally ignoring visitors, photographers and take care of their own business 😊.
The ponds reflections are a paradise for photographers!
Especially during golden hours, the light is beautiful and permanently changing …
If you have the opportunity to stay up to sunset, this is where mother nature beauty get’s magical!
That wonderful place offers endless photography opportunities …
And, again, like in Aigues-Mortes, this is not all about Flamingos only (Yes, I like ducks 😳) …
There are as well in the park countless aigrettes, herons, and many other species that migrate in and out depending on seasons So clearly a place not to miss in Camargue!
5- Discover Aigues-Mortes Medieval city
That unreal citadel in the middle of marshes and lagoons feels like in the laguna Colorada in the Andean altiplano, with a medieval city on top of it …
Aigues-Mortes is a wonderful base camp for a stay in Camargue, with many rentals, hotels, great restaurants in and around the charming old town, and its marina (that is joined to the sea by the Grau du Roi, and to Sète by the Canal du Rhône).
Of course, do not miss the iconic Constance tower and the (Quadrilateral) city walls, for an amazing mix of crusades / Templar Knights elements and modern marina…
6 Participate in an Abrivado
In Camargue, the “Bouvine” celebrates bulls and horses in arenas but also in the street. While I’m clearly not willing to shoot bulls in Arenas, the “Abrivado” (Abriva means to speed up in Provençal language) consists in bringing the bulls from their pastures to the city and is a very famous and popular tradition.
The local kids/teenagers love trying to derail horses and bulls. Note the young guy on the bottom right of the image below, not the smartest move in my view 😱…
…and this is when horses got derailed into a poor photographer (me, just after the image below) 🤨. So, I was as smart as the guy above, positioned in the turn on the “wrong” side of the barrier😢 …
Anyway, all the local Manades families do those spectacular entrances in town for the great pleasure of the locals and the tourists!
At least, being potentially in the wrong place (safety-wise) allows for cool pictures …
7- Watch Grau-du-Roi jousting
The Grau-du-Roi and its harbor may not be the nicest ancient village of Camargue but its fishing port, lighthouse, and canal have some charm, especially if you can be there during the jousting event
The jousting has a medieval origin and consists of two boats propelled by eight to ten rowers propelling towards each other until the final impact, with the aim to make the opponent fall into the water…
The “jouteurs” are positioned on a platform located nearly three meters from the water, at the end of each boat making this fun to shoot and watch 😊.
The young generation and kids start early to be involved in this (in a soft way on a smaller boat), as a great way to perpetuate traditions and engage the next generation.
8- Visit Saintes-Maries de la Mer
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is a famous Camargue small town, dominated by its church and almost completely surrounded by water.
The fortified church in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is really beautiful and you can ascend to the ramparts and the roof for a great view over the town and the Camargue
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is a major pilgrimage town for gypsies, who gather (each May) to commemorate Sara. I haven’t had the opportunity (yet) to shot that very famous event but I liked that pink gypsy caravan …
There are obviously many more wonders to discover like for example the Arles town, the bulls in the wildness, and others but that may come in a future post …
