wetland of the camargue | provence attractions
& things to do
Discover the wild side of the Provence in the Camargue wetlands...
The Camargue wetlands are located south of Arles, France, between the Mediterranean Sea and the two arms of the River Rhône delta, the eastern being the Grand Rhône and the western the Petit Rhône. Administratively it lies within the département of Bouches-du-Rhône 13, appropriately meaning "Mouths of the Rhône". A further expanse of marshy plain, the Petite Camargue (little Camargue) lies to the west of the Petit Rhône, in the neighbouring département Gard.
Approximately a third of the Camargue wetlands is either lake or marshland. The central area around the shoreline of the Étang de Vaccarès has been protected as a regional park since 1927, in recognition of its great importance as a haven for wild birds. It was officially established as a national park and nature reserve in 1970, the Parc Régional de Camargue covers 820 km² that are some of the wildest and most protected in all of Europe. A roadside museum provides background on flora, fauna, and the history of the area.
The Camargue is home to more than 400 species of birds, the brine ponds providing one of the few European habitats for the greater flamingo. The marshes are also a prime habitat for many species of insects and is famous for it’s Camargue horses and bulls.
The flora of the Camargue is specially adapted to cope with the saline conditions. Sea lavender and glasswort flourish along with tamarisks and reeds.
The boundaries of the Camargue are constantly revised by the Rhône as it transports huge quantities of mud downstream - as much as 20 million m³ annually. Some of the étangs are in fact the remnants of old arms of the river. The general trend is for the coastline to move outwards. Thus Aigues-Mortes for instance – on the coast when it was built – is now some 5 km (3 miles) inland. The pace of change has been modified somewhat in recent years by man-made barriers, such as dams on the Rhône and sea dykes, but flooding remains a regular occurance across the region.
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