Landscapes
The Alpilles chain forms a natural barrier of about 25 kilometers, which extends from east to west, in the northwest of the Bouches-du-Rhône department. Covering an area of 50,000 hectares, it is a low-lying limestone massif with surprisingly jagged peaks overlooking deep and mysterious ravines. This rugged landscape gradually turns into a fertile and green plain, towards the south, planted mainly with vines and olive trees. To the south of the Alpilles, the Camargue extends over 145,300 hectares, bathed in the west by the Rhone and in the east by the Durance. It is bounded, in the south, by the Mediterranean Sea. In this landscape, whose highest peak is only four meters above sea level, there are many wetlands that are home to a unique and fragile ecosystem.
Plains
To the north as well as to the south of the Alpilles massif, large fertile plains stretch out. Men have been cultivating vines and olive trees here since ancient times. Vast areas are also reserved for sheep farming, such as the Roquemartine plain, where the famous Alpilles lamb is bred. Alas, urbanization tends to nibble away at these wild spaces. If you go further and further southwards towards the great plains of the Camargue, you enter a totally different landscape, made up of marshes and wetlands. In a triangle bounded by Arles, to the north, the Grau-du-Roi and Fos-sur-Mer, lies a vast territory in the heart of the Rhône delta shaped by the fresh waters of the Rhône and the Durance rivers that flow into the salt waters of the Mediterranean. Here is the domain of rice fields, bulls and wild horses.
Caves
Caves are innumerable in the Alpilles massif. It must be said that the elements have worked hard to offer the first men settled in the region, safe shelters against the ferocious beasts. And as in Provence, everything is the stuff of legend, writers like Frédéric Mistral did not hesitate to make witches and fairies live there. But not all caves are natural. Some come from the exploitation of the building stone. Thus the Carrières de Lumières is an exceptional site, which hosts a digital art center that offers incredible virtual exhibitions, with amazing projections on the white walls.
Ponds
With more than twenty ponds, the Camargue clearly displays its status as a wetland. These natural reservoirs represent as many refuges for the local fauna.
However, two ponds are particularly important for the ecosystem
The pond of Vaccarès
It is the largest pond in the Camargue. It extends over 6,500 hectares and is located in the commune of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. With a depth of less than two meters and 12 kilometers long, it is the main element of water regulation in the Rhone Delta. It is also an important stage for migratory birds.
The pond of Fangassier
Much smaller than the previous one, it stretches over 3.3 km south of the Vaccarès pond. It is a unique place in France where nearly one hundred thousand pink flamingos gather, when the time comes, to raise their young. Guided tours are possible, with the Bureau des Guides Naturalistes (BGN).Marais
The Baux marsh is a link between the Alpilles and the Camargue. This area, classified Natura 2000, extends to the south of the Alpilles Park and has landscape, ecological and agricultural characteristics that already foreshadow the neighbouring territory. Dried out at the end of the 19th century, leading to a significant impoverishment of the local fauna, the old marshland sometimes comes back to life during heavy rains.
Littoral
The Camargue has a coastline of nearly 70 kilometers. If all the beaches of the Camargue are beautiful, some of them are not to be missed
The beach of Piémanson
It is a very beautiful beach of six kilometers, located at the west of the big Rhone, accessible by the Salins de Giraud. It has no infrastructure, except for a first-aid post and some street vendors in summer. A part is reserved for naturists. The landscape is timeless, with dunes bristling with coastal plants as far as the eye can see.
The beach of Beauduc
To arrive until this immense beach of fine sand, completely isolated from the rest of the world, is deserved. Indeed, it is necessary to traverse a bad stony road during nearly ten kilometers before arriving in this small paradise. Be careful, a regulation gauge prevents wide vehicles (more than 2.10 m) from passing. Other prohibitions are in force, in particular concerning the 4x4.
The beach of Espiguette
It is a beach particularly appreciated by tourists and locals alike. Located in the commune of Grau-du-Roi, it stretches for about ten kilometers with dunes as far as the eye can see, which gives it a little Sahara air. The beach of Espiguette shelters a very fragile fauna and flora. For this reason, it is partly protected by the Conservatoire du Littoral. This beach is the scene of many film shoots and photo sessions.
The beaches of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
Accessible in a few minutes from the village, the beaches of Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer are small beaches of fine sand on which one finds a family atmosphere. Indeed, the locals do not fail to go there, as soon as the weather allows it. There are also several private beaches with comfortable facilities.
