When to go to the Camargue?
→ The detailed month-by-month page, with real weather records
Best time: April to June and September to October
At a glance
Why go to the Camargue?
The Camargue is the only destination in France where, in a single day, you can see pink flamingos by the thousand, gallop along an empty beach and dine on bull gardiane in an 18th-century mas. This 100,000-hectare delta between Arles and the sea is a world apart, with its gardians, its manades and its own vocabulary: people here talk of sansouïres, roubines and camelles.
The light is the painters' light, vast and ever-changing, and the mistral sweeps the sky to an almost hard blue. It is a destination for families, who find enough at the Pont de Gau and on the beaches to keep children busy without a single screen, for nature lovers who come with their binoculars in spring and autumn, and for couples looking for a mas at the end of a dirt track, with horses outside the window.
Cyclists get flat, car-free terrain on the Digue à la Mer. What remains is to accept the wind, the mosquitoes after rain, and the distances: nothing is far, but everything has to be earned.
Map of the Camargue: what is where?
The map shows the 6 places covered in this guide, to picture the distances and plan your route.
- Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
- Aigues-Mortes
- Pont de Gau Bird Park
- Aigues-Mortes Saltworks
- Beauduc Beach
- Vaccarès and La Capelière
How much does a trip to the Camargue cost?
| Style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | €55 to €80 per day with camping or a simple hotel, markets and picnics, cycling, free sites (Digue à la Mer, Beauduc, Vaccarès) and one paid site a day. | |
| Comfort | €110 to €170 per day with a mas or boutique hotel, a restaurant in the evening, a horse ride, the Pont de Gau, the ramparts and the saltworks. | |
| Premium | €250 and up with a manade or five-star hotel, gourmet restaurants in Arles or Le Sambuc, a private horse ride and a 4x4 safari in the marshes. |
Is the Camargue safe?
The Camargue is peaceful, but three precautions make all the difference. Mosquitoes first: from May to October, as soon as the wind drops, use repellent and wear long sleeves in the evening, especially near the marshes. Then the sun and wind: the mistral dehydrates you and masks the heat, so bring water, a hat and sunscreen on the Digue à la Mer or at Beauduc, where there is neither shade nor help. Finally, never approach free-roaming bulls and horses, and respect the closed tracks in the national reserve. Swimming is supervised at Saintes-Maries in summer, but not at Beauduc or Piémanson.
What to see and do in the Camargue
- Pont de Gau Bird Park
- Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
- Ramparts of Aigues-Mortes
- Aigues-Mortes Saltworks
- Digue à la Mer and Gacholle lighthouse
- Horse riding in the Camargue
- Beauduc Beach
- Vaccarès Lagoon and La Capelière
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
The white village by the sea is the Camargue's centre of gravity, with its 12th-century fortress church, its arena where courses camarguaises are held from April to October, and its beaches stretching out on either side of the seafront. The crypt holds Sara, patron saint of the Roma, venerated during the pilgrimage of 24 and 25 May, which draws thousands of travellers from all over Europe. From the church roof, the view takes in the whole delta. The streets are overrun in July and August, much more peaceful in May, June and September.
Aigues-Mortes
The town Saint Louis founded in 1240 as a port from which to sail on crusade has remained intact behind its 1,640 m of ramparts, fifteen towers and ten gates. Inside, a grid of streets around Place Saint-Louis, café terraces under the plane trees and shops selling salt and fougasse d'Aigues-Mortes, the local orange-blossom brioche. The Tour de Constance, a keep dating from 1249, recalls the Protestant women imprisoned there in the 18th century. To the south, the saltworks and its camelle of salt round off a half-day visit.
Pont de Gau Bird Park
Founded in 1949 by an enthusiast and run by his descendants, this 60-hectare park is the best place in Europe to photograph pink flamingos from a few metres away, in their natural habitat. Seven kilometres of paths and boardwalks cross marshes, reed beds and ponds home to herons, egrets, storks and birds of prey. The site also has a care centre for injured birds. Children love it, and photographers come back at dusk.
Aigues-Mortes Saltworks
Worked since Antiquity, the saltworks still produce Camargue salt today by evaporating seawater in a succession of pans. In summer, the basins turn a sometimes startling pink, caused by a carotene-rich micro-alga that also colours the shrimps and, in turn, the flamingos. The little train tours the site in 1h15, including a climb up a camelle to look out over the basins, the sea and the walled town. The fleur de sel is harvested by hand at the end of summer.
Beauduc Beach
This sandy point between the Gulf of Beauduc and the Grau de la Dent is reached by around ten kilometres of dirt track from Salin-de-Giraud, which guarantees it modest visitor numbers even in August. The shallow lagoon and steady wind make it a renowned kitesurfing spot; swimmers enjoy warm, calm water, with flamingos fishing alongside. No shops, no shade, no buildings except a few surviving beach shacks. The Beauduc lighthouse, to the west, marks the edge of the national reserve.
Vaccarès Lagoon and La Capelière
Covering more than 6,000 hectares, the Vaccarès is the largest lagoon in the Camargue and the heart of the national reserve created in 1927, one of the oldest in France. Its eastern shore can be explored from La Capelière, where a 1.5 km trail links hides set among the reed beds. The road along the western shore offers huge views over the water and the flamingos, with Salin-de-Giraud at the end. In spring and autumn, migrating birds stop here in their tens of thousands.
How many days, and which itinerary?
Three days are enough for Saintes-Maries, Aigues-Mortes, the Pont de Gau and a horse ride. Allow five days to add the Digue à la Mer by bike, Beauduc and the Vaccarès without rushing, and a week if you combine it with Arles and the Alpilles.
🗺️ Day-by-day itinerary · 📓 Free printable Camargue guide (PDF) · 🌍 All of Provence
Weekend
Arrive in Saintes-Maries in the late morning, the church and its rooftop terrace, lunch at the harbour, then the Pont de Gau Bird Park until dusk. On Sunday, an hour's horse ride in the marshes from 9am, drive to Aigues-Mortes on the D58 with a stop at the Gacholle lighthouse, a walk round the ramparts and the saltworks' little train in the late afternoon.
4-5 days
Day 1 in Saintes-Maries (village, beach, Pont de Gau); day 2 by bike along the Digue à la Mer to the Gacholle lighthouse and back; day 3 around Aigues-Mortes with the ramparts, the saltworks and Le Grau-du-Roi; day 4 along the western shore of the Vaccarès, then Salin-de-Giraud and Beauduc for the end of the day; day 5 a sunrise horse ride, the Musée de la Camargue at the Mas du Pont de Rousty and a visit to a manade with a gardiane lunch.
One week
The five days above, then a day in Arles (the arena, the Baths of Constantine, the Luma Foundation) and a final day in the Alpilles, between Les Baux-de-Provence and Saint-Rémy, or a return to Saintes-Maries for an evening of course camarguaise in the arena.
Getting there and getting around
By train, aim for Nîmes or Montpellier (TGV from Paris in about 3h), then hire a car: Aigues-Mortes is 40 minutes from Nîmes, Saintes-Maries 1h.
Arles, 15 minutes by train from Nîmes, also works as a gateway, with a bus to Saintes-Maries.
Once there, a car is needed for Beauduc and the Vaccarès, but the bike is king on the Digue à la Mer, on the little roads through the rice fields and between Aigues-Mortes and Le Grau-du-Roi along the canal.
The Barcarin ferry, at Salin-de-Giraud, takes you across the Grand Rhône to Port-Saint-Louis in a few minutes.
Where to stay in the Camargue?
Budget: the Saintes-Maries campsites, by the beach or on the edge of the village, remain the cheapest option (pitch €25 to €40 in season, mobile home €70 to €110). The small two-star hotels in the centre of Saintes-Maries cost around €70 to €100 for a double outside July and August.
Comfort: the mas converted into hotels along the D85A towards Cacharel and the D38 towards Aigues-Mortes offer a pool, horses and peace and quiet for €120 to €200 a night. In Aigues-Mortes, the boutique hotels inside the ramparts let you do everything on foot and enjoy the evenings on Place Saint-Louis.
Treat yourself: stay on a manade, between Le Sambuc and Méjanes, with the bulls outside your room, a gardiane dinner and a horse ride at daybreak. Allow €180 to €400 depending on the standard, often with dinner at the host's table.
Our places to stay, stop by stop, at three budgets →
What to eat in the Camargue?
Camargue cooking revolves around AOP bull: gardiane, simmered in red wine and served with IGP Camargue rice (€18 to €25 in a restaurant), bull saucisson and skewers during the férias.
Tellines, tiny shellfish gathered on the beaches, are pan-fried with garlic and parsley; fougasse d'Aigues-Mortes, a sweet orange-blossom brioche, can be found in the walled town's bakeries.
Markets on Mondays and Fridays in Saintes-Maries, Wednesdays and Sundays in Aigues-Mortes.
Buy rice and fleur de sel direct from the producers along the D570 and at the saltworks, and Sable de Camargue gris or rosé wines from the wine shops of Le Grau-du-Roi.
Entry requirements
Schengen area: an ID card or passport for EU citizens, 90 days visa-free for UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports.
Rules change: check your own government's travel advice before you go.
Frequently asked questions about the Camargue
When is the best time to visit the Camargue?
April to June and September to October: the light is beautiful, the migrating birds are there, the heat stays bearable and there are fewer mosquitoes than in high summer. July and August bring the pinkest saltworks and the férias, but also the crowds and the mosquitoes. Winter is calm, windy and superb for ducks and flamingos.
How many days should you plan for the Camargue?
Three days cover Saintes-Maries, Aigues-Mortes, the Pont de Gau and a horse ride. With five days, you can add the Digue à la Mer by bike, Beauduc and the Vaccarès without rushing. A week lets you combine it with Arles and the Alpilles.
Can you visit the Camargue without a car?
Partly. One bus links Arles with Saintes-Maries, and another Nîmes with Aigues-Mortes and Le Grau-du-Roi. From Saintes-Maries, a bike gets you to the Pont de Gau, the Digue à la Mer and the nearby manades. Beauduc and the Vaccarès require a car or an organised excursion.
Where can you see pink flamingos in the Camargue?
At the Pont de Gau Bird Park, guaranteed and at very close range, all year round. In the wild, on the lagoons along the D570 before Saintes-Maries, around the Vaccarès and in the saltworks of Aigues-Mortes and Salin-de-Giraud, where they nest in spring.
Are there a lot of mosquitoes in the Camargue?
Yes, from May to October, especially after rain and on still evenings. An effective repellent, long clothing in the evening and a room with a mosquito net or air conditioning take care of most of the problem. The mistral pins them to the ground, which makes windy days more pleasant than you might think.
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