Aigues-Mortes is a French commune in the Gard department in the Occitanie region of southern France. At the time of Louis IX the city was a thriving port where the Crusaders embarked for the Holy Land. Nowdays, Aigues-Mortes is 6 km from the sea and has the face of a medieval city with an imposing wall that encloses flint streets where stone buildings of the thirteenth century overlook. 43 km south of Nîmes, Aigues-Mortes is the base for the exploration of the Camargue and its marshes.

The medieval city walls surrounding the city are well preserved. Situated on the junction of the Canal du Rhône à Sète and the Chenal Maritime to Grau du Roy, the town is a favoured stop for canal craft and Dutch barges.

By road network, Aigues-Mortes is located approximately 35 km from Nîmes (prefecture of Gard) and 30 km from Montpellier (Hérault). As the crow flies, it is 32.5 km from Nîmes and 26 km from Montpellier. The municipal area is made up of part of the humid plain and the ponds of Petite Camargue, the largest of which are the Roy pond to the south-east, the Ville pond immediately to the south of Aigues-Mortes, a part of the Etang de Caitives, the remainder of which is located on Saint-Laurent-d’Aigouze, the Etang de la Marette in the southwest of the city, and about 63 hectares of the Etang de Mauguio in the west.

To the south-west, it is separated from the Gulf of Lion (Mediterranean Sea) by the municipality of Grau-du-Roi. Aigues-Mortes is however linked to the sea by the Grau-du-Roi canal. Thus the municipalities of Saint-Laurent-d’Aigouze and Le Grau-du-Roi border on that of Aigues-Mortes. To the west, the town is contiguous by an angle of its limit to that of Mauguio (Hérault) which it touches on the point of the Radelle in the pond of Mauguio. To the south-east, it adjoins Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer for about 800 m. The entire territory of the southern half of the municipality is occupied by salt pans, ponds and marshes, which are also largely dominant in the northern part. Thus, there are very few hamlets: Corbière, Mas du Bosquet, Mas du Grand Môle, Mas du Petit Chaumont and Mazet de Bel-Air.

History
Antiquity
The foundation of the city is said to have been by Gaius Marius, around 102BC but there is no documentary evidence to support this. A Roman by the name of Peccius fitted out the first salt marsh and gave his name to the Marsh of Peccais. Salt mining started from the Neolithic period and was continued in the Hellenistic period, but the ancient uses of saline have not resulted in any major archaeological discovery. It is likely that any remains were destroyed by modern saline facilities.

Middle Ages
In 791, Charlemagne erected the Matafère Tower amid the swamps for the safety of fishermen and salt workers. Some argue that the signaling and transmission of news was not foreign to the building of this tower which was designed to give warning in case of arrival of a fleet, as for the Magne Tower at Nîmes. The purpose of this tower was part of the war plan and spiritual plan which Charlemagne granted at the Benedictine abbey, dedicated to Opus Dei (work of God) and whose incessant chanting, day and night, was to designate the convent as Psalmody or Psalmodi. This monastery still existed in 812, as confirmed by an act of endowment made by the Badila from Nîmes at the abbey.

At that time, the people lived in reed huts and made their living from fishing, hunting, and salt production from several small salt marshes along the sea shore. The region was then under the rule of the monks from the Abbey of Psalmody. In 1240, Louis IX, who wanted to get rid of the dependency on the Italian maritime republics for transporting troops to the Crusades, focused on the strategic position of his kingdom. At that time, Marseille belonged to his brother Charles of Anjou, King of Naples, Agde, Count of Toulouse, and Montpellier, and King of Aragon. Louis IX wanted direct access to the Mediterranean Sea. He obtained the town and the surrounding lands by exchange of properties with the monks of the abbey. Residents were exempt from the salt tax which was previously levied so that they could now take the salt unconstrained.

He built a road between the marshes and built the Carbonnière Tower to serve as a watchtower and protect access to the city. Saint-Louis then built the Constance Tower on the site of the old Matafère Tower, to house the garrison. In 1272, his son and successor, Philip III the Bold, ordered the continuation of the construction of walls to completely encircle the small town. The work would not be completed for another 30 years. This was the city from which Louis IX twice departed for the Crusades: the Seventh Crusade in 1248 and again for the Eighth Crusade in 1270 for Tunis where he died of dysentery.

The year 1270 has been established, mistakenly for many historians, as the last step of a process initiated at the end of the 11th century. The judgment is hasty because the transfer of crusaders or mercenaries from the harbour of Aigues-Mortes continued after this year. The order given in 1275 to Sir Guillaume de Roussillon by Philip III the Bold and Pope Gregory X after the Council of Lyons in 1274 to reinforce Saint-Jean d’Acre in the East shows that maritime activity continued for a ninth crusade which never took place. There is a popular belief that the sea reached Aigues-Mortes in 1270. In fact, as confirmed by studies of the engineer Charles Leon Dombre, the whole of Aigues-Mortes, including the port itself, was in the Marette pond, the Canal-Viel and Grau Louis, the Canal Viel being the access channel to the sea. The Grau-Louis was approximately at the modern location of La Grande-Motte.

At the beginning of the 14th century, Philip the Fair used the fortified site to incarcerate the Templars. Between 8 and 11 November 1307, forty-five of them were put to the question, found guilty, and held prisoner in the Tower of Constance.

Modern periods
Aigues-Mortes still retained its privileges granted by the kings. Curiously it was a great Protestant in the person of Jean d’Harambure “the One-Eyed”, light horse commander of King Henry IV and former governor of Vendôme who would be appointed governor of Aigues-Mortes and the Carbonnière Tower on 4 September 1607. To do this, he took an oath before the Constable of France Henri de Montmorency, Governor of Languedoc, who was a Catholic and supported the rival Adrien de Chanmont, the Lord of Berichère. The conflict continued until 1612, and Harambure, supported by the pastors of Lower Languedoc and the inhabitants, finished it by a personal appeal to the Queen. He eventually resigned on 27 February 1615 in favour of his son Jean d’Harambure, but King Louis XIII restored him for six years. On 27 July 1616 he resigned again in favour of Gaspard III de Coligny, but not without obtaining a token of appreciation for the judges and consuls of the city.

At the beginning of the 15th century, important works were being undertaken to facilitate access to Aigues-Mortes from the sea. The old Grau-Louis, dug for the Crusades, was replaced by the Grau-de-la-Croisette and a port was dug at the base of the Tower of Constance. It lost its importance from 1481 when Provence and Marseille were attached to the kingdom of France. Only the exploitation of the Peccais salt marshes encouraged François I, in 1532, to connect the salt industry of Aigues-Mortes to the sea. This channel, said Grau-Henry, silted up in turn. The opening, in 1752, of the Grau-du-Roi solved the problem for a while. A final solution was found in 1806 by connecting the Aigues-Mortes river port through the Canal du Rhône à Sète.

From 1575 to 1622, Aigues-Mortes was one of the eight safe havens granted to the Protestants. The revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 caused severe repression of Protestantism, which was marked in Languedoc and the Cévennes in the early 18th century by the Camisard War. Like other towers in the town, from 1686 onwards, the Constance Tower was used as a prison for the Huguenots who refused to convert to Roman Catholicism. In 1703, Abraham Mazel, leader of the Camisards, managed to escape with sixteen companions.

Contemporary period
During the French Revolution, the city was called Port-Pelletier. At that time the port had almost disappeared due to silting, induced by the intensification of labour in the watershed at the same time as the clearing of woods and forests following the abolition of privileges. The decline of forest cover led to soil erosion and consequently a greater quantity of alluvial deposits in the ports of the region. Thus, in 1804 the prefect “Mr. de Barante père” wrote in a report that: “The coasts of this department are more prone to silting… The ports of Maguelonne and Aigues Mortes and the old port of Cette no longer exist except in history” he alerted: “An inordinate desire to collect and multiply these forest clearings since 1790… Greed has devoured in a few years the resource of the future, the mountains, opened to the plough, show that soon naked and barren rock, each groove becoming a ravine; the topsoil, driven by storms, has been brought into the rivers, and thence into the lower parts, where it serves every day to find the lowest parts and the darkest swamps.”

21th century
The April 25, 2014On the occasion of the 800 th anniversary of the birth of Louis IX, the city of Aigues-Mortes organizes commemorative ceremonies involving his descendant Louis de Bourbon, Duc d’Anjou, and his wife Marie-Marguerite. The Prince then recalled that his grandfather, the xiii th century, opened the way for a radical institutional reform by providing one of the first communal charters, allowing to free the cities of feudal power. On this occasion, Mayor Pierre Mauméjean reminds”The love and real attachment of the Aigues-Mortais for the founding king of the city and their gratitude for everything he has done for them”. He adds “how proud and honored Aigues-Mortes is to receive for the second time the man (Louis de Bourbon) who had been made citizen of the city, during the Saint Louis of 1992, by the mayor of the time René Jeannot, present today ”.

Industries
Salt production by the salt exploitation of the Salins group. Undoubtedly exploited since Antiquity, the saltworks of Aigues-Mortes attracted fishermen and salt workers. The Benedictine monks established there from the viii th century the abbey of Psalmody to exploit this valuable commodity in ponds Peccais. The saltworks will remain for a very long time one of the main resources of the city. To reach the “salt tables”, the water pumped from the sea travels over 70 km in the roubines. Mechanically harvested, the salt is piled up in sparkling “camels” before being packaged. It is reserved for food use.

Historical heritage

The Constance Tower and the ramparts
The towers and ramparts of Aigues Mortes form a monument open to the public by the Center des monuments nationaux. The Tour de Constance, was erected in 1242 by Saint Louis on the former site of the Matafère tower, built by Charlemagne around 790, to house the king’s garrison. The work ended in 1254. Its diameter is 22 meters, its height at the top of the lantern is 33 or 40 meters according to various sources… The thickness of the walls at the base is 6 meters. On the ground floor, we find the guard room with its access protected by a harrow. In the center of the room, a circular opening provides access to the basements which served as a pantry, ammunition reserve and also dungeons. This place was called the “bottom of the pit”. On the first floor, you reach the hall of the knights. It resembles by its structure to the room of the guards. It was in this room that were imprisoned in the xviii th century Protestant whose most famous was Marie Durandwho engraved on the edge of the well the word “resist”. This word is still visible today. She was imprisoned at the age of 15 and released 38 years later, along with political prisoners (Abraham Mazel, Camisard chief). Between these two rooms, a narrow walkway was built in the thickness of the wall to watch over the lower room. After the hall of the knights, one reaches the terrace which offers a wide panorama on the region, thus representing an ideal post of surveillance. The prisoners were sometimes allowed to come and breathe the fresh air.

In the towers and ramparts, exhibitions are held: in 2014, for example, to celebrate the 800 th anniversary of the birth of St. Louis, the National Monuments Center organized an exhibition entitled Saint Louis, in the West to ‘Orient, on Saint Louis and the Crusades. The ramparts extend over a length of 1,600 meters. Spectacular in their height and their conservation status (they were not restored in the xix th century as was the case, for example, to Carcassonne), they are, with the Tower of Constance, an exceptional testimony in Europe Western military architecture in the marshland xiii th andxiv th centuries. The classification of this set at Unesco, under the theme of man in his environment, is a subject of mobilization: a file was drawn up in 2011, and many actions, including the removal of electric poles, were been undertaken to enable this classification. This procedure is unfortunately thwarted by the already effective rankings of very close sites such as the Pont du Gard, Avignon or Arles…

Plan of the Theaters
The Plan Theaters are arenas built in the late xix th century, for the Camargue races. They were inscribed in 1993 on the supplementary inventory of the list of historic monuments (MH) for their ethnological and cultural interest. They can accommodate more than six hundred people.

The Carbonnière tower
Located in the town of Saint-Laurent-d’Aigouze, the Carbonnière tower is mentioned for the first time in a text dated 1346 which provides details on the function of the structure. It says that “this fortress is the key to the kingdom in this land. ” Indeed, in the middle of the swamp, it was the prerequisite to access Aigues-Mortes. It was held by a garrison made up of a squire and several guards. From its terrace, which could support up to four artillery pieces, there is a panoramic view of the Petite Camargue.

Place Saint-Louis
It is the tourist heart of the city. In the center, opposite the main entrance to the Porte de la Gardette, is the statue of Saint Louis, the work of James Pradier in 1849.

Religious buildings

The Notre-Dame-des-Sablons church
It was probably built before the walls, the middle of the xiii th century, at the time of St. Louis and is Gothic. Collegiate church in 1537, it was sacked by the Protestants in 1575. After the reconstruction of the bell tower in 1634, it became successively under the Revolution, temple of Reason, barracks, grain store and salt warehouse. It was returned to worship in 1804, and restored in a rather heavy “neo-classical-baroque” style. From 1964 to 1967, all this 19th century decordisappears, in particular the coffered ceilings, to make way for the church, much more sober, and in the medieval spirit that we see today.

Since 1991, stained – glass windows created by Claude Viallat, a contemporary artist belonging to the Supports / Surfaces artistic movement, give the building an extraordinary light and color. The rest of the furniture xviii th and xix th centuries disappeared at that time with the exception of some statues. The facade is surmounted by a very sober bell tower housing three bells. The largest, 1.07 mof diameter, date of 1740, classified MH it was carried out by the master founder Jean Poutingon. The church also houses a statue of Saint Louis.

The Chapel of the Penitents-Gray
Located east of Place de Viguerie, it is the property of the Brotherhood of Penitents gray founded in 1400. The facade is in the Louis XIV style. The front door of the xvii th century is decorated with a wooden statue. Altarpiece carved in 1687 by Sabatier.

Inside, an altarpiece represents the passion of Christ. It was built in gray plaster stucco in 1687 by the Montpellier sculptor Sabatier. This altarpiece, on which appears the coat of arms of the brotherhood, occupies the entire back of the choir.

The Chapel of the White Penitents
Located at the corner of rue de la République and rue Louis-Blanc, it belongs to the brotherhood of White Penitents created in 1622.

Above the choir, on the vault, we can see a copy of the Jerusalem altarpiece where Christ celebrated Passover and Maundy Thursday with his apostles. Around the high altar, a painting on canvas traces the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. It is attributed to Xavier Sigalon, painter born in Uzès in 1778. On each side of the choir stand two statues: on the left Saint Felix for the redemption of the captives, on the right Saint James the Minor, first bishop of Jerusalem.

Guided tours
Aigues-Mortes is a medieval city at the heart of history. From the tower of Constance and the fully preserved 13th century ramparts to the chapels of the 17th century penitents, from the salt flats declining a mosaic of colors to the wild ponds of the Camargue… Let yourself be guided through the cobbled streets and discover the landscapes preserved by men…

Towers and Ramparts of Aigues-Mortes
Immerse yourself in the military architecture of the 13th century, the keep built by St Louis, the defensive towers and gates, the covered way which dominates the striking panorama on the Camargue and the Saltworks. Permanent exhibitions on St Louis & the Mediterranean, architecture & decorations, Protestant history. In summer, exhibitions, shows, events

Chapel of the White Penitents
Brotherhood founded in 1625, the construction of the chapel dates from 1668. The chapel is placed under the protection of the Blessed Virgin and the Holy Spirit represented by the Dove.

The Xavier Sigalon fresco (1817). Remarkably painted monumental fresco, which traces the Descent of the Holy Spirit, The Day of Pentecost. This painting is the subject of a classification by Cultural Affairs. This semi-circular canvas depicts Christ surrounded by these disciples, the holy women, Marie Jacobée and Marie Salomé in the company of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Height 4 m, length 12.20.

The four paintings by Auguste Glaize (1846-1847). This set of paintings traces the cycle of the Virgin’s life (The Marriage of the Virgin, Adoration of the Magi, Lamentation of Christ, Dormition of the Virgin).

Note also inscribed on the vault of the Choir the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and the reminder of the fear of the Lord: “Happy is he who lives in the fear of God”.

Chapel of the Gray Penitents
Created around 1400 on the site of a former monks Cordeliers convent offered by Louis IX to the inhabitants of Aigues-Mortes in 1248. These Cordeliers are the true founders of the Confrérie des Pénitents Gris. During the Wars of Religion in 1575, the chapel was destroyed and rebuilt around 1607. The brotherhood then took such an extension that it was necessary to consider, following dissensions among the leaders, to create another brotherhood taking the name of White Penitents.

During the 17th century, the brotherhood grew and embellished and in 1687, built the altarpiece representing: “The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ” – It is in stucco with faux marble decorations and was made by Jean Sabatier in 1688.

Under the Revolution in 1789, the chapels were transformed into a fodder store, the high altar and the altarpiece were preserved thanks to the vigilance of the storekeeper, also penitent, who stacked bales of straw in front. The rest of the furniture is destroyed.

Medieval old town
City tour: city founded by St Louis in the 13th century, the starting point for the 7th and 8th crusades. Discover its history, the Tour de Constance & the ramparts, the church, the traditions…

La Marette – House of the Grand Site de France
The Maison du Grand Site de France de la Camargue Gardoise is a place of discovery of the landscapes, fauna, flora and human activities linked to it. This place offers a 1.6 km hiking trail, an exhibition and a program of activities and events.

The Saltworks of Aigues-Mortes
Unique site in Europe, between Salt & Sea, in the heart of a wild and unspoiled nature. Embark aboard the little train for a journey through the salt tables for 1h15 with a stop at the salt museum or let yourself be enchanted for 3 hours by the magic of Salin by mountain bike or during a guided walking tour.

Floral park “the senses of the 5 continents”
In the small Camargue, over 2 ha, the Parc Floral des 5 Continents is adjacent to an authentic nursery, a veritable cave of Ali Baba des Plantes. + 2000 varieties of plants in sustainable cultivation, in a Languedoc “Feng Shui” spirit. Free visit or guided tour.

Constance and the Ramparts
Visit the Tour de Constance, a watchtower that has become a prison in the course of its history. After that, we will walk through the ramparts which have some surprises and anecdotes in store for us.

The Seaquarium
Mediterranean and tropical fish, shark tunnel and footbridge, marine turtle museum area, giant seal and sea lion pool, many interactive areas, children’s trail. Unique in Europe! THE REQUINARIUM… Pole of 1000m² on 2 levels entirely devoted to sharks.

Colorado Trains
In the patio of a large house, a passionate model maker has designed a lively network of large-scale model trains. Inspired by the American Wild West, the staging of rolling stock in a decor that consistently combines vegetation, structures and characters emanates a surprising atmosphere of realism.

Little Train of Aigues-Mortes
Discovery of the medieval city aboard the little tourist train of Aigues-Mortes. Its historical commentary evokes St Louis, the Crusades, the construction of ramparts, the wars of religion.

Culture heritage

Galleries and Craftsmen
Galet de la Reine
Minerals, fossils. Pieces for collectors, crafts, cut stones, fine stones, stones used in lithotherapy, crystals, amethyst, garnet, amber, jewelry.

Bruno Roudil
Drawings in Indian ink illustrated the SOS Friendship magazine at the end of the 1970s. In sculpture, some of the concepts I created have met with real success with French and foreign audiences. It is with pleasure that I present to you my last works of graphics & sculpture.

Space Titouan Lamazou
By the canal, facing the Tour de Constance, we welcome visitors, collectors and lovers of travel diaries. A room is dedicated to the originals, modern lithographs are exhibited on several large walls. Beautiful light, beautiful traffic… The place does not lack charm and lends itself to conviviality.

Gallery 17
Rue Emile Jamais, Galerie 17 presents contemporary artists, original and colorful creations – paintings – collages and sculpture – unique pieces.

Europ’art Gallery
At the heart of the ramparts, 50m from Place St Louis, the gallery presents: paintings, sculptures, photos, contemporary drawings. Artists: R. Attanasio, E. Contamin, C. Férroussier, A. Jansen, P. Vermeille, AM Soulcié but also contemporary engravings.

Flo Gallery
The Flo gallery permanently exhibits outstanding artists of figuration and modern art. Its intimate and warm space open all year round thanks to close collaboration with its artists. Florence faithfully and sincerely ensures their national and international influence.

Mario di Maio
Bird sculptures made of painted and waxed cork representing species from the Camargue and elsewhere. More than 200 birds made on a real scale: passerines, large waders, palmipeds and raptors. On sale or on order.

Sophie Coll
Sophie invites you to discover her fragrant & colorful, chic & bohemian universe where kitsch and vintage come together. The refined decoration mingles with the items on sale. New decoration or original gift: each piece is unique and handmade, designer objects, decoration where flamingos rub shoulders with Frida Khalo and colored virgins.

Gastronomic heritage

The fougasse of Aigues-Mortes
The focaccia is for the first show of pastry. It can be sweet (sometimes called “sugar pie”) or salty (with or without gratillons). Traditionally, the confection of the sugar fougasse in Aigues-Mortes was reserved for the Christmas period, within the thirteen desserts. Made from brioche dough, sugar, butter and orange blossom, it was made by the baker with ingredients brought by the customer. At present, the Aigues-Mortes fougasse is sold all year round.

Camargue and Sand Wines
Connoisseurs will not be mistaken! When we cross the Camargue, we find ponds, bulls, flamingos… and vines. Bathed by the sun and bordering the beaches of the Mediterranean, the terroir of the wine of the sands is unique. It benefits from a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) which highlights its uniqueness.

Local Culture
The Aigues-Mortes Fougasse
Fougasse was one of the first pastries which could rise. It can be sweet (sometimes called “tarte au sucre” or sugar tart) or salty (with or without gratillons).

Traditionally, making sweet fougasse in Aigues-Mortes was reserved for the Christmas period, as part of the Thirteen desserts. Based on a brioche dough, sugar, butter, and orange blossom, it was made by the baker with ingredients provided by the client. Now Aigues-Mortes fougasse sells all year.

Lou Drapé
Lou Drapé is an imaginary horse mentioned in local folklore, which was supposed to walk at night around the ramparts of the city and take 50 to 100 children on his back, and disappear to “nowhere”.

Events and festivities
Aigues-Mortes is a town of Camargue traditions. Every year, the second week of October, it celebrates the end of the harvest as well as the end of the salt harvest.

The votive festival is an opportunity for the families of the village to come together around ancestral traditions which form the basis of the cultural heritage of Aigues-Mortais. On the southern side of the ramparts, each family builds its own “theater”; 101 theaters form the plan, an ephemeral arena which, for a week (and a weekend to relive), hosts Camargue races where everyone can try the art of raset with cows and bulls in the mud.

This festive week is attended by thousands of tourists and regulars of the region; it is a moment of fervor and sharing which highlights the Camargue identity of the medieval city.

A festival committee is set up for this occasion; he is responsible for organizing these festivities each year while respecting ancestral traditions and ensuring the safety of all participants.

Music in court
Come and Entertain the Marguerite Festival. Under the vault of the starry sky, facing the centuries-old stones of the southern rampart, let yourself be enchanted by the Marguerite festivals: flamenco rhythms, equestrian shows, outdoor cinema, history for the little ones.

Saint Louis Day
Live in Medieval Hours With the Festival of Saint Louis. For a festive weekend, take part in the feast of Saint Louis. Do not miss the handing over of the keys to the city, the great historical parades, the embarkation of Louis IX, the knighthood tournament or the medieval market.

Music Festival
Dance During the Music Festival. Vibrate and move according to your desires, around a street in the city, transformed for the occasion into an open-air stage!

Votive festival
Party Like an Aigues-Mortais. Come and party the second week of October: abrivados, bandidos, bull races, aperitifs…

Christmas holidays
Enter the Magic of Christmas in the Camargue. The medieval city is adorned with its mantle of light and invites you to stroll through its decorated streets. Ice rink, market, cinema, shows, treasure hunts and many other surprises await you

Natural heritage
Aigues-Mortes is concerned by 5 protected natural zones, 10 ZNIEFF, two special conservation zones (ZSC) (sites of community importance (SCI) under the habitats directive) and two special protection zones (SPA) (SIC under the Birds Directive).

41,797 ha of the Petite Camargue are classified as “wetlands protected by the Ramsar convention” and concern 16 municipalities including Aigues-Mortes. On the south side it adjoins the Camargue regional natural park.

Natural space
The Petit Rhône reserve. Discover a reserve (70ha) for lovers of fauna & flora. Signposted routes, observation huts.
House of the Guide de Camargue. Amateurs or professionals, ornithology enthusiasts or lovers of the great outdoors, access exceptional areas and let yourself be guided through the heart of the Camargue on foot or by bike (not provided).
Pont de Gau bird park. At the heart of the marshes, trails & observatories offer proximity to the Camargue wildlife.

Herds and Safaris
In immersion in a herd, Meet the Camargue bulls and horses. Immerse yourself in Camargue culture and discover the fascinating profession of bull and horse breeder… In a herd, in the heart of unspoiled nature, safely meet the mythical black bulls and white horses which graze all year round on these legendary lands. Will you be able to recognize the foals of the year, the Camargue bulls.

On horseback
Discover the diversity of our landscapes on horseback, gallop on the beach or stroll near the marshes. Whatever your level, beginner or experienced riders, a horse ride is harmony between man, his horse and the Camargue. Abrivado Ranch offers horse rides / rides for all inland and on Espiguette beach to safely discover the landscapes of the Camargue.

Along the canal
Camargue cruise – Barges Isles de Stel. Discover the Gard Camargue aboard the Isles de Stel barges.
Saint Louis boat.Departing from Grau-du-Roi, an unforgettable canal tour with commentary by a local guide.
Iris boat.River cruises with the Bateau Iris are a new way of traveling the Camargue to discover its cultural, gastronomic and historical riches.
Constance rental. Contemplate Aigues-Mortes in a different way on our small boats or embark to discover the region on a NICOLS boat, Constance Location offers you a license-free service adapted to your desires. New: rent a boat at the quay for unusual accommodation at the foot of the ramparts.
Escape at sea.Sea trips, day and night sea fishing, swimming and activities, tapas and swimming meals, sunset and cocktail dinner, fireworks evening, paddle boarding and giant buoys… Motor boat with a maximum of 12 seats.
Red fish. Beginner or expert, live the experience of sport fishing in the heart of the Gulf of Lion in the Mediterranean. Sport fishing and sea boating
Catamaran the Providence. This catamaran of a new kind and of great elegance, offers you trips along the wild coasts of the Petite Camargue or the Languedoc coasts: morning sea fishing, guided tours of neighboring ports, meal cruise, relaxing walk at the sea. sailing in the bay of Aigues-Mortes, day cruise in Sète, sunset cocktail, barbecue party or Sardinade and paella…
Picardy catamaran. Walk, Sea Fishing, Underwater Vision On Board A Catamaran: Morning sea fishing, equipment / bait provided Visit of the ports (Gde Motte, Port Camargue) Sail along the Languedoc coasts Stes Maries de the Sea, evening outings: sunset cocktail barbecue evening, Robinson day (meal on board, nautical activities), Gipsy evening, aperitif evening feet in the water…
Windsurf Park. Discover the Stand-up Paddle a fun, easy and friendly water sport with our initiation and improvement courses. Weekly courses. Possibility of kayak and stand-up paddle tours.

Cycling and Hiking
Cartoguides. Pedal or walk as you wish in complete freedom thanks to the two cartoguides offered for sale at the tourist office: “Le littoral gardois” and “Des costières aux étangs de Camargue”. More than 250 km of trails accessible on foot, by bike and on horseback.
Happy Tour. Ecological, original, comfortable and effortless Happy Tour offers you discoveries in bicycles or electric scooters. 3 circuits of your choice of 3 hours minimum and a tasting of local specialties. Rental of bicycles, pedego, electric scooters. Repair kit, vests and helmets provided. Gourmet guided tour of the Camargue Gardoise
Sport Expert. Sports shop. 600m2 dedicated to sport and fashion Bike rental.