Sailing on the Canal du Rhône à Sète, in the Camargue, discover broad saltwater lagoons, golden beaches, wild white horses and pink flamingos.
The South of France, with its lavender fields, rolling vineyards, and sun-drenched coastline, offers more than just classic Provencal landscapes. Hidden away in the heart of the Camargue, an unforgettable boat journey awaits travellers looking for a slower, more immersive experience.
Le Boat is the No.1 provider of boating holidays on the waterways of the UK, Canada and Europe, with over 50 years of experience. We’re going to be sailing ourselves from the charming town of St. Gilles to the fortified medieval city of Aigues-Mortes. This stretch of around 30 km on the Canal du Rhône à Sète contains no locks – easy enough for beginners.
St Gilles
We start in the village of St Gilles, around an hour from the airport of Marseille. Lots of other boats are moored in the Rhône à Sète Cabal and ours is one of larger. It’s a Horizon 5 with five en-suite cabins, fully equipped kitchen diner and a sundeck above. Each cabin comes with a double bed, shower, washbasin and cupboards for storing your luggage.
After a safety briefing and driving instruction, I set out to explore. St Gilles was a significant stop on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela and the imposing Abbey is now on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Its intricately carved stone façade tells stories from the bible and inside is the tomb of St Gilles.
Today is Saturday, and there’s a traditional Camargue wedding going on. Waiting outside is a horse carriage for the bride and groom and there’s delegation on horses in traditional black jackets and trousers. They line up in formation and position their long cattle prods to form an arch for the wedding couple. Gypsy guitarists are waiting nearby to entertain another lucky couple.
Next day dawns bright and sunny although there’s a strong wind. It doesn’t deter us as we leave St Gilles to sail to Aigues Mortes. There’s little traffic on the canal but we give a wide berth to Sunday fishermen on the banks. The sky is that piercing Provencal blue, and the countryside is dead flat, marshland on either bank. Rows of stubby trees frame our passage and we spot the occasional white wild horses on the banks.
It’s only around 30 km to our destination and the only village on the way is Galician, where we’ll stop on our return. Here, though, the locals are keen to point out the speed limit and they watch us closely making sure we slow down. It’s around another hour to Aigues Mortes and we’re soon mooring just outside the town walls. We come under scrutiny of other boat owners, desperately worried we’re going to damage their craft as we manoeuvre.
Aigues Mortes
We’re in a prime spot and the gate to the town is only a few minutes away. Inside it’s a maze of narrow cobbled streets, crammed with quaint shops, cafes and restaurants. In summer the place gets full with tourists but in September all is calm. The best way to get an overview is to walk all round the 1.6km of ramparts with the tallest tower, the Tour de Constance offering views over the salt marshes to the distant sea.
Just nearby are the salins or salt pans which have been in operation for centuries. Indeed they were integral to the town’s medieval economy and they are still a source of revenue. The fleur de sel from here is particularly prized and it’s worth walking round the vast pink-hued salt pans, watching the trucks work. At sunset the colours are the most vibrant and there are stunning views across to the walled town.
Manade St Louis
Scattered around the marshland outside are ranches for breeding bulls and horses, a deep rooted culture of the Camargue. The Manade St Louis continues that tradition and showcases the beautiful sturdy Camargue horses as well as the fierce black bulls for which the region is famous. Some of these will compete in the Course Camargaise, contests that are part of village tradition. Unlike in Spain no blood is spilled and the animal is the star.
Le Grau-du-Roi
In Le Grau-du-Roi, a few kms west, several ranches offer guided horseback tours. I’m not the most experienced rider but feel comfortable following a line of horses as we cross the marshes to the beach. Looming over is the 1869 Phare de l’Espiguette, a lighthouse built to safeguard shipping along the coast. We canter along the wide sandy beach, still a long way from the sea, before returning to the stables.
Galician
We set sail next day and in around 90 minutes arrive at the small hamlet of Galician set in the marshes and surrounded by vineyards. They’re in the midst of the harvest and tractors full of grapes are arriving for pressing. The wine here is Costières de Nîmes, an excellent appellation delivering robust reds and refreshing rosés. It’s been my drink of choice over the last week and I can vouch for the quality.
There’s not much else to see so we get on the bikes we’ve been carrying on the boat and set out for the Étang de Scamandre nature reserve. A visitor centre provides information on the area’s flora and fauna and we meet our guide here. He leads us along raised wooden pathways through the swamp pointing out herons, flamingos and other wildlife.
After our visit, we’re on the home straight back to St Gilles, but the storm clouds are already gathering. Fortunately the rain holds off until we’ve moored safely but our plans for a barbeque on deck are stymied. No matter, we sit in the saloon, cooking the meat on the stove and enjoy our final glass of Costières de Nîmes. Despite our initial worries about piloting a big boat, this has all been plain sailing.
Fact file
GO: British Airways flies direct to Marseilles from London Heathrow. Then it’s around an hour transfer to St. Gilles.
INFO:
Le Boat offers a seven-night self-catered cruise on the Camargue on a Horizon 5 starting and finishing at Le Boat’s base at Saint Gilles from £1,609 per boat or £322 pp. Bike hire is £42.
Le Gard has information about the region.
ACTIVIES: A Guided tour of the Manade Saint-Louis and demonstration of bull sorting costs €40/pp.
Horse riding in La Grau-du-Roi costs €60 pp for 2h.
Entry to the Scamandre Nature Reserve costs €8 pp.
A tour of Aigues-Mortes Salins costs €9 pp.
EAT: L’Atelier des Halles is one of the best restaurants in Saint Gilles.
Le Dit Vin in Aigues Mortes serves traditional dishes including bull steaks.
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