Camargue natural park is close to St. Maries de la Mer. Nature reserve and national park has been since 1972. There are around million visitors in Camargue natural park every year and dogs are not allowed in the park. The park is protected by reed covered marshes and long sand bars from the sea.
Where is Camargue natural park
Natural park of Camargue is a home for more then 400 bird species. One part of the area is also there for agriculture, they grow here cereals, grapes and traditional Camargue rice. They reare black bulls here. Camargue natural park is also known to be France wild west. The park include the Rhone Delta with two sub areas - Grande Camargue, at the mouth of Rhone, between its two arms - Grande Rhone and Petite Rhone - and Camargue Gardoise, west of Petite Rhone.Animals that stands out as the symbol of Camargue region is the flamingo. The bird is known by the pink feathers in combination with another layer of coral-red or bright-red feathers.
Camargue is with one or two region in Spain the only place in Europe where flamingos nest. The flamingo population of Camargue is of about 20,000 pairs, breeding in colonies strictly observed by human guardians. The flamingo nests are made of mud raised over the ground level.
Region of delta of the river Rhone
Rhone is one of the biggest rivers in Europe. In the Mediterranean sea there is its mouth where the river devided in two parts which are also known as Little Rhone and Great Rhone. River was always very important part of transportation paths, it connected cities of Avignon, Arles, Vienne to Marseille and Fos and other Mediterranean ports.
Rhone is known for pretty hard current, because it carries huge amounts of water so speed of the current can be up to 10 km per hour. Tourist agencies are offering great river cruises on the river Rhone, they sail through amazing provinces with countryside that is famous for their cultural and gastronomic charms.
Natural park of Camargue
Camargue is delta where two parts of River Rhone meet Mediteranean sea. Most of Camargue is considered as natural park and home of many great species of fauna and flora. There is also interesting Museum that lies South of Arles. Agricultural is Camargue park interesting for its rice that is main crop in France. Camargue was populated with inhabitants for centuries. It was still an island in acient times and the region was dedicated to Ra – Egytian Sun god. Romans used Camargue for salt production. In the future people started to create farmland and tame nature. In 1859 sea dike was built, sea die limited in south Camargue tidewateres. As soon this was built people started to creat traditional Camargue estates and ranches. Grow larger amounts of rice extended the ditches after 1945. The result of this was that rich wildlife of Camargue needs expensive management and careful use of water supplies that support the whole ecosystem.
They have also large harvests of salt, they are harvesting salt mostly in dry summer period, but in winter you can admire huge salt dunes. Camargue park is considered as the biggest and most important salt producers in Europe and world. The plain of Camargue was in the past and island but in history because of the mud that was carried by the river Rhone the area was transformed in this amazing ecosystem.