Visit Aigues-Mortes in a day

We took advantage of the various May holidays to spend a week in the Camargue in the south of France. A sunny stay, despite a rather rainy spring everywhere in Europe. Aigues-Mortes was for us an essential stop during this trip, mixing nature, history and heritage. Thanks to its human size, Aigues-Mortes is easily visited on foot.

It's 9 in the morning when we begin the visit of Aigues-Mortes through its historic center. To access it, you have to go through one of the 10 gates of the ramparts. We were completely charmed by these cobblestone streets and these small stone houses. The golden light of this early day was adorning the facades of these old houses and the smell of jasmine floated in the air.

We stop at Poitavin Freres to buy some pastries and head towards the porte des Moulins (Mills gate). We leave the city within the walls to enjoy our breakfast on the ring road, facing the ramparts and with the salt marshes at our backs. The perfect spot for a peaceful picnic with a breathtaking view.

Walking the walls of Aigues-Mortes is undoubtedly the activity not to be missed when visiting the city. The ramparts were created by Saint Louis in the 13th century, to make Aigues-Mortes the first port of the Mediterranean and a strategic location during the Crusades. The circumference of the walls of Aigues-Mortes is 1.6 km and traces 700 years of history. A spectacular walk that offers incredible views of both the pink salt flats and the historic city.

A true emblem of the city of Aigues-Mortes, the Constance Tower is included in the ramparts tour. This fortification was built to protect the port and the city. During your visit, don't forget to go to the rooftop terrace, perched at 32 meters high, to enjoy the 360° view of Aigues-Mortes and its surroundings.

At the foot of the ramparts of the city of Aigues-Mortes, extend the largest salt marshes in the Mediterranean with an area of 8,000 hectares. No less than 500 tons of salt are harvested each year.

The Salin d'Aigues-Mortes is also a nature reserve in the Camargue that welcomes more than 200 species of birds (including 157 protected species) each year. Among them, the pink flamingo, of which several thousand breeding pairs are found in these pink expanses every summer.

We didn't have time to visit this essential site in the Camargue, but we give you all the necessary details for a successful visit.

The Camargue salt marshes reveal their pink color only during the summer. This 100% natural phenomenon is explained by the presence of Dunaliella Salina, a microscopic algae with a precious asset: beta-carotene. This pigment with antioxidant properties allows the algae to survive and thrive in these salty waters. Beta-carotene only develops thanks to photosynthesis (transformation of light energy into chemical energy). This is why summer is the ideal time to visit the Salin d'Aigues-Mortes and admire its ephemeral landscapes with pink hues.

The pink flamingo also gets its pink color from this algae, present in the crustaceans it feeds on.

We visited the Camargue in mid-May, and by taking a little height, we could slightly see these pink hues in the salt lakes. To observe this natural phenomenon, we advise you to come in mid-June.

The Salin d’Aigues-Morte is an industrial exploitation site. Therefore, there are rules and restrictions for visiting it. Here are the different possibilities for visiting the natural site of the Salins d’Aigues-Mortes and discovering these exceptional Camargue landscapes.

🥾 Visit the Salin d’Aigues-Morte on foot

It is possible to visit the Salin d’Aigues-Mortes on foot with a guide or independently. The guided walking tour is done with a naturalist guide and lasts almost 2 hours. You can also visit it without a guide by following one of the marked trails (2 trails of 4 km and one of 12 km).

🚲 Visit the Salin d’Aigues-Morte by bike

It is possible to visit the Salin d’Aigues-Mortes by bike with a guide or independently. The guided mountain bike tour is done with a naturalist guide and lasts 3 hours and covers 14 km. The independent bike tour is on a marked trail of 12 km or 30 km.

You can bring your own bike or rent one directly on site.

🚂 Visit the Salin d’Aigues-Morte with the little train

A ride on the little train is offered at the Salin d’Aigues-Mortes. This lasts a little over an hour and includes two stops: the Salt Museum and the Salt Mountain.

Plan to be there 10 minutes before the little train departs.

Only 10 minutes by car from Aigues-Mortes, we find the seaside resort of Grau-du-Roi. The ideal place to spend a day at the beach and swim in the Mediterranean. For us, it's an opportunity to enjoy an artisanal ice cream at Glace Maison under the Mediterranean sun.

For us, one day is enough to visit Aigues-Mortes. You can divide the day into two parts with a visit to the ramparts, looking for a restaurant for lunch in the most beautiful streets of Aigues-Mortes. And in the afternoon, continue with a visit to the Salt Flats and enjoy an artisanal ice cream by the sea in Grau-du-Roi.

A stopover village on the Via Rhôna and part of the cycle routes "Greenways" of Gard, Aigues-Mortes is undoubtedly a must-see stop in the region for all cyclists. The narrow streets of the historic center (intra-muros) are not suitable for cycling, but are to be visited on foot.

It is entirely possible to get to Aigues-Mortes by train. The Aigues-Mortes train station is on the TER Nîmes - Le Grau du Roi line.

For more information, do not hesitate to consult the SNCF website.

It's easy to get to Aigues-Mortes by car, less so to park there (for free). This is the option we chose during our week-long road trip in Camargue.

It is possible to park for free in Aigues-Mortes at parking P8. This is the only free parking in the city. There are not many spaces, but during our visit in mid-May (off-season), we found a spot each time.

For more information on parking in Aigues-Mortes, we advise you to consult this link.

This is where our visit to Aigues-Mortes ends. We were charmed by this historic medieval city, its historic alleyways, its ramparts, and its salt flats. We hope we've given you the desire to discover this city and make it a must-see stop for your next Camargue road trip.