Visiting Aigues-Mortes in one day

We took advantage of the various May bank holidays to spend a week in the Camargue in the south of France. A trip in the sun, despite a rather rainy spring throughout Europe. Aigues-Mortes was an essential stop on this trip, combining nature, history, and heritage. Thanks to its human scale, Aigues-Mortes is easily visited on foot.

It is 9 o'clock in the morning when we begin the visit of Aigues-Mortes through its historic center. To access it, you must pass through one of the 10 gates of the ramparts. We were completely charmed by these cobbled alleys and these small stone houses. The golden light of this beginning of the day was dressing 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 to the Moulins Gate. We leave the city walls to enjoy our breakfast on the ring road, facing the ramparts and with the saltworks behind us. 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, stretch the largest salt flats in the Mediterranean with an area of 8,000 hectares. No less than 500 tonnes of salt are harvested each year.

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

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

The Camargue salt flats 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 valuable asset: beta-carotene. This pigment with antioxidant properties allows the algae to survive and thrive in these salty waters. Beta-carotene develops only through 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 owes its pink color to this algae, present in the crustaceans it feeds on.

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

The Aigues-Mortes salt works is an industrial site. Therefore, there are rules and restrictions for visiting. Here are the different options to visit the natural salt works of Aigues-Mortes and discover these exceptional Camargue landscapes.

🥾 Visiting the Aigues-Mortes salt works on foot

It is possible to visit the Aigues-Mortes salt works on foot with a guide or on your own. The guided walking tour is 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).

🚲 Visiting the Aigues-Mortes salt works by bike

It is possible to visit the Aigues-Mortes salt works by bike with a guide or on your own. The guided mountain bike tour is with a naturalist guide and lasts 3 hours and covers 14 km. The self-guided bike tour is along a marked trail of 12 km or 30 km.

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

🚂 Visiting the Aigues-Mortes salt works with the small train

A train ride is offered at the Aigues-Mortes salt works. It lasts a little over an hour and includes two stops: the Salt Museum and the Salt Mountain.

Please be on site 10 minutes before the train departs.

Just 10 minutes by car from Aigues-Mortes, we find the beach resort of Grau-du-Roi. The perfect place to spend a day at the beach and swim in the Mediterranean Sea. For us, it's an opportunity to enjoy a homemade ice cream at Glace Maison in 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 staging village of the Via Rhôna and part of the Gard "Greenways" cycling routes, Aigues-Mortes is undoubtedly an essential stop for cyclists in the region. The narrow streets of the historic center (within the walls) are not suitable for cycling, but are worth visiting on foot.

It is quite 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, don't hesitate to consult the SNCF website.

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

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

For more information on car parks 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.