Activities for your vacation
^{Les Bois Flottés}

Choose to leave your luggage at Camping Les Bois Flottés to make the most of the sun while exploring Piémanson beach

Camping Les Bois Flottés is located in Salin-de-Giraud, a salt-producing village about forty kilometers from Arles, in the heart of the Camargue Regional Park. Ideally located for discovery stays and exotic holidays!

A wetland of exceptional importance, the Camargue, the only French delta of this magnitude, stands out in Europe for the biological richness of its ecosystems. Located on the road of bird migration from northern Europe to Africa, it forms a vital relay point for avifauna.

The Delta of the Rhône’s formation and its perpetual evolution over the centuries have shaped a specific landscape, characterized by the absence of significant relief. The highest point of the delta is 4 meters above sea level, its lowest point 1.5 m below! There are no obstacle obstructing vision of space, then the slightest construction can be spotted from afar. The diversity of natural factors are brackish water, fresh water, sun and wind.

The originality and international heritage interest of the Camargue reserve remains in diversity of its habitats and species that occupy them, in particular the 276 species of birds, as well as in its ecological functioning.

To the north, Arles, capital of the Camargue. Ancient and Romanesque city but also city of Art, heritage and History.

You can stroll through the heart of the Camargue Regional Park, discover its biotope, local fauna and flora, wander the wild beaches until discovering the typical village of Saintes Maries de la Mer.

The Camargue

Wild expanse, great biodiversity, the Camargue Regional Natural Park with its 150,000 hectares of spaces dedicated to fauna and flora is classified as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. Live a great adventure and vibrate to the rhythms of traditions. Take a horseback ride and discover the herds, they are home to the Gardians, breeders of Camargue bulls and horses. Not to be missed, the Marais du Vigueirat Natural Reserve, 60 hectares of an important stopover for avifauna during migratory stopovers.
In one and same place you will discover different landscapes and settings: marshes, reed beds, sansouires or even ponds and robines, each landscape is different in the Camargue.

The beaches

The Camargue coast stretches endlessly among ponds and salt marshes, it is a perfect place to stroll in the sun and to enjoy the Piémanson beach’s six kilometers of fine sand. A few minutes from Salin-de-Giraud, it is a 100% natural beach for lovers of large wild spaces! This beach, located between the Rhône’s mouth and Beauduc’s lighthouse, is known as being one of the wildest beaches in France.

The natural site of Beauduc is the inevitable place for those who wish to practice kitesurfing, ideal in mistral weather! The hamlet of Sablons, a village of cabins, is there to be discovered.

Giraud saltworks

To the south-east of the Camargue delta and forty kilometers from the town of Arles, the village of Salin-de-Giraud has had a large salt exploitation since the second half of the 19th century. Ecologically, the salt marshes area is a major asset for birds, particularly pink flamingos who find all the food they need there. The beaches of Salin are Piémanson and Beauduc, very popular in summer. To be discovered in the village, the Camargue bull races, the Fangassier pond, the Domaine de la Palissade or even the workers’ habitats which bear witness to the life of the salt workers.

Arles

A few kilometers from the camping, immerse yourself in the riches that the city of Arles offers you. Lovers of immemorial heritage, discover the amphitheater, the ancient theater or the Museum of Ancient Arles. Depending on the season, you may be at the heart of Provençal folklore with the Arlésiennes and the Gardians, Camargue bull races, “Pegoulado”, the Férias d’Arles (festival of the city) and bullfights which take place on this occasion in the city’s Arena! Arles is imbued with its traditions, its culture and its heritage, but it is also a city of art and contemporary culture that you can discover during the Rencontres d’Arles, an international photography festival. Ancient roman heritage, town of history and culture, the Camping “Les Bois Flottés” is an ideal starting point to discover this town.

The Alpilles

The Alpilles regional park is characterized by the particularity of its white limestone rocks. In the massif there is a fortified village with authentic charm, a real open-air museum, Les Baux de Provence. The Citadel of Baux offers a breathtaking panorama of the Alpilles massif, the olive groves and the scrubland. Visit the Château des Baux on its rock and immerse yourself in the medieval era during the shows organized there! Discover the creations of great artists at the Carrières de Lumières, a sumptuous setting in which the works are projected onto the floor and walls of the stone catheral. The Baux‘s valley is also known for its AOP olive oil that you can taste when visiting mills still in operation.

The Saintes Maries de la Mer

Take advantage of being in the heart of the Camargue Regional Park at Camping des Bois Flottés to go for a trip to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. On the way taking you to this essential place of gypsy community, you will follow the Vaccarès pond which characterizes the Camargue, with the beauty of its fauna and flora. Bulls, Camargue horses and of course the majestic pink flamingos, herons and egrets will accompany you to the village, especially if you choose to take the road via Cacharel!

Once in the village, discover the Black Madonna of the Gypsies, Sainte-Sara, which is the subject of a major pilgrimage every year in May.

Aigues-Mortes

Aigues-Mortes comes from Occitan and means “stagnant water”, it takes its name from the marshes and ponds which surrounded it. Land of the Camargue, every year in October, Aigues-Mortes celebrates the end of the grape harvest and the salt harvest. Town of tradition, you might also discover the Camargue bull races in this place. Not to be missed in Aigues-Mortes, the Constance Tower and the 1,600 meter long ramparts protect the center of the town and are a testimony to military life in the marshy area. Once you have visited the town’s heritage, taste one of the town’s specialties, Aigues-Mortes fougasse. In Provence, it is traditionally enjoyed during Christmas celebrations and is one of the thirteen desserts.

La Crau

By taking the Barcarin ferry, you will discover the Crau, Mediterranean Steppe, with its Garrigue, its coussoul and its wetlands. A plain with an exceptional biotope, La Crau is classified as a nature reserve where the avifauna is densest. The Saint-Martin-de-Crau ecomuseum presents this particular Provençal territory which is also a place of transhumance where shepherds and sheep take a break after coming down from the mountains. This flora had to adapt to particular ecological conditions. Important and preserved fauna or even pastoral land, tread the trails of La Crau for a guaranteed change of scenery.

Equestrian Activities

Nathalie de la Manade Coule at Domaine de la Palissade just a few kilometers from the campsite (http://www.palissade.fr/)

Mélissa at Ecurie Port Saint Louisienne (https://www.facebook.com/EcurieSaintLouisienne/)

Nathalie at the Marais du Vigueirat (https://www.marais-vigueirat.reserves-naturelles.org/decouvrir-les-marais/visiter/decouverte-a-cheval/)

Jean-Marie in Saintes-Marie-de-la-Mer ( https://www.tamaris-promenades.fr/ )

Water activities

Kayak at Domaine de la Palissade with Emmanuelle Chaix just a few kilometers from the campsite (http://www.palissade.fr/)

Kitesurfing in Beauduc is one of the most beautiful communions that can exist between the sky, the Mediterranean Sea and nature with its protected spaces. 16 kilometers from the village of Salin de Giraud and the outdoor accommodation Les Bois Fottés, Beauduc beach and Comtesse beach offer breathtaking nuances. The sunshine is constant even in winter, and the winds blow all year round, to make you enjoy the most of your kitesurfing stay in Camargue.