Tourism in Aigues-Mortes

Aigues-Mortes is in the Gard department, in the Occitanie region, on the edge of the Camargue gardoise, between lagoons and the Rhône-Sète canal. The town covers about 5,800 hectares, largely taken up by salt marshes, and has nearly 8,700 inhabitants. From the campsite, it is 38 km and about a 34-minute drive via the D37 and then the D46.

At the beginning of the 13th century, King Louis IX, the future Saint Louis, was looking for a Mediterranean port that depended on neither Marseille nor Montpellier. He had the Tour de Constance built from 1242, on the site of an older tower attributed to Charlemagne. It was from this port that he set sail for the Seventh Crusade in 1248, then for the Eighth in 1270. The ramparts were begun under the reign of his son Philip III the Bold around 1272 and encircle the town over about 1.6 km.

The ramparts of Aigues-Mortes are among the best preserved in France: you can walk all the way round on the wall walk, between towers and gates, with views over the salt marshes and the Camargue gardoise. The Tour de Constance, a keep 32 metres high and 22 metres in diameter, first served as a royal garrison before becoming a prison, notably for Templars in the early 14th century and later for Protestant women. Marie Durand was held there for 38 years; she is credited with the word “register” (resist) carved on the rim of the well, which has become a symbol of resistance.

The walled town is best explored on foot, between Place Saint-Louis and its terraces, the shopping streets and the ramparts.

Lovers of heritage, wide open spaces and Camargue traditions, make the most of your stay to discover the wonders around Aigues-Mortes and the Camargue gardoise.

A few minutes from the ramparts, the Aigues-Mortes salt marshes can be explored by little train: pink pools, salt mounds and flamingos make up a unique landscape. The Rhône-Sète canal is perfect for a bike ride or a boat trip, while the Tour Carbonnière, a former watchtower built at the wish of Saint Louis to guard the land access to the town, is well worth a detour. A horse ride at a manade is another way to discover the bulls and horses of the Camargue gardoise. By car, allow about twenty minutes to reach the beaches of Le Grau-du-Roi and Port-Camargue.

Salt is the other identity of Aigues-Mortes: harvested since Antiquity in this marshland, it now gives Camargue fleur de sel, sold in town and at the salt marshes. This land shares the gardian traditions of the Bouches-du-Rhône Camargue: manades, free-roaming horses and bulls, and courses camarguaises held in season.

Must-sees in Aigues-Mortes

Don’t miss the old town of Aigues-Mortes, enclosed by its ramparts , almost intact over 1.6 km, with its Tour de Constance, a former royal keep turned prison, and Place Saint-Louis, with its terraces and shopping streets.

With its exceptional heritage, salt and gardian traditions, Aigues-Mortes and the Camargue gardoise promise you a stay full of discoveries and emotions.

At the beginning of the 13th century, King Louis IX, the future Saint Louis, was looking for a Mediterranean port that depended on neither Marseille nor Montpellier, which were then outside his kingdom. He had the Tour de Constance built from 1242, on the site of an older tower attributed to Charlemagne, before the ramparts were built under the reign of his son Philip III the Bold around 1272. It was from this port that he set sail for the Seventh Crusade in 1248, then for the Eighth in 1270.

The Tour de Constance first served as a royal garrison before becoming a prison, notably for Templars in the early 14th century and later for Protestant women after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Marie Durand was held there for 38 years; she is credited with the word “register” (resist) carved on the rim of the well, which has since become a symbol of resistance.

Today, this keep, 32 metres high and 22 metres in diameter, with walls 6 metres thick at the base, is open to visitors: you can walk around the ramparts on the wall walk, between towers and gates, before enjoying the view over the salt marshes and the Camargue gardoise from the top of the tower.

Aigues-Mortes is in the Gard, in Occitanie, on the edge of the Camargue gardoise. The town is one of the must-see destinations for a stay in the Camargue. It is also a great starting point for discovering other nearby places, especially Le Grau-du-Roi and Port-Camargue (about 20 minutes), Montpellier (about 40 km) or Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, on the other side of the Rhône delta. Your stay is also a wonderful opportunity to discover iconic places such as the Aigues-Mortes salt marshes or the Camargue Regional Nature Park.