A must-see destination during your stay at our campsite in the Camargue, Le Cailar is a village with a bullfighting tradition, just like Aigues-Mortes, Le Grau-du-Roi or Nîmes, the second-largest city of the former Languedoc-Roussillon region. You enter it via the Sanglier roundabout, named after a famous cocardier bull whose tomb and stele stand nearby. Le Cailar in the Camargue has around two thousand five hundred inhabitants and lies in the south of the Gard, where the Vistre and Rhôny rivers meet. A visit is a wonderful opportunity to discover a peaceful village, set off by the surrounding natural areas, especially marshes and vineyards, and known for its manades: free-roaming herds of bulls or horses led by “gardians”, which hold an important place in the cultural heritage of the Camargue.
Le Cailar, capital of the Petite Camargue
Built on a gentle mound where the Vistre and Rhôny rivers meet, Le Cailar has two sides. It is both a medieval town and a modern village. Its historic side shows in its circular shape, typical of the region’s old market towns. At its centre stand two public buildings dating from that period: the Romanesque church of Saint-Étienne, from the 12th century, and the “Troop barracks”.
The “Troop barracks” are a low U-shaped building. The complex was built in dressed stone in 1766 to house the royal troops sent to pacify the region after the Camisard war, when Protestant peasants rose up against King Louis XIV following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Today the building houses the village town hall.
South of the village stretch large meadows where, from the 19th century, the first herds of bulls (the famous manades) were raised in the wild for the course camarguaise.
South-west of Le Cailar stands a wooden bullring, built in the 20th century and surrounded by a superb avenue of plane trees. It is now a listed historic monument.
Things to do in Le Cailar
Why not use your stay to share the life of a Camargue bull ranch for a day? That is exactly what Manade Nicole Lafisca offers in Le Cailar, this Camargue town. With family or friends, for a few hours, a day or an evening, you will get to know the daily life of the Camargue gardians and taste local produce.
Les Calèches de Camargue also let you explore the Camargue. Enjoy rides among the lagoons to watch the flamingos. It is the perfect opportunity to discover the wild nature and traditions this region holds dear, as well as the bulls that are part of its cultural heritage. Horse-drawn carriage rides in the Camargue make great gift ideas for Father’s Day, Mother’s Day or birthdays, among others. You can also hire a carriage for a wedding: arriving by carriage will make the big day unforgettable for the happy couple.
