Tourism in Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône

Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône lies at the mouth of the Grand Rhône, between river and sea, in the Bouches-du-Rhône. The town has around 8,446 inhabitants and the postcode 13230. Long an industrial port linked to Arles, it turned to seaside tourism when most port traffic moved to Fos-sur-Mer in the 1960s. A major flood of the Rhône in 1711 had already changed the course of the river here, leading to more than a century of dyke building before the site took its current shape. The town joined the Camargue Regional Nature Park in 2011, alongside Arles and Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.

The Tour Saint-Louis, built in 1737 and a listed historic monument since 1942, is the town’s landmark. Once a watchtower and lighthouse, it is now home to the tourist office and a bird collection of more than 165 species that can be seen in the delta. Its terrace offers an open view over the port, the river and the first Camargue lagoons. It is also the starting point for trips in négo-chin, traditional boats that travel up the canals and marshes to get close to flamingos and Camargue horses.

Each of the three beaches of Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône has its own character. Napoléon beach stretches for 10 kilometres of fine sand and protected dunes, with lifeguards in July and August and paid car access in high season. Olga beach, more intimate with its 350 metres tucked away near a hamlet of beach huts and a small harbour, is well suited to families with young children. Carteau beach is mainly for board sports: kitesurfing and windsurfing take advantage of a steady wind, while the nearby mussel and oyster farms supply local restaurants. A lighthouse marks the end of the Carteau dyke.

The coast and the delta can be explored on foot or by bike. The Rhône dyke offers a 7 to 8-kilometre route from the port to the Barcarin ferry, while cycle paths lead to Napoléon beach (7.5 km) and Carteau (3.5 km). The shorter They du Mazet trail offers a discovery loop with information panels on the delta’s wildlife and plants. Port-Saint-Louis is also the end of the ViaRhôna, the 815 km cycle route that runs along the Rhône from Lake Geneva and the Swiss border all the way to the Mediterranean. The Barcarin ferry, free for pedestrians and cyclists, takes you to Salin-de-Giraud to continue exploring the Camargue side.

Things to see and do in Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône

From Camping Crin Blanc, in the heart of the Camargue, two routes lead to Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône: via Arles, or by crossing on the Barcarin ferry from Salin-de-Giraud, slower but a way to extend your trip through the delta. Allow a morning for the Tour Saint-Louis and a beach, or a full day if you add the dyke and the They du Mazet trail. Afterwards, head back to the campsite’s mobile homes and aquatic area, or to one of the other outings described in our practical information and activities pages.

Thetourist office, in the Tour Saint-Louis, is open Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 12pm and from 1:30pm to 5pm outside the summer, then Monday to Saturday from 9am to 12:30pm and from 2pm to 5:30pm between late June and late August. Two Provençal markets liven up the town every week, on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

The Tour Saint-Louis

Don’t miss the Tour Saint-Louis, the departure point for the wild delta and home of the tourist office, and Napoléon beach, with its ten kilometres of sand and dunes between the Rhône and the Mediterranean.

Our tip: arrive at the Tour Saint-Louis at the end of the day, when the low light falls on the lagoons and the flamingos settle for the night, before heading to the Carteau dyke for a sunset over the fishing port.

Before becoming an independent municipality, the territory of Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône was shared between Arles and Fos-sur-Mer. The law of 28 March 1904 made it a separate administrative entity. For several decades, the town served as Arles’ outer harbour, where the Grand Rhône flows into the Mediterranean.

A major flood of the Rhône in 1711 had already changed the course of the river here, leading to more than a century of dyke building before the site took its current shape. In the 1960s, the development of the Fos-sur-Mer industrial port zone attracted most of the shipping traffic, at the expense of the historic port of Port-Saint-Louis.

The town then turned to seaside tourism, fishing and shellfish farming: the mussel and oyster farms of Carteau still supply local restaurants today, alongside the beaches, sailing and water sports.

Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône is in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, at the mouth of the Grand Rhône. On the map, the town occupies the southern tip of the delta, south of Arles and west of Fos-sur-Mer and Marseille. It has been part of the Camargue Regional Nature Park since 2011, alongside Arles and Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. Your stay is also a wonderful opportunity to discover other iconic places such as Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer or the Pont du Gard.