Geographical Wonders of France - Les salins de la Camargue
I was lucky enough to visit this stunning area a few years ago and still remember vividly the beautiful landscapes of the Camargue, pink flamingos and white horses. The beautiful fortress of Aigues Mortes provides a perfect backdrop to this mystical scene.
The Camargue is the largest river delta in Western Europe and yields many surprises including the amazing Salt Flats. The spectacular panorama of edged pink water are due to a high concentration of pink salt. While the salt flats are naturally occurring, and have been for hundreds of years, the salt is nowadays industrially mined. The salt marsh yields about 500 000 tones of salt per year! The "Salin d' Aigues Mortes" is actually the largest of its kind in the Mediterranean and produces high quality salt.
Why is the salt pink? The microscopic algae Dunaliella Salina gives salty water its pink color by synthesizing beta-carotene (red/orange pigment found in fruits and vegetables) to protect itself from the sun.
Pink flamingos - salt flats - Camargue
The delta is also teeming with wildlife including pink flamingos (they actually get their pink colour from the algae) and white Camargue horses. Although the horses appear to be running wild, they are in fact tendered by the "Gardians". The famous horsemen ( and horsewomen) protect and care for the herds of horses black bulls that roam around the region.
The atmosphere at the Camargue Salt Flats is nothing short of mystical.
I would certainly recommend the visit of this off the track and stunning aera but here is a piece of advice for you: do prepare yourself and make sure that you are well kitted with mosquitoes repellents!!!
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