Pink-hued salt pans of the Camargue
South of the walled town, the landscape does something strange and wonderful. The salt flats shift from silver to blush to deep rose – the colour changing with the angle of the light, the temperature of the water, and the mood of the afternoon.
The Salins du Midi (the company which own and run these crystal plains) have been harvesting sea salt here since the 13th century. Today, the operation produces around 400,000 tonnes a year, and the visual drama it creates is entirely accidental.
The pink colouring comes from a microalgae (Dunaliella salina) that thrives in the hyper-salty water. In late summer, when evaporation peaks and salinity is at its highest, the lagoons turn a colour you won’t quite believe until you’re standing in front of them.
You can explore the salt flats by guided train tour, by bike along the marked trails, or – for the best light – on foot, very early in the morning. Flamingos congregate here in large numbers, which adds to the sense that you’ve somehow stumbled into another continent.
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