A Camargue getaway
Piémanson, a beach at the edge of the Camargue
Piémanson retains the character of a wild and free beach, held in a fragile balance between the Grand Rhône and the Mediterranean.
Between sea, lagoons and dunes
Piémanson Beach forms a long, slender ribbon of sand facing the Mediterranean. Shaped by the Grand Rhône, the sea and the wind, this shoreline edged by low dunes and lagoons remains a fragile landscape, always in motion.
Beyond the workers’ houses of Salin-de-Giraud, the road crosses salt flats and lagoons before ending at the beach, without ever passing through a seaside resort. The parking area and lifeguard station mark the entrance to the site; a few steps farther on, there is only sand, water, wind and driftwood carried down by the Rhône.
Practical information
Access, parking and swimming at Piémanson Beach
- Access
- From Arles, the RD36 passes through Salin-de-Giraud before reaching Piémanson, about twelve kilometres farther south. From Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, the Barcarin ferry provides access to Salin-de-Giraud from the east.
- Parking
- Free parking is restricted to the marked area near the beach. Parking is permitted from 6 am to 10 pm, with no overnight stays.
- Facilities
- There is no restaurant, shop or substantial shelter from the sun or Mistral at the beach. The nearest facilities are in Salin-de-Giraud.
- Swimming
- In July and August, part of the beach is supervised daily from 10 am to 7 pm. Lifeguard supervision does not cover the entire shoreline.
- Naturism
- East of the main beach, a signposted area is reserved for naturism. It extends towards the mouth of the Grand Rhône.
- Regulations
- Bivouacking, camping, caravans, barbecues and fires are prohibited. Dogs on leads are tolerated outside the supervised swimming area but are not allowed within it during the bathing season.
Check opening times, access conditions and seasonal regulations before travelling with the City of Arles and the Arles Tourist Office.
From an ephemeral village to a protected shoreline
Piémanson’s first summer visitors came from Salin-de-Giraud, particularly from the salt-working community. From the 1950s onwards, tents, caravans and later camper vans multiplied on the sand. Each summer, the camp became an ephemeral village where several thousand people stayed for a few days or several weeks.
Over the decades, this seasonal occupation helped establish Piémanson’s reputation for freedom. It also placed considerable pressure on the dunes and raised safety and sanitation concerns. A prefectural order dated 31 March 2016 ended wild camping and confined parking to a designated area. The beach remains accessible, but the space once occupied by vehicles has been returned to the sand.
A ribbon of sand between the Rhône and the sea
West of the mouth of the Grand Rhône, Piémanson lies on one of the delta’s most mobile margins. The river brings sand, silt and wood that marine currents redistribute along the coast, while storms shift the shoreline and reshape the dunes.
The Rhône delta began to form around 10,000 years ago. Dykes have since fixed the course of the river and limited its wanderings, without bringing the shoreline to a standstill. At Piémanson, this movement can still be read in the tide lines, eroded or reformed dunes and driftwood stranded on the sand. These habitats form part of the “Rhône aval” Natura 2000 site, which encompasses the beach, dunes and the area around the river mouth.
Salin-de-Giraud, a village born of salt and industry
In Salin-de-Giraud, long straight streets, workers’ houses and former company districts tell the story of the village’s industrial origins. In the late 19th century, salt and chemical companies established this workers’ settlement in the eastern Camargue.
Around the village, salt ponds, dykes and canals have transformed the lagoons in this part of the Camargue. Changes in water level and salinity give the water shifting colours. Flamingos and other waterbirds are found mainly across these expanses, rather than on the shoreline at Piémanson.
An open space, a vulnerable shoreline
Nothing obscures the line of the shore, and Piémanson retains its end-of-the-world atmosphere. Exposed to storms, coastal erosion and heavy summer visitor numbers, this narrow shoreline remains vulnerable. Today’s regulations seek to preserve this openness and give space back to sand, water and wind. At Piémanson, the freedom associated with the place also lies in the room left for the landscape.
The Barcarin ferry, when travelling from Marseille
From Marseille, Martigues or the Côte Bleue, the Barcarin ferry avoids the detour north to Arles on the way to Salin-de-Giraud. In around ten minutes, it links Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône with the Camargue bank of the Grand Rhône. The ferry gives the journey its own rhythm: waiting on the riverbank, passing vessels, a short crossing, then the landscape opening onto the salt flats.
Practical information
Barcarin ferry service
The ferry operates throughout the year, but services may be interrupted by weather conditions, river levels, shipping or maintenance work. Check the timetable and current service information before travelling.
Our selection
Guest houses in the Camargue to extend your getaway
To explore Piémanson, Salin-de-Giraud and the landscapes of the delta, the portal brings together guest houses in the Camargue with direct links to the owners’ websites.