Can I Tell You About ... Aigues-Mortes
Rafe Totengco
STAY
Villa Mazarin is situated in the heart of the fortified city of Aigues-Mortes. The structure was built in the 15th century and furnished with Provencal antiques. There's a heated indoor pool and Jacuzzi that come in handy, perfect after a full day of walking and sightseeing.
EAT
The restaurant Le "S" is a quaint spot located on a narrow little street off of the main square. The proprietress was charming, self-deprecating and hilarious. She was a one-woman show! When we told her where we were from, she reminisced about her trip to New York and how much she enjoyed it. She offered three different types of prix fixe menus and everything we chose was delicious, truly authentic Camarguaise cuisine. For after dinner drinks we crawled across the street to Bar Le Tac Tac. It is the tiniest and most well stocked bar I have ever been to. Glasses and people were on top of each other, but it was wonderful. You have to see it to believe it!
DO
You must walk around the city walls and up the towers. From there you can see the pink salt marshes and the rooftops of the houses within this medieval city. You can almost imagine what it must have been like in the 13th century during Louis IX. The town's rectilinear streets have stayed intact and are considered one of the best examples of 13th century military architecture.
MUST SEE
The Parc Ornithologique in Pont de Gau is a vast bird sanctuary filled with their famous pink flamingoes. The trails are marked with hidden observation posts so you can witness the birds in their natural habitat and take photos without scaring them away.
WHAT I LOVED MOST
Aigues-Mortes (meaning dead water) is a quaint medieval town with a fascinating history marked by the crusades and the Templar Knights. This medieval city sits on the flat marshes of the Petite Camargue and was a small hamlet for salt gatherers and fishermen. To the south of the town you can see the rose colored salt marshes where they produce beautiful salt, Aigues-Mortes' most famous export. I love that you can see everything in a day and visit other towns within the vicinity.