The underrated French region best discovered by houseboat

Southern France is synonymous with superyachts, star-studded film festivals and swanky beach towns – but look beyond the French Riviera (200 km west, to be exact), and it’s another story; one of pink salt lakes, rice paddies and cowboys.

Characterised by its sand dunes and marshes, the Camargue is a 150,000-hectare wetland area in Provence, sandwiched between two arms of the Rhône delta and the sea. It’s somehow both quintessentially French and another world entirely, as vineyards, rice paddies, cattle ranches and quaint market towns – their cobbled streets dotted with boulangeries and gîtes – contrast with the glorious wilderness of untamed marshes.

It’s as biodiverse as it is historic. The Petite Camargue area to the west is under environmental protection and home to some 400 wild bird species, including flamingos, great egrets and storks. The best place to see them in their natural habitats is at the Scamandre Nature reserve (€8/£6.70 for a guided tour).

The Romans were the first to settle here, in what is now Aigues Mortes (literally “dead water”, after the stagnant swamps found when humans first settled there), introducing rice cultivation in the 13th century in order to soak up some of the swamp water and make the land viable for farming. It’s now a staple export of the region, as are rosé “sand wine” (wine from grapes grown in the marshlands) and olives.

A road trip through the Camargue is a pleasant enough way to discover its delights – but, as one-third of the region is water, nothing quite beats exploring by boat. I opted to do just that, renting a luxury self-catering houseboat and embarking on a four-day jaunt through the deltas.

I drifted past miles of undisturbed marshes (and a herd of wild horses – Camarguais – with their celestial white coats grazing on the riverbanks), then moored directly in front of the limestone fortress of Mediaeval Aigues Mortes. Built in 1240 by King Louis IX (Saint Louis), the city reminded me at first of Dubrovnik or Rhodes – until, walking along the southern walls, I was suddenly confronted by a sea of pink the size of Paris: the spectacular Salinas de Aigues Mortes, the largest salt marsh in the Mediterranean (€9/£7.50 entry).

I spent a happy hour strolling its edges, before returning to the city’s cobbled streets, flitting between cafés, galleries and artisanal shops until it was time for dinner, then retiring for a glass of wine and a Gardiane de Taureau (a hearty beef stew; the local specialty) at traditional restaurant L’Oustau Camarguais.

I could happily have spent all four days here, simply moseying around the old town, visiting the salt marsh and exploring the 17th-century lighthouse (€9/£7.50, including guided tour) – but there was more to see, so I pushed on. My next stop was Manade Saint Louis, where I met husband and wife cattle ranch owners (manadiers) Jean-Claude and Karine Groul. Briefly exchanging my boat for Karine’s 4x4, we bumped through their vast, beautiful pastures where semi-wild bulls and dashing Camarguais steeds roamed free.

The following day, I sailed onwards to Arles, the gateway to the Camargue and its unofficial capital. Though built by Julius Caesar in 47 BC and brimming with history, it was Vincent Van Gogh who truly brought Arles into the modern consciousness; captivated as he was by its bright blue skies and the way the buildings glowed yellow-gold in the winter sun. Some of his most famous works – including The Yellow House (1888) – were painted here, with many of the buildings having been kept just as Van Gogh would have seen them 130 years ago.

Having moored up once more, I strolled the pedestrianised old town, dipping in for espresso at local stalwart Bar Le Tambourin before joining private guide Anne Gastinel for a bespoke three-hour tour. Having taken in the main sights (where Van Gogh cut off his ear; the favoured local spot for bull racing), I dedicated the remainder of my final afternoon to an exploration of the city’s sweet, independent boutiques.

Nosing between their shelves, each laden with pretty handmade souvenirs like Marseilles soap and Provence lavender, I felt a world away from the noise and bustle of Cannes and St Tropez. How lovely this overlooked corner of France’s southernmost reaches truly is – and how lucky the visitor who has the good fortune to stumble upon its many bucolic charms.

Essentials

Laura Sanders was a guest of Le Boat (02392809124), which offers seven nights on the luxury Horizon 5 cruiser (sleeps 12) to/from its base in Saint Gilles, from £1,609 per boat/£322 per person.

British Airways flies from London Heathrow to Marseille from £162 return.