Breeds of The Camargue
The Rhône delta, where gardians on white horses herd small black bulls for the course camarguaise, in which the bull is not killed.
Breeds of this place
Best time: May to October, the season of the courses.
The Camargue is the delta of the Rhône, a flat land of marshes, lagoons, rice fields and salt pans between Arles and the sea. Its black cattle, the Raço di Biòu, small and lively with upturned horns, live in semi-wild herds called manades. They are worked by gardians, mounted herders on the white Camargue horses.
The course camarguaise
In the course camarguaise, young men called raseteurs try to snatch small rosettes and strings from between a bull's horns with a hooked comb, then leap over the arena barrier to escape. The bull is not harmed or killed, returns to its herd, and the best bulls become famous. In the abrivado, riders guide bulls through village streets to the arena. Some manades also raise Spanish fighting bulls for the corridas held in Arles and Nîmes, a tradition that is debated in France.
The delta
The Camargue is a regional nature park, with flamingos, herons and wild boar. Beef from Camargue cattle raised in the delta has a protected designation. Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, on the coast, is the main town, with its fortified church and its May pilgrimage. Arles holds the Fête des Gardians each 1 May.
A trail idea for The Camargue
- Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer The seaside town and its fortified church.
- A manade A cattle ranch in the marshes, where gardians work the herd.
- Arles The Roman city at the head of the delta, with its old arena.
- Étang de Vaccarès The great lagoon at the heart of the park.
Written by the EveryCow desk with AI assistance. Background: "Camargue" on Wikipedia. Fair dates, markets and visiting rules change; check locally before travelling, and keep a respectful distance from working animals. If something is wrong, tell us.
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