l33g0's video: Phare de La Gacholle - La Gacholle Lighthouse Wetlands of Camargue National Park Provence France

The Camargue (Provençal: Camarga) is a unique coastal region in southern France located south of the city of Arles, between the Mediterranean Sea and the two arms of the Rhône river delta. The eastern arm is called the Grand Rhône; the western is the Petit Rhône. Administratively it lies within the department of Bouches-du-Rhône (‘Mouths of the Rhône’). Here you’ll find a lesser known side of Provence. The Carmargue is western Europe's largest river delta, with an area of 930 km2 (360 sq mi). The Camargue is one of Europe’s major wetlands. Approximately a third of the Camargue is either lakes or marshland. The Camargue is a vast plain of large brine lagoons, known locally as étangs, cut off from the sea by sandbars and surrounded by reed-covered marshes. The mouth of the Rhône Delta has been recognised as a natural treasure since the 1920s. It is a haven for over 400 distinct species of migrating birds and is renowned for its white horses, black bulls, and pink flamingos. The Camargue National Park (Réserve Naturelle Nationale de Camargue) was established as a national park and nature reserve in 1972. It covers 850 km² (330 sq mi) including some of the wildest and most protected in Europe. The Camargue area is one of the most important and protected nature reserves in all of Europe and an UNESCO-listed biosphere. The Camargue is one of the best places in Europe for birdwatching. The Camargue National Park known worldwide for its pink flamingos. It has the largest population of flamingos in Europe. The Camargue National Park is home to a wide variety of bird species, including herons, egrets, storks, ibises, flamingos, and spoonbills. These birds are attracted to the park by its large salt marshes, which provide an ideal habitat for nesting and feeding. The Camargue is also a popular stopover point for migrating birds, making it an important site for bird watching. The Camargue has an eponymous horse breed, the white Camarguais, which roam the extensive marshlands, along with Camargue cattle. Camargue horses are ridden by the gardians (cowboys), who rear the region's cattle for fighting bulls for regional use and for export to Spain, as well as sheep. Many of these animals are raised in semi-feral conditions, allowed to roam through the Camargue within a manade, or free-running herd. They are periodically rounded up for culling, medical treatment, or other events. Salt and rice have been harvested here since the Middle Ages. Much of the outer Camargue has been drained for agricultural purposes. On the perimeter of marshlands and ponds rest some of the most spectacular Medieval cities in all of France. The Gacholle lighthouse (Phare de La Gacholle) is located in the Camargue National Nature Reserve on the sea wall between the ancient Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer town (13 km / 8 mi) and Salin-de-Giraud village (18 km / 11 mi), between the Dame, Tampan and Galabert ponds. A beautiful trail links Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer to the Gacholle lighthouse. After the lighthouse you can continue to Beauduc and Salin-de-Giraud. The trail is accessible on foot, by bike or by horse. The Gacholle lighthouse was built in 1882 to facilitate access to the Beauduc anchorage - the only shelter protected from the east wind - and to avoid the dangerous Pointe du Sablon. The lighthouse is a 18 meters (59 feet) high square tower built of masonry. The tower is white, topped with a black upper part and a white lantern dome. Originally the fire was equipped with an incandescent wick lamp (Aladdin lamp). The rotation is produced by a “rotation machine” with motor weight and vane regulator. Lighthouse’s simple one floor building on the ground floor housed the two guards. The lighthouse was commissioned in 1884. The lighhouse was destroyed during World War II. It was returned to service on November 13, 1948. The lighthouse was automated in 1996. Its lighting is done by a 40 watt halogen lamp. It is powered by a solar panel. The lighthouse is today used by the SNPN (Société Nationale de Protection de la Nature), the association managing the Camargue National Nature Reserve. The lighthouse cannot be visited. However, the buildings surrounding the lighthouse are used by the Camargue National Reserve, notably for exhibitions. Volunteers from the SNPN run a reception and information point there.