Port-Camargue is a district of the town of
Le Grau-du-Roi
Le Grau-du-Roi (; ) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France. It is the only commune in Gard to have a frontage on the Mediterranean. To the west is the Herault department and La Grande-Motte village, and to the east is the Bouc ...
, in the
Gard
Gard () is a department in Southern France, located in the region of Occitanie. It had a population of 748,437 as of 2019;[administrative region
Administrative divisions (also administrative units, administrative regions, subnational entities, or constituent states, as well as many similar generic terms) are geographical areas into which a particular independent sovereign state is divi ...]
of
Occitanie. Built in the 1960s, it is today one of the biggest marinas in Europe.
Quels sont les plus grands ports de France
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History
In 1963, the Nîmes
Nîmes ( , ; ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Gard Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region of Southern France. Located between the Med ...
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), with the assistance of Jean Bastide, launched the project to build a new marina on the Languedoc
The Province of Languedoc (, , ; ) is a former province of France.
Most of its territory is now contained in the modern-day region of Occitanie in Southern France. Its capital city was Toulouse. It had an area of approximately .
History
...
coast, as part of the Mission Racine. The architect selected was Jean Balladur, who also drew up the plans for La Grande-Motte
La Grande-Motte (; ) is a commune in the Hérault département in Occitanie in southern France. It is a popular seaside resort and port near Montpellier, built in the 1960s and 1970s. La Grande-Motte is characterized by homogeneous architectur ...
. Its construction began in 1969 with the creation of ponds, quays and piers. Then the first marinas were built. In 1974, the harbor office appeared. In 1980, the second phase of work concerning marinas was launched and in 1985 the initial CCI construction plan. Since then, under market pressure, town planning has continued to evolve with the construction of many additional marinas, apartments and villas. His Régie was chaired by Étienne Mourrut
Étienne Mourrut (4 December 1939 - 19 October 2014) was a French politician.
A member of the RPR and the UMP, he was deputy of the 2nd District of the Gard between 2002 and 2012 and Mayor of Le Grau-du-Roi between 1983 and 2014.
Biograph ...
when he was mayor of Le Grau-du-Roi .
Economy
With 4,600 berths, Port-Camargue is one of the top marinas in Europe. More and more permanent residents live there and commercial activity has intensified, with more than a hundred shops. Tourism, along with yachting and boating, is the essence of the economy of Port-Camargue.
Note, moreover, the presence near Port-Camargue of numerous campsites and vast beaches (including that of Espiguette, which extends to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (, alternatively with the definite article Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, "(the) Saint Marys of the Sea", locally Les Saintes, ; Provençal: ''Lei Santei Marias de la Mar'' or ''Li Sà nti Marìo de la Mar'' ), is the c ...
).
Navigation and nautical information
Access to the marina is by a channel open to the northwest, in an axis leaving little room for swell. The bottom is sandy and dredged on average at 5 metres. Landing under sail in fairly strong mistral weather can be difficult but without any major risks.
Note the presence for the arrival from the south of wave buoys opposite the Pointe de l'Espiguette. These are sometimes removed for maintenance reasons. They make it possible to indicate the limit of the area of sandbanks bordering along the beaches of the bay. When navigating nearby, the use of the depth sounder is highly recommended. Most of the rocky sand bars extend underwater for more than ten meters. Avoid approaching them too closely.
The harbor master's office is on (almost) permanent standby on channel 9 and can be reached by telephone. Refueling is possible; the station is located after the reception area, following the most northerly channel (to port). Finally, note the presence of an SNSM speedboat, two sailing schools and a UCPA center.
Gallery
Image:France Port Camargue Escale Port.jpg, Résidence l'Escale Port
Image:France Port Camargue Les Arpeges.JPG, Marina Les Arpèges
Image:France Port Camargue Quai Ulysse Plage.JPG, Quais de la marina Ulysse Plage
Image:France Port Camargue Nirvana.JPG, Marina Nirvana
Image:France Port Camargue Quai Bougainville.jpg, Quai Bougainville
Image:France Port Camargue Groupe Bel.JPG, Mise à l'eau du Groupe Bel
Image:France Port Camargue Le Meltemi.JPG, Le Meltemi à Port Camargue
References
{{Authority control
Tourist attractions in Nîmes
Le Grau-du-Roi
Marinas in France