There is no theme park in the Camargue, and children don’t miss it. What works here is seeing real animals: flamingos at Pont de Gau, bulls and white horses on a manade (a bull and horse ranch), birds from a boat on the Petit Rhône. Here are nine outings for a family stay in the Camargue, with the age from which each one works, what it costs and what can go wrong. Prices date from November 2026 and change from one season to the next, so check before you go.
Seeing pink flamingos and birds
The Pont de Gau ornithological park
This is the easiest outing on the list. The park covers 60 hectares, a few kilometres north of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, and you can get close to the flamingos without binoculars or any bird knowledge. The ticket is valid all day: around €8 for an adult, €5 for a child aged 4 to 12 (a third-party listing gives €8.50 for 2026, and I couldn’t settle it). Allow 1 to 1.5 hours. The 2.8 km of paths in the southern part are suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs. Picnics are allowed, dogs are not, and there is almost no shade: bring hats and water.
The Marais du Vigueirat
On the Arles side, this 1,200-hectare national reserve counts more than 300 bird species and five manades. The Étourneau trail runs partly on stilts, and the Cabanes trail has games for children. The reserve is open every day from 9:30 am to 5 pm (5:30 pm from April to September). Guided naturalist outings last 2.5 hours: €18 per adult, €9 from 6 to 12, free under 6 (2026 prices, admission included). Dogs are not allowed on the trails.
The Domaine de la Palissade
Near Salin-de-Giraud, this estate run by the Camargue Regional Nature Park has three trails of 1.5, 3 and 7 km, all starting from the reception. It is open from February to November, €5 per person and free for under-12s (the source doesn’t say whether that also applies to guided visits). From April to November, local professionals offer kayaking on the Rhône and horse rides between the river and the marsh, by reservation. No pets on the trails.
On the water, on horseback or by bike
The Tiki III on the Petit Rhône
This paddle boat has been sailing since 1962. It goes up the Petit Rhône to the Sauvage ferry in 1.5 hours, past cabanons (small fishermen’s huts), birds, and bulls or horses when the herds are near the banks. Allow €17 for an adult and €9 for a child aged 3 to 12. There are several departures a day from April to October, but only one in October (2:30 pm). There are toilets on board, and dogs on a lead are accepted. In high season, book online and arrive 15 minutes early. One reservation all the same: 1.5 hours seated is a long time for a 3-year-old.
Pony or horse riding
You don’t need to know how to ride. Each centre sets its own limits: from the ones I consulted, ponies are possible from age 3 for half an hour, while a real horse ride needs more like 6 to 8 years. At the Marais du Vigueirat, pony rides are for ages 3 to 10, under parental responsibility. For the reserve’s horse rides, the weight carried is limited to 95 kg on average. When you book, ask about the minimum age and the weight limit, as they differ from one centre to another.
Cycling on the sea dyke
Between Saintes-Maries and the Gacholle lighthouse (1882), the dyke is flat and you can see flamingos almost all the way. You can stop for a swim on the way. The track is not tarmac: a hybrid bike or a mountain bike will do, not a city bike. In the village, Le Vélo Saintois rents children’s mountain bikes, trailers, follow-me bikes and baby seats, every day from 15 February to 1 November 2026.
Bulls, white horses and traditions
Visiting a manade
You climb onto a towed trailer to get close to the herds safely while the manadier (the rancher) explains how the animals are raised. Some manades also show the ferrade (the branding of young bulls) and the gardians’ work. At the Manade Raynaud in Saintes-Maries, the visit alone costs €15 per adult, half price from 6 to 12, free under 6. With the Camargue meal, allow €35 per adult. Visit days vary: call +33 6 14 58 01 01. At Domaine de Méjanes, near Arles, the visit can be combined with a ride on a little train: in 2026, €24 for an adult and €17 for a child aged 5 to 10 with the train, €17 and €10 without. Animals not admitted.
Learning while having fun
The Musée de la Camargue
It occupies the old sheepfold of the Mas du Pont de Rousty, in Arles, very close to the estate. The 4.8 km interpretive trail (1.5 hours, free, open every day) follows the canal and the rice fields to the marsh, passing a gardian’s hut. The Park’s programme announces treasure hunts for children, at the museum and on the trail. Allow about 3 hours in total. The museum is open from 9 am to 6 pm every day from April to September, from 10 am to 5 pm in October, then Monday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm the rest of the year, with a few weekends open during the holidays. There is a picnic area and free parking, and dogs are not admitted to the museum. I couldn’t find the admission price online: phone +33 4 90 97 10 82.
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
The village is best explored on foot. To climb onto the roof of the fortified church, you have to go up a spiral staircase of 53 high steps, which is hard for the youngest. Near the tourist office (5 avenue Van Gogh) there is an old-fashioned carousel and a playground. From age 8, the Compagnie des rêves urbains offers a downloadable 1.5-hour walking booklet starting from the office. In summer it is hot and shade is scarce.
Which outing to choose by age
With a 3-year-old, we would go for Pont de Gau, a pony ride and a manade: short, outdoors, no queues. The Tiki III and cycling on the dyke work better from 5 or 6, when a child can sit still for 1.5 hours or pedal on unpaved tracks. The museum and its treasure hunts, the Saintes-Maries booklet and horse riding are for ages 7 to 8 and up. If it rains, the museum is the outing on the list that is easiest to do under cover, even though the trail is outdoors.
One last point if you are travelling with a dog: it is refused at Pont de Gau, at the Marais du Vigueirat, on the Palissade trails, at the museum and at Méjanes. Only the Tiki III accepts it, on a lead.
To explore from our accommodation, see Le Rousty cottage, Le Cigalon cottage, air-conditioned for 4 people or the Les pieds dans l’eau apartment in Saintes-Maries. Our article Things to do in the Camargue complements this one, and the one on restaurants helps you choose where to eat after your outing.
