Espiguette Beach
The Pointe de l'Espiguette, classified as a Natural Site in 1994, and the lighthouse, classified as a Historic Monument in 2012, bear witness to an ongoing dialogue between man and his environment. Together, they recount the evolution of perceptions of the coastline, which, in nearly a century and a half, has gone from fear to enchantment, from confrontation to environmental balance.
Endless espiguette...
With its white dunes reaching up to 12 metres high and its endless beach, Espiguette forms a dune system admired by all nature lovers. Included in the perimeter of the Grand Site de la Camargue Gardoise in 1998 and classified as a Grand Site de France in 2014, it covers 534 hectares of protected natural land, or 10 kilometres of coastline untouched by construction.
In its raw and wild state
Even though the dunes at Espiguette beach appear indestructible, they are fragile: a grain of sand that took 100 years to climb the dune can slide back down in a second with every step a person takes. To protect this magnificent landscape as much as possible, please do not climb or walk on the dunes.
Work is being carried out to preserve the site: wooden fences, footbridges, signage to raise visitors’ awareness of the fragility of this environment, reconstruction and reinforcement of two dune ridges… to protect the Espiguette plain as much as possible, control the shifting sand and ensure that the site and its many visitors coexist as harmoniously as possible.
Espiguette Beach is a true natural treasure that must be protected!
Guide information
The fauna and flora are characteristic of the dune environment. There are 109 species of birds, including 25 rare and protected species, as well as numerous insects and amphibians such as lizards and frogs!
Vegetation exists at the foot and above the dunes. There are dune-building plants such as marram grass and spurge, and those that help stabilise the dunes, such as sand lilies, sea grapes and sea holly.
A protected area
This habitat, once widespread, is now a relict of a rare and endangered dune system on the French Mediterranean coast. Its 10 km of beach constitute one of the most beautiful dune systems in the northern Mediterranean basin. Untouched by construction and unique in Europe, this exceptional and fragile natural heritage is covered by the Natura 2000 habitat directive.
Its dune massif is framed by high dunes, parallel to the beach, which help to protect the site from total sand encroachment.
The Espiguette lighthouse footbridge
To preserve the sand dunes, access to the Espiguette lighthouse is only permitted via a marked path: the wooden walkway. This facility offers visitors the opportunity to discover and learn about a fabulous site, but above all to protect this natural heritage, which is highly vulnerable to natural hazards and damage caused by visitors and unauthorised crossing of the dune environment. By using this footbridge, you will be able to look out over the dunes without risking damage to them.
A hand-cleaned beach
In 2012, the municipality made a radical decision: to clean the 10 km of Espiguette beach… by hand. No more machines.
The machines left the beach smooth and clean, but with disastrous consequences for erosion and biodiversity in our fragile ecosystem. Thanks to manual cleaning, coastal guards are slowing down the erosion process. A machine removes sand to a depth of about 20 cm, but rakes everything, including organic waste that makes up the ‘beach debris’, a mixture of shells, seaweed and wood. Unlike the artificial residues of summer human activity, natural waste deposited by the sea is useful. During the winter, driftwood, seaweed and shells are pushed inland. Once covered by sand, they form embryonic dune ridges that become vegetated. Since 2012, the dune ridges have grown and now form a natural barrier against rising sea levels.
Key points to remember
A preserved natural setting covering 534 hectares
L’Espiguette is a natural gem covering 534 hectares of protected land, offering 10 km of unspoilt coastline with no buildings. This wild landscape, composed of majestic dunes and exceptional biodiversity, is a refuge for many species.
A protected site
L’Espiguette is an exceptional site, protected by the Natura 2000 directive and part of the Grand Site de la Camargue Gardoise, classified as a Grand Site de France. This remarkable natural area benefits from enhanced protection to preserve its biodiversity and unique landscapes.
Fragile dunes
The Espiguette dunes, with peaks reaching up to 12 metres, are a fragile natural treasure. Every step accelerates their erosion, with a grain of sand taking a century to rebuild what we destroy in a second. To preserve this unique ecosystem, it is essential to stay on the marked paths and not walk on the dunes.