The old salt pans of Frontignan
Presentation
Would you like to be closer to Mother Nature during your stay in Frontignan, to get away from the big tourist flows or simply to observe the typical fauna and flora of the Thau Archipelago? Then head for the old salt pans of Frontignan!
A little history
Shaped until 1968 by the salt industry, this succession of fresh and salt wetlands still shows traces of these three centuries of exploitation: canals, old salt tables...
Today it has become a favourite place for fauna and flora, and it is also here that you can enjoy an unrestricted view of a hundred or so species of birds, in particular pink flamingos, white stilts, ducks, terns, etc., which have come to winter, to breed or simply to make a migratory stopover.
It is thanks to this rich fauna and flora that this 230-hectare walking and contemplation area, nestled between the hills of the Gardiole massif to the north and the Ingril pond linked to the Mediterranean Sea to the south, has been classified Natura 2000.
Tip: It is best to bring a good pair of binoculars to fully appreciate the spectacle.
The "Ponds and salt pans" circuit
To make sure you don't miss anything of this property of the Conservatoire du Littoral, we invite you to follow the signposted circuit (15.5 km loop) around the ponds and salt pans, on foot or by bike.
In the middle of the saltwort and saladelles which grow in summer on the dried out ground, the reedbeds which can reach up to three metres in height or through the moors, dry grasslands and pine forests, let your eyes wander over the landscapes of the lagoon, the old salt pans and the Aresquiers wood.
Totally flat, this circuit entitled "Étangs et salins" (Ponds and salt pans) will offer you an unobstructed view of the Ingril pond and will even allow you, thanks to a wooden platform, to cross the lagoon for a complete immersion.
Nature walks
Do you prefer to be guided or do you want to (re)discover the old salt pans of Frontignan in an unusual way? Let yourself be tempted by a nature walk!
Among the many proposed throughout the year, we recommend :
Sur la route de l'Or blanc (On the White Gold Road), a visit that will take you back to Frontignan's salt-making past.
Les sentiers du sel, the ideal way to make a panoramic loop to the source of the Bois des Aresquiers.
Salt in the stars, an unusual experience that will make you walk in the footsteps of the old salt workers, but at night. Discover our dedicated article here.
Find here all the nature walks proposed in the Thau Archipelago!
