Description
The Marais de Castélou is located in the heart of the Narbonnais Marshes and part of the Parc naturel régional de la Narbonnaise en Méditerranée. On the eastern part of Marais de Castélou you see grazing horses and bulls. To the west and south are the wild areas: the sansouires, salt meadows, and reed beds occupy vast areas more or less intertwined. Many birds come to nest, overwinter, hunt or simply to a migratory stop on the site. These include Bijela roda, Crna lunja, Čaplja Danguba, Europska velika sultanka, Sjenica Mošnjarka, Veliki Trstenjak, Crnoprugasti Trstenjak, Žuta Čaplja, Vlastelica and many other waders who take advantage of the submerged plots to become dry.
Details
Access
By car, take the road to Lunes, towards Gruissan, south of the city. After the crossing, turn left and continue on the main road for a few kilometers to a 90-degree junction where the area the entrance to The Grand Castélou estate will face you. A car park is 600 metres away, to the right of the buildings. From there you can make a circular walk of about 4 km. See the map below. Click on the P in the map to get directions.
Terrain and Habitat
WetlandConditions
Flat , Open landscapeCircular trail
YesIs a telescope useful?
Can be usefulGood birding season
All year roundBest time to visit
Spring migration , Autumn migration , SpringRoute
Paved roadDifficulty walking trail
EasyAccessible by
FootBirdwatching hide / platform
NoExtra info
Parc naturel régional de la Narbonnaise en Méditerranée is situated on the southern French coast on the western Mediterranean flyway and is part of one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. With a particularly wide range of habitats the park hosts one of France’s richest ranges of birdlife, with over 40% of the Western Palearctic species observed here (residents, seasonal visitors or on migration).

