Camargue

Declared in 1970 and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1977, the Camargue is the largest wetland in western Europe, formed by the delta of the Rhône where it meets the Mediterranean. It is celebrated for its semi-wild white horses, a native breed of uncertain origin but present in the region since prehistoric times, and for holding one of the largest breeding colonies of greater flamingo in Europe, whose colour comes from the carotenoid pigments in the crustaceans they eat in the delta's brackish lagoons.