Car boot sale of Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône

Bargain hunting at the gates of Camargue

The Car boot sale of Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône brings together between 50 and 100 private sellers every Sunday in the Intermarché car park, avenue de la République. This Sunday event allows residents of the town and neighboring communities to hunt for treasures in the open air in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. The sellers, exclusively private individuals, turn up on the day without prior reservation, making each event a source of surprises and finds.

Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, a town born from the river and the sea

Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône occupies an exceptional geographical position, at the exact meeting point between the Grand Rhône and the Mediterranean. The town owes its existence to the digging of the Saint-Louis canal, decreed by Napoleon Bonaparte, which connected Arles to the Gulf of Fos. Initially the outer port of Arles, the municipality was officially created in 1904 and developed around its maritime and river port activities. Since the 1960s, with the development of the Fos-sur-Mer industrial-port area, the town has turned towards seaside tourism and water sports.

The Tour Saint-Louis, sentinel of the Rhône

The oldest monument in the town, the Tour Saint-Louis was built in 1737 to serve as a lighthouse and observation post to protect navigators at the mouth of the Rhône. Now a listed Historic Monument, it houses the Tourist Office and a remarkable permanent ornithological collection featuring 165 species of birds identified and classified by natural habitat. From its terrace, an exceptional panorama opens up over Camargue, the Rhône, and the Mediterranean.

Finds for all tastes

The stalls at the Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône car boot sale offer the typical diversity of Provençal flea markets:

• Clothing and accessories for the whole family
• Crockery, earthenware, and decorative objects
• Toys and games for children
• Books, vinyl records, and collectibles
• Small furniture and tools
• Trinkets and curiosities

Napoleon Beach and the treasures of Camargue

Take advantage of your visit to the car boot sale to discover the natural riches of Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône. Napoleon Beach, named in honor of the emperor who ordered the digging of the canal, boasts 10 kilometers of fine sand along the Mediterranean, one of the largest and wildest in Camargue. Olga Beach, more family-oriented, is located near the town center. The municipality has been part of the Camargue Regional Natural Park since 2011, offering visitors the spectacle of pink flamingos, horses, and salt marshes. The Barcarin ferry, free for pedestrians and cyclists, allows crossing the Rhône towards Salin-de-Giraud.

A town of character between land and sea

Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône cultivates an art of living close to nature, inherited from the dockers and fishermen who built the town. The cabanons, modest dwellings passed down through generations, bear witness to this authentic popular heritage. The Anse de Carteau, where the fresh waters of the Rhône meet the salt of the Mediterranean, is home to a renowned shellfish farming activity: mussels and oysters from Camargue are farmed here in unique conditions. In summer, the Port Côté Docks and Mercredis du Port du Citron Jaune events liven up the quays with street performances and seafood tastings.