Mediterranean Sea Salt

The Rhône delta in the south of France is responsible for the formation of the 140,000 ha (346,000 acres) of wetlands, pastures, dunes and salt flats that make up the Camargue.

In the southern part of the Camargue are the salt marshes the "salins". In the salt marshes you'll see long lines of salt 'mountains' drying in the Provencal sun, and the checkerboard salt-pans.

Salt production in the Camargue began in the time of both the Greeks and the Romans and still is an live industry.

From March to September, seawater is pumped about 30 km across salt tables, to form a saturated solution. The solution is then directed into 9-ha crystalising pans, about 12-cm deep. The solution evaporates all winter and into the summer. From the end of August until October, the salt crystals