Le Grau-du-Roi and its marina, Port-Camargue

Not far from L’Hérault and La Grande-Motte, this appealing destination in Le Gard has the only seabord in the “département”. Surrounded by water - the Mediterrranean to the south, Le Petit Rhône to the east and Le Vidourle to the west and north -, it offers 18 km of fine sand and plays host to 8,100 residents, joined by many tourists, fans of beaches and yacht marinas.

The government awarded Le Grau-du-Roi the title of “health and seaside resort” back in 1924, but the site had to wait until well after the Second World War before seeing any real progress. First thanks to the “Mission Racine”, intended to pursue intelligent development of the Languedoc-Roussillon coastline. In 1968, with this in mind, the authorities launched the creation of Port-Camargue, which now ranks among top European marinas. Jean Balladur, architect of La Grande-Motte, was in charge of the project. Work began in 1969 and was completed in 1985. In fact, construction then continued, to meet the desires and needs of an ever-growing clientele. The canal forming a junction between the ponds of Aigues-Mortes and the sea runs through the centre, a world which has managed to retain its authenticity despite the increasing number of holiday residences over the years.

“Fifty km from Nîmes, 34 km from Montpellier and their airports, Le Grau-du-Roi is very convenient, even for short breaks, especially sinces, besides offering beaches, the resort is in immediate proximity to the Camargue and the ancient ramparts of Aigues-Mortes,” comment Françoise Vandier and Paul Boileau of Galion Plaisance Immobilier. Families like the Seaquarium and Requinarium while the casino and its restaurants attract fans of gambling, and Port-Camargue draws yachting enthusiasts for its 4,910 boat moorings, including 2,240 in the marina. The harbour is overlooked by blocks of flats with studios priced from 70,000 €, 1-bedroom apartments from 120,000 €, 2-bedroom from 190,000 €. If they enjoy a harbour view, they will cost 90,000, 180,000 and 280,000 € respectively. Hardliners prefer the “marina” system : co-owned condominiums, upper floors, garden-levels, duplexes or individual houses ranging from 70 to 150 m2 and beyond... It’s all a matter of taste. A 1-bedroom apartment with a garden and jetty costs from 260,000 to 290,000 €, a 2-bedroom apartment 330,000 to 560,000 € depending on the living space and the size of the boat mooring. For example, a duplex of 70 m2 prolonged by a terrace of 12 m2 with a garage and mooring of 3.40 x 12 metres recently changed hands for 345,000 €, while a 4-bedroom “marina” benefitting from a 5 x 16 metre mooring found a taker at 850,000 €. The Swiss, Belgians and Germans love this gateway to the Mediterranean.

“With the creation of Port-Camargue, clients from Great Britain and Germany began to pour in,” says Jacques Briand of the Seyne Immobilier agency. Since then, he noted that their numbers decreased in favour of Spain, and especially the Canary Islands. The loyalty of one nationality or another is ultimately dictated by flights provided by low-cost airlines. At present, the French comprise the majority, from Paris and Alsace, or towns between 3 and 4 hours away by car, such as Lyon, Grenoble and Saint-Etienne. They all fall for the charm of the sheltered beaches of the Espiguette lighthouse. The marina is not, however, solely inhabited by occasional residents : 700 to 800 families live there all year round. Some are also moving into villas on Lac Salonique, priced from 400,000 to 900,000 €, exceptions aside. The current period shows signs of recovery, though budgets have not yet regained their former levels, mostly ranging today from 90,000 to 250,000 €. Buyers are hesitant, but interest in prestige properties is definitely there. One would need to pay 1,360,000 € for a house of 250 m2 benefitting from a solarium of 60 m2, covered pool and a quayside 14 metres wide.

“Aigues-Mortes, 5 km from Le Grau, also has a marina, more affordable as it is set back from the sandy beaches,” says Guy Oliger of Calypso Immobilier. Here, a villa of 165 m2 with swimming pool and jetty costs around 950,000 €, a 1-bedroom apartment 240,000-250,000 €. The equivalent in Port-Camargue - 55 m2 plus boat mooring - currently fetches 315,000 €. The market is active, boosted by massive efforts to promote the destination both in France and abroad, even though French buyers from the Rhône Valley still top the list. Over towards Lac Salonique, the properties on offer have a different profile. None of them can claim being at the water’s edge, just facing the lake. One such house of 140 m2 with a garden of 600 m2 recently left the agency’s files in exchange for 650,000 €.