Two 30-m² Gardian’s cabins on a 500-m² lot
next to the beach in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
next to the beach in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer,
BOUCHES-DU-RHONE
provence-cote-dazur
13460
FR
Location
This property is located in the southwest of the Provence-Alpes-Côtes-d’Azur region and the Bouches-du-Rhône department, within the town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, the historical capital of the Camargue and a still-active pilgrimage site for its church from the 11th and 12th centuries, which preserves the relics of Saint Sarah known as “Sarah the Black”, venerated by the Romani people. After the crucifixion of Jesus, Sarah landed on this shore by boat along with Mary Salome, Mary, Mother of James and Mary Magdalene, three other Christian saints, of whom she was the servant, and who gave their name to the village.
Today, a seaside resort with Port Gardian, a small fishing harbour popular with pleasure boaters, the town, thanks to its protection under the Coastal law, has conserved its authenticity. Forty minutes from Arles and its high-speed rail station, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer also provides access to Aigues-Mortes as well as Montpellier, via the Sauvage Ferry, which provides crossings of the Petit Rhône every half hour in a just a few minutes.
Description
Accessible from the coastal road along the seawall, after the moorings of Port Gardian, the two Gardian’s cabins are part of a group of about thirty built in 1955 by the last master cabin-builders living on the isthmus, which separates the Etang des Launes wetland and its pink flamingos from the sea and seagulls.
These cabins also contributed to the resurgence in interest in this area after the film “White Mane”, which once again popularised the forgotten Camargue of Fulco de Baroncelli and its traditions. The film depicts happy days cadenced by the gentle rhythm of nature, within unspoiled landscapes that combine coastlines, wetlands and the saltmarshes created by man under Napoleon III, who wanted to take advantage of the great Rhône delta’s natural wealth, which had only been recently harnessed.
The gabled cabins – the original name of the Gardian’s cabins – were once reserved for fishermen. They were then occupied by shepherds, salt workers and Camargue herdsmen, also known as “gardians”, who watch over herds of bulls and horses raised in semi-freedom. Genuine local “cowboys”, they are the ones who have given these cabins their current name.
Built to resist rough weather conditions according to specific architectural guidelines, the result of a certain amount of ingenuity accumulated since the 16th century, they are placed in the middle of bull pastures or along the banks of wetlands and submerged within the colourful fauna of migrating birds and the Camargue’s famous pink flamingos. Visible in some of Van Gogh’s paintings, these long rectangular buildings, from 30 to 120 m² based on their use, are whitewashed with quicklime, while their southern side has a characteristic diamond-shaped gable end and their northern side, topped with a hipped roof in order to reduce the power of the Mistral wind, forms an apse. With few or no windows, the cabin is topped with a gabled roof made out of common reeds, which is strongly inclined in order to facilitate the runoff of rainwater, rare, but violent. The roofs on these cabins originally date from 1955, but were identically restored in 2005, the lifespan of a reed-thatched roof being 50 years.
These cabins also contributed to the resurgence in interest in this area after the film “White Mane”, which once again popularised the forgotten Camargue of Fulco de Baroncelli and its traditions. The film depicts happy days cadenced by the gentle rhythm of nature, within unspoiled landscapes that combine coastlines, wetlands and the saltmarshes created by man under Napoleon III, who wanted to take advantage of the great Rhône delta’s natural wealth, which had only been recently harnessed.
The gabled cabins – the original name of the Gardian’s cabins – were once reserved for fishermen. They were then occupied by shepherds, salt workers and Camargue herdsmen, also known as “gardians”, who watch over herds of bulls and horses raised in semi-freedom. Genuine local “cowboys”, they are the ones who have given these cabins their current name.
Built to resist rough weather conditions according to specific architectural guidelines, the result of a certain amount of ingenuity accumulated since the 16th century, they are placed in the middle of bull pastures or along the banks of wetlands and submerged within the colourful fauna of migrating birds and the Camargue’s famous pink flamingos. Visible in some of Van Gogh’s paintings, these long rectangular buildings, from 30 to 120 m² based on their use, are whitewashed with quicklime, while their southern side has a characteristic diamond-shaped gable end and their northern side, topped with a hipped roof in order to reduce the power of the Mistral wind, forms an apse. With few or no windows, the cabin is topped with a gabled roof made out of common reeds, which is strongly inclined in order to facilitate the runoff of rainwater, rare, but violent. The roofs on these cabins originally date from 1955, but were identically restored in 2005, the lifespan of a reed-thatched roof being 50 years.
The Gardian's Cabins
Constructed with modern materials, with the exception of their thatched roofs – made out of common reeds – they are built on a foundation and their roof ridges are reinforced with cement over wire mesh in order to provide extra protection from storms. In addition, the load-bearing structure is no longer built out of wooden posts, but with triangular trusses resting on the building’s side walls. With the leaning Camargue cross that crowns the end of the apse’s central rafter, these modern cabins have preserved their historical shape, enabling their one-of-a-kind silhouette to endure in the Camargue countryside.
Each of these dwellings, with approximately 30 m² and either polished concrete or ancient terracotta tile floors, includes a bedroom and a kitchen space, one of which has a fireplace topped with a brick hood. Although these cabins do not come with a central heating system, oil-filled radiators make sure their interiors stay cosy in the winter months.
As for the lavatory, shower and laundry room, they are located in a building at the end of the garden.
The Garden
Protected from the beach’s sand dunes by the embankment and the road that separates it from the coast, the 500-m² garden is completely enclosed. Located in a protected zone, in which planting any variety of plant foreign to the Camargue is forbidden, the garden is mostly covered in local grasses, which are resistant to drought as well as the salinity of the sea spray, while ice plants decorate the garden with their purple and yellow flowers throughout the year and shrubs, specifically, tamarisks, produce rosaries of soft pink fluff balls as of the end of winter. At the end of the garden, near the Etang des Launes wetland, a toilet block was constructed, while an outdoor solar-heated shower is perfect for rinsing off after hours spent at the beach.
As for parking, a spot for a vehicle was created in order to avoid the nuisance of finding parking during the summer months.
Our opinion
The site, an isthmus separating the sea from wetlands, is truly one-of-a-kind as is the property. At the edge of the 100-metre coastal strip, these cabins, with their bathrooms at the end of the garden, represent a sort of childhood dream that now can be relived as an adult, promising a type of freedom that the modern world rarely offers.
A favourite holiday spot for Provencal families with only a single road to cross in order to enjoy the sea and beach, these cabins could also be regularly rented out at least nine months out of the year, like most of their neighbours already are, thereby providing a considerable source of additional income.
Although rather rustic in appearance, these are authentic, rural cabins ensconced in unrivalled nature, which is exactly why it is so important to invest in and cherish them for many years to come.
520 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 744460
| Land registry surface area | 535 m2 |
| Main building surface area | 80 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 1 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 5 m2 |
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NB: The above information is not only the result of our visit to the property; it is also based on information provided by the current owner. It is by no means comprehensive or strictly accurate especially where surface areas and construction dates are concerned. We cannot, therefore, be held liable for any misrepresentation.
