About
The Réserve naturelle nationale de l'Estagnol is a protected wetland near Montpellier, in the Occitania region of southern France. It takes in a coastal lagoon ecosystem, a place where fresh and salt water meet and where a varied community of plants and animals makes its home.
What you will find
- Migratory birds, which use the lagoon and its margins as a stopping point on their journeys.
- Aquatic flora, the water-loving plants that shape the edges of the wetland.
- Mediterranean wildlife, typical of the region's lagoons and coastal landscapes.
The kind of visit it makes
This is a place for slowing down. The reserve suits birdwatching and quiet nature observation, and it is well suited to those who enjoy watching the water and the sky change over an hour or an afternoon. Bring patience and, if you have them, binoculars. Because it is a protected natural area, visitors are asked to respect its wildlife and its habitats.
The setting is calm and open, and it offers a clear contrast with the streets of the city. Those who want more to see can combine a trip here with time in Montpellier itself, a city whose lively centre lies a short distance away, before or after an afternoon among the lagoon's birds.