• Introduction
• Reports (29)
• Useful information

  Know before you go

  Sport and leisure activities

• History and culture

  Region Today

  History

  Architecture

  Traditions

  Nature

• Beaches
• Bicycling
• Cruises on the Canal du Midi
• Hiking
• Horse trekking
• Potholing
• Thalassotherapy and spas
• White water sports
• Wine

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Beaches

The cleanliness of beaches can be consulted online: baignades.sante.gouv.fr (in English)

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Bicycling

Languedoc-Roussillon Cyclotourism League – t 04 68 57 84 93 - languedoc-roussillon.ffct.org.

Company of Catalan Pyrenean Guides – t 04 68 04 39 22 - www.guide-montagne-pyrenees.com.

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Cruises on the Canal du Midi

Live aboard boats

Live aboard craft are fitted out for 2 to 12 people. Boats are hired without captains and do not require a permit.

Crown Blue Line – t 04 68 94 52 72 - www.crownblueline.fr (in English).

Nicols – t 02 41 56 46 56 - www.nicols.com (in English).

Luc Lines – t 04 68 91 33 00.

Locaboat Plaisance – t 03 86 91 72 72 - www.locaboat.com (in English).

Connoisseur – t 04 68 94 09 75 - www.connoisseur.fr (in English).

Rive de France – t 0 810 808 080 - www.rivedefrance.com (in English).

Amica Tours – t 04 67 90 95 51 - www.adnavis.com (in English).

Les Canalous – t 03 85 53 76 74 - www.canalous-plaisance.fr.

Caminav – t 04 67 68 01 90 - www.caminav.com (in English).

Boating excursions

Béziers Croisières – t 04 67 49 08 23. From Béziers to Poihles.

Luc Lines – t 04 68 91 33 00. Departures from Homps.

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Hiking

Grande randonnée Trails

GR 6 – The Alps-Ocean GR goes over the causses and Aubrac then cuts down towards Anduze, Beaucaire, before following the course of the Gard.

GR 7 – The Vosges-Pyrenees GR spans the region from mont Aigoual to the canal du Midi.

GR 65 – The St James Way path leaves from Le Puy.

GR 66 – Tour of mont Aigoual.

GR 67 – Tour of the Cévennes.

GR 68 – Tour of mont Lozère.

GR 70 – Stevenson trail.

GR 700 – Régordane trail.

GR 71 – The Haut-Languedoc spans the Larzac.

GR 10 – Ariège and Catalan Pyrenees.

GR 7 – Castelnaudary-Andorra.

GR 36 – Two Cathar castles at Le Canigou.

GR 107 – Bonshommes trail.

Alternatively, the Haute Route des Pyrénées (HRP) cuts across the Pyrenees from east to west.

Midi-Pyrénées Regional Hiking Board – t 05 62 24 18 77 - www.randonnees-midi-pyrenees.com.

French Federation of Hiking – t 01 44 89 93 93 - www.ffrp.asso.fr.

Escorted hikes

Company of Catalan Pyrenean Guides – t 04 68 04 39 22 - www.guide-montagne-pyrenees.com.

La Balaguère – t 0 820 022 021 (n^o Indigo) - www.balaguere.com.

Chamina Voyages – t 04 66 69 00 44 - www.chamina-voyages.com.

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Horse trekking

Signposted tracks are available throughout the region, cutting across scrubland, rocky plains, forest and the Camargue.

Languedoc-Roussillon Board of Equestrian Tourism – t 04 67 43 82 50 - www.telr.net.

Midi-Pyrénées Board of Equestrian Tourism – t 05 61 14 04 58 - crte-midi-pyrenees.com.

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Potholing

Some sites, such as the grotto of Fontrabiouse in the Capcir, grotto of Aguzou near Quillan, abyss of Cabrespine north of Carcassonne or the grotto of Trabuc in the Gard, have set up underground safaris. These circuits are open to all and do not require any special skills.

French Federation of Potholing – t 04 72 56 09 63 - www.ffspeleo.fr.

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Thalassotherapy and spas

Thalassotherapy

The Languedoc coast is home to three major thalasso centres La Grande-Motte, Cap-d’Agde and Grau-du-Roi; at Port-Barcarès and Banyuls-sur-Mer on the Roussillon coast.

National Syndicate of Thalassotherapy – t 01 44 70 07 57 or 02 40 11 72 35 - www.thalassofederation.com (in English).

Spas

The wealth of mineral and thermal springs in the Pyrenees has been common knowledge since Roman times.

Sulphur springs – Main resorts: Amélie-les-Bains, Bagnols-les-Bains, Balaruc-les-Bains, Molitg-les-Bains, La Preste-les-Bains, Rennes-les-Bains and Vernet-les-Bains.

Open-air hot baths – Main resorts: Dorres, Llo, Fontpédrouse, Molitg-les-Bains.

Salt water springs – Main resorts: Alet-les-Bains, Avène-les-Bains, La Chaldette, Les Fumades and Lamalou-les-Bains.

National Centre of Spa Resorts – t 01 53 91 05 75 - www.france-thermale.org.

French Federation of Spas – t 01 40 47 57 33 - www.federationthermale.org.

Chaîne thermale du soleil – t 01 44 71 37 00 - www.chainethermale.fr.

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White water sports

Canoe-kayaking

L’Échappée Verte – t 06 13 07 04 03 - www.echappeeverte.com. Canoe-Kayak courses and excursions.

French Federation of Canoe-kayaking – t 01 45 11 08 50 - www.ffcanoe.asso.fr

In conjunction with IGN, the federation publishes a map of all of France’s practicable waterways Les Rivières de France.

Canyoning and rafting

The area around Axat (Aude) is particularly suited to such sports. One of the most picturesque canyoning routes is the descent of the gorges of the Llech (Eastern Pyrenees).

French Federation of Mountains and Climbing – t 01 40 18 75 50 - www.ffme.fr.

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Wine

Wine routes

Most of the vineyards have a wine route, which combines visits of cellars and vineyards and halts in natural or historic sites.

Pays d’Oc wines – t 04 67 13 84 20 - www.vindepaysdoc.com.

St-Chinian wines – t 04 67 38 11 69 - www.saint-chinian.com (in English).

Minervois – t 04 68 27 80 00 - www.leminervois.com.

Averyon vineyards – t 05 65 59 84 11.

Roussillon wines – t 04 68 51 21 22 - www.vinsduroussillon.com.

Blanquette de Limoux – www.limoux-aoc.com (in English).

Corbières – t 04 68 27 73 00.

Fitou – t 04 68 40 42 70 - www.cru-fitou.com (in English).