Today, you’ve planned to spend the day on the beach, but tomorrow and the day after... who knows? Here are a few suggestions.
Sports which make the most of wind and waves
- Kite and wind surfing : here, kite surfing is king! Invented in the 90s between Palavas and La Grande-Motte, kite surfing has conquered the world but, on our 200 km of coast, you can appreciate it at its very best. Kite surfing and wind surfing: there are at least twenty places along the coast accessible to the more sporty amongst our visitors. Meet up at Port Camargue, Agde, Gruissan, Port-Leucate, Canet-en-Roussillon, not forgetting the beach at Conssoules in La Franqui, considered to be among the best spots in Europe.
- Stand up paddle : easy, “zen”, accessible to all, stand-up paddle (SUP) has proved very popular. This is also the starting point for some beautiful nautical strolls to suit your sense of adventure. Try the Boucle du Ponant route, for example, or the Pointe de la plage de l’Espiguette in the Camargue, the coves of Cap Béar on the Côte Vermeille or even the canals of Palavas-les-Flots.
- Sand yachting : thanks to the Tramontane, which blows almost 300 days per year, the Languedoc coast is a paradise for kite surfers, but also for sand yachting, available on the immense beach of La Franqui or on the beach at Espiguette where the mistral will lend you wings.
Boat trips on the sea or the ponds
- Voile : the sport most often enjoyed in Occitania/Pyrenees-Mediterranean, both on the sea and on the ponds of Barcarès, Thau and Sigean. There are group and individual courses for beginners. Learn to sale a catamaran or a sailing dinghy; sign your children up to the “Jardins des Mers” [marine gardens] or a Moussaillon sailing course.
- Boat trip (mini cruise or sea fishing): available from most fishing ports (Port-Vendres, Sète) or marinas (Cap d’Agde).
- Sea kayaking : all the pleasure of coasting gently along the shoreline of the Côte Vermeille. Kayaks available for one or two persons, departing from Banyuls, Collioure or Port-Vendres, and all along the Languedoc coast.
- Scuba diving: do it with the professions along the Côte Vermeille, where the ocean depths are rich in coral and shoals of grouper fish and moray eels. Another spot: Off the Cap d’Agde on the lava flows You can even get up close to shipwrecks like the“Bananier” off St. Cyprien.
- Snorkeling : enjoy a flippered excusion with a minimum of equipment (mask, snorkel and fins) in places where the water is less deep and where there are no waves. Snorkeling is the ideal way to observe at leisure the wealth of underwater fauna and flora along the rocky coast of the Côte Vermeille. Experience the Cerbère-Banyuls underwater trail. You can also explore the rocky bays of the Anse de Paulilles, close to Port Vendres.
- Whale watching: take a boat trip to get up close and personal with dolphins, departures from La Grande-Motte, Port-Vendres or Canet-en-Roussillon.
Excursions on foot, horseback or mountain bike
- Walks : a number of itineraries are on offer, exploring sites of natural beauty along the Mediterranean coast including la Camargue gardoise, the regional natural park of Narbonne, the ponds of the Aude coastline, the Plateau of Leucate with the Canigo mountain in the background, and the hills of Collioure. An absolute must: the coastal trail, between Argelès-sur-Mer and Spain.
- Horseback trekking: the horses of the Camargue are waiting for you. From Grau du Roi Por Camargue, for example, get away from it all on superb trails to discover the flora and fauna of the Camargue Gardoise.
- Mountain bike escapes : there are cycle trails all along the Catalan coast, along the Canal de la Robine to Narbonne, across the marshes of Narbonne, around the Etang de Thau ...If you like to roam further afield, you can soar along the ViaRhona, major European cycle route linking Switzerland to the Mediterranean. The rugged terrains of the Massif de la Clape at the heart of the Regional Natural Park of Narbonne are perfect for mountain bike excursions beween scrubland and pine forests.
And also
- Golf : a wealth of golf courses await in Saint-Cyprien (one of its courses follows the shoreline and the Etang de Canet facing the summit of the Canigo) or La Grande Motte: its international course was created by American architect, Robert Trent Jones, who has designed the most beautiful courses in the world.