The best gravel rides around Florensac

From vineyards to beaches, from ancient villages to seaside resorts, the Canal du Midi links all the wonders of the region. Calm, natural, and friendly, it reflects our lifestyle and traditions. Between nature and culture, no matter how you cross it, it promises beautiful adventures in complete serenity.

The dinosaur egg-laying sites, the red lands, the white rocks, and the Étendoir des fées are among the most remarkable geological sites in the municipality. The Étendoir des fées is worth the detour as it is an original formation of limestone rocks, deposited at the beginning of the Tertiary era, during the folding of the Pyrenean-Provençal chain, on a continental plain episodically crossed by rivers.

A small lighthouse, a jetty, and blue as far as the eye can see. The Pointe des Onglous, where the Canal du Midi flows into the Thau lagoon, is an ode to contemplation. The pond reveals itself in 360°, as does its oyster farming vocation, with the azure sky and the silhouette of Mont Saint-Clair in the background. A picture that also features the town and port of Marseillan, the wild expanses of the Maldormir district, the tip of the lido, and old salt pans.

The Bagnas lock is the last single-chamber lock on the Canal du Midi before Sète, at the end of the canal. Built around 1676, it is located 235.2 km from Toulouse at an altitude of 2 m, between the Étang de Thau to the east and the Hérault river then the Prades lock to the west. It is located in the commune of Agde in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region.

Saint-Etienne Cathedral, built between 848 and 872, is one of the most beautiful fortified Romanesque buildings on the Languedoc coast. Built with local volcanic stone, this church, which has all the appearance of a medieval fortress, will take you back in time. It has a 35-meter-high keep with battlements and machicolations.

Saint-Etienne Cathedral, built between 848 and 872, is one of the most beautiful fortified Romanesque buildings on the Languedoc coast. Built with local volcanic stone, this church, which has all the appearance of a medieval fortress, will take you back in time. It has a 35-meter-high keep structured with battlements and machicolations.

The round lock of Agde is the most original on the canal. Built in 1675-1676. It was put into operation in 1678 when the canal from Béziers to the Étang de Thau was opened to navigation. A particular situation, an original response: it was decided to build a round lock with three gates. The first opens towards the city of Sète and the Étang de Thau via a short passage on the Hérault; the second opens onto the canal coming from Béziers; the third opens onto the small canal which allows small boats to reach the city of Agde and its maritime port and then Grau d'Agde. The round lock was commissioned in 1678 when navigation opened between the Étang de Thau and Béziers. It originally measured 30 meters in diameter with a depth of 5.20 meters in the center. Thanks to this round lock and the low canal, small maritime boats can come onto the canal!

It is the « Pont Saint-Joseph », but for a long time everyone has called it « The Three Eyes Bridge ». It sounds more poetic. The Three Eyes Bridge is a very pleasant structure: a main arch to let boats pass, and two smaller ones, one of which lets water through, and the other the towpath. It must not have been easy in the time of bargemen (towing by horses) because it was necessary to detach, then reattach when the obstacle had been passed. Here it is obvious, but it is the case for almost all the bridges on the Canal du Midi. It must be said that most of the time, the boat continued on its momentum and was reattached on the other side. Another peculiarity of this place is that there are two spillways on either side of the bridge.