Observation tower – Mediterranean Lighthouse loop from Carnon

Hiking trails & Routes

Observation tower – Mediterranean Lighthouse loop from Carnon

Moderate

4.4

(17)

hikers

Observation tower – Mediterranean Lighthouse loop from Carnon

02:57

11.7km

10m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: August 1, 2026

Tips

Temporary access restrictions

Includes segments with temporary access restrictions.

After 10.3 km for 92 m

Customers only

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

2.90 km

Étang du Grec

Lake

5.12 km

Channel

Highlight • Other

Here, the Lez river crosses the canal from the Rhône to Sète in the heart of the Palavas lagoon system. Les Quatre Canaux is not just a hydraulic crossroads: the area constitutes one of Palavas's historical cradles, where fishing families had settled on the banks of the Lez and the ponds.

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6.01 km

Grau de Palavàs

Lake

6.45 km

Saint Peter and Saint Paul Church of Palavas-les-Flots

Highlight • Religious Site

Built in 1896, the Saint-Pierre church bears witness to the rapid development of Palavas-les-Flots at the end of the 19th century. It replaced a first church built of planks, which had become too modest for a booming seaside resort. In the neo-Romanesque style, it is today the second oldest monument in Palavas, after the Redoute de Ballestras. Inside are preserved, among other things, the ashes of Saint Florence and her effigy.

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6.64 km

Icecream shop Catalan

Highlight • Other

A warm welcome ... even for an ice cream parlor !!!
Succulent "giant" ice creams, but difficult to finish, it is so generous.
I highly recommend !

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Tip by

6.82 km

Observation tower

Highlight • Other

The Mediterranean Lighthouse is one of the emblematic monuments of Palavas-les-Flots, but its history is surprising, to say the least: it was never a lighthouse. At this location once stood the Redoute de Ballestras, a military structure built in the 18th century to defend the port. After its defensive function was abandoned, the redoubt was incorporated into several facilities for supplying Palavas with drinking water. In 1943, a large concrete water tower was built around the existing structures and operated until 1997.

Rather than being demolished, the old water tower was rehabilitated between 1998 and 2000 to become the Mediterranean Lighthouse: an observation tower, a convention center, and a revolving panoramic restaurant. The redoubt, hidden within the water tower, was dismantled stone by stone and then rebuilt on an islet in the Étang du Levant.

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6.83 km

Mediterranean Lighthouse

Highlight • Restaurant

The Phare de la Méditerranée was once used as a water tower, but today you can not only drink there, but also enjoy excellent food - at a height of 45 metres there is a revolving restaurant from which you can overlook the entire area.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

8.56 km

Palavas Est

Beach

11.7 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

6.06 km

2.74 km

2.31 km

591 m

Surfaces

3.93 km

2.75 km

2.18 km

2.16 km

668 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Weather

Sunday 18 October

18°C

12°C

98 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 35.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

May 10, 2024,von Palavas-les-Flots am Strand nach Carnon, am Kanal zurück

The beach between Palavas and Carnon is rockier, so less pleasant to walk barefoot than the one towards the Cathedral of Maguelone, and was more crowded. Along the canal there was little view of the ponds, more car noise, but there were still a few flamingos to see. On the other hand, there are a few restaurants in Carnon where …

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