Travel on foot, by bike or by boat along the Canal du Midi and the Canal Latéral à la Garonne...Take this maritime route between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean.
In this article, I will tell you about an emblematic route in the south of France...a link between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. This link is the Canal du Midi and its continuation, the Canal Latéral à la Garonne. A journey out of time and beautiful photos in perspective.
A bit of history to start: Pierre-Paul Riquet was the investigator of this "pharaonic" project. Work began in 1667 and ended in 1681. 12,000 workers (men and women) worked on this site. Riquet's big problem was the financing of this work. He swallowed up his entire fortune and left an abysmal debt to these descendants. Pierre-Paul Riquet died on October 1, 1680 without having been able to see the end of this work. He nevertheless realized his dream which was to connect the Mediterranean Sea to Toulouse.
In his initial project, he had planned the construction of the Canal Latéral à la Garonne to link Toulouse to Bordeaux. But the size and the cost of this second part were too important. Work on the Canal Latéral à la Garonne, linking Toulouse to Bordeaux, resumed in the 19th century.
These 2 gigantic works of 460 kilometers long remain fabulous projects today.
When to do the Canal du Midi or the Canal Latéral à la Garonne?
- On foot or by bike: spring and autumn are good times when nature is dazzling... In summer, it is also possible to follow the Canal du Midi and the Canal Latéral, but it is warmer there. - By boat: you can rent boats without a license from April to the end of October...outside this period, maintenance work on certain sections prevents navigation.
Where to stay ? You will find many accommodation possibilities along the Canal du Midi see on this link
Why not visit (wireless ticket) and stay in the city of Carcassonne
Where to find food and drink? There is no shortage of restaurants, inns and shops along the Canal See this link
Calculate your route Calculate your daily distances with this link
Now is the time to start our trip and take some great souvenir photos. First of all the map of our journey between the Mediterranean and Toulouse.
The Canal du Midi starts from the Etang de Thau near the town of Marseillan. The Onglous lighthouse will be your starting point
You will walk along the Canal crossing many locks...63 to be precise...all different from each other
You will appreciate the long rows of plane trees which will shade you on hot days.
You will pass under many works of art... unless you go over them, like on the Pont Canal de l'Orb in Béziers
But where does all this water come from? From an ingenious system developed by Riquet...To put it simply, Riquet used the natural slopes of the terrain to bring water from the Montagne Noire. This water is stored in the lake of St Ferréol. At the highest point called "Naurouze threshold", the waters "share" to the East and to the West to feed the Canal. See diagram below
After 260 kilometers of travel, along this ribbon of greenery and water, you have arrived in Toulouse, where the Canal du Midi joins the Canal Latéral à la Garonne. This precise point is located at the port of the mouth, you will see the twin bridges there.
Why not take the opportunity to visit Toulouse also called the "Pink City" for these brick walls - A short open-top bus tour - or a 72-hour visit with the City Card
After the Canal du Midi and the visit of Toulouse, let's continue on the Canal Latéral à la Garonne. This is the 2nd Canal des 2 mers linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean (the 1st being the Canal du Midi... of course). As I told you at the beginning of the article, Pierre Paul Riquet had thought about building it, but for lack of means, he had given up. It was at the beginning of the 19th century that work resumed under the pressure of the industrial era. The Garonne being capricious, it was difficult to reach Toulouse in Bordeaux by this waterway. This Canal was completed in 1848 and is 200 kilometers long. Toulouse could be reached at Castets en Dorthe near Langon, the rest of the journey being made by the slightly more navigable Garonne to Bordeaux.
There too locks, paths of refreshing plane trees and works of art will punctuate your journey. A small plan of this Lateral Canal to the Garonne between Toulouse and Castets en Dorthe
Beautiful locks and works of art
A pleasant track under the hundred-year-old plane trees
You will find all the useful information on this site to help you on this trip (accommodation, routes, visits, etc.) You have reached the end of this journey... where the Canal Latéral à la Garonne flows into the Garonne at Castet en Dorthe (Gironde department)
I hope to have made you want to discover this course between 2 seas over more than 460 kilometers... between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. You can do it all or just a few small sections. In any case, you will be able to return by train, for example, since there is a line that connects Bordeaux to Nice via Agen, Toulouse, Carcassonne, Béziers... I wish you a good trip on this extraordinary course and good souvenir photos