Canal du midi

Discover our biking tour on the canal du Midi

Completing the canal des Deux Mers with the canal de Garonne, the canal du Midi link the Mediterranean Sea to the pink city, Toulouse. 241km long, the canal du Midi, built by Pierre-Paul Riquet at the XVII century is since 1996 listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site. A real revolution for river transport at that time, the canal du Midi opened the way to the industrial revolution. Completed by the canal de Garonne, it linked the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.

More than a revolution for transportation, the canal du Midi become a work of art, regrouping in total 63 locks, 126 bridges, 55 aqueducts and 7 canal-bridges. You will be able to appreciate during your biking tour on the Canal du Midi the ballet of the boats going up and down this waterway. Taking the old tow path along the canal du Midi, you will bike on cycling paths sometimes on tarmac or sometimes on dirt roads or stabilized roads. However, driving along this canal, you will always be away from the hustle and bustle of car traffic.

What you will find during your biking tour on the canal du Midi

The canal du Midi is full of varied landscapes, the towns and villages along the canal will be exceptionnal stops during your trip. Crossing the Occitania, you will have the opportunity to discover several cities that will offer you their specialties and their rich heritage. Starting in Montpellier, you will take the road towards Sète, port city and second largest fishing port in Mediterranean. You will continue your road to Agde, a town with a certain natural heritage,where you could eventually visit its Romanesque cathedral fortified in basalt. Your tour will lead you then to Béziers, where you can find the 9 locks of Fonseranes and also its « Old-Bridge » representing the Romanesque architecture.
Your tour will continue to Narbonne, you will discover its Roman horreum, its archiepiscopal palace and its gothic cathedral. Arriving in Carcassonne, medieval Cathar city classified as World Heritage by Unesco, you can choose to stop here or extend your stay to Toulouse.

If you decide to extend the tour, you will pass by Castelnaudary, where you will taste its famous cassoulet! You can also make a loop towards the lake of Saint-Ferréol, also built by Pierre-Paul Riquet to ensure the water supply of the Canal du Midi. You will finish your stay in Toulouse, the pink city and its famous Capitol square. 

Go on holiday with your family, the canal du Midi is accessible for everyone ! 

You will have understood, a biking tours along the canal du Midi will allow you to visit many cultural sites, charming villages but also to enjoy a rich gastronomy and numerous culinary specialties such as the « Cassoulet », the « Tielle Sètoise », the « Fougasse aux fritons » or the oyster of Bouzigues…

Taking advantage of a relatively flat relief, you could go with your children to the discovery of this region ! The steps of our tour varied between 40 to 60 km per day. Whether you choose the 7-days or the 10-days version, we will take care to select quality accommodations for you to recover from your cycling days.

Offering this tour as a self-guided one, you will be able to pedal at your own pace and stop as you wish to discover the surroundings of the Canal du Midi in your own way, without limitations. Accessible to all and all levels, whether you want to ride from Montpellier to Toulouse or even continue your tour on the canal de Garonne from Toulouse to Bordeaux, we offer you a turnkey tour.  

What is the best time to go on holidays along the canal du Midi ?

You want to go on a biking tour on the canal du Midi but you don’t know when you should leave ? You can book our trip from March to October. The region enjoys a pleasant climate all year round, so you can take advantage of the mild spring or early autumn to discover the Canal du Midi.

You can also leave in summer without fearing the overwhelming heat, thanks to the numerous plane trees along the canal, you will be sheltered and will be able to follow your route in the shade of these majestic trees. Whether you want to realize a 7-days or 10-days tour, contact us so we can organize your biking tour on the canal du Midi !