The Canal du Midi from Toulouse to Sete

TOULOUSE

You arrive in Toulouse where you discover the richness of the Pink City. You can walk across the “Place du Capitol”, the “Jacobins’ museum” or even the Cité de l’Espagne. Toulouse will offer you a total immersion into authenticity and modernity and you will be captured by this harmonious cohabitation between old and new.

From TOULOUSE to CASTELNAUDARY 62km 177m

You leave Toulouse, a City of Art and History, following the UNESCO-listed Canal du Midi.

The towpath stretches beneath plane trees, punctuated by locks and sunlit lock-keepers’ houses. Gradually, you enter the Lauragais, a land of gentle hills once famed for its pastel blue dye; a few mills and secluded farms still overlook the landscape. Around Montgiscard and Avignonet-Lauragais, the canal grows more winding, lined with meadows, ponds, and multi-chamber locks that reveal the canal’s remarkable engineering. At the Seuil de Naurouze, the watershed between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, the feeder channel, circular basin and perfectly aligned pathways create a calm, almost suspended atmosphere. A gentle descent then carries you toward Castelnaudary, capital of cassoulet, where red-tiled roofs rise above the Grand Bassin reflecting the last plane trees.

• For a few more km 70km 469m

  The towpath leads you to the Renneville lock before you leave the canal to climb into the Lauragais. You pass Villefranche-de-Lauragais, a former bastide, then Avignonet-Lauragais, where a Gothic tower overlooks the hills. The road rises toward the viewpoint, revealing the wide agricultural landscapes of the Lauragais. Higher up, Montferrand offers a remarkable panorama from its orientation table and the Aéropostale beacon, witness to the pioneering Toulouse–Casablanca air routes. You descend to the Seuil de Naurouze, a key point of the canal: a former rocky island transformed by Riquet into a hydraulic masterpiece, marking the exact line where waters flow either to the Atlantic or the Mediterranean. Its circular basin, feeder channel and symmetrical alleys create a place full of meaning. A gentle slope brings you back to the canal toward Castelnaudary, capital of cassoulet.

From CASTELNAUDARY to CARCASSONNE 45km 83m

You leave Castelnaudary and rejoin the UNESCO-listed Canal du Midi, the towpath stretching under plane trees and locks as the landscape opens toward the Aude.

As you progress, you reach Bram, a remarkable circular bastide whose roofs and bell tower rise above the fields. The canal then slides between the first Cabardès vineyards, with the foothills of the Montagne Noire as a backdrop. Gradually, the horizon shifts: the Medieval City of Carcassonne, a UNESCO site, emerges above the trees, its towers becoming sharper as you draw closer. The final kilometres run along calm basins and old lock-keepers’ houses before entering Carcassonne, a City of Art and History, dominated by its legendary fortress.

• For a few more km 60km 661m

  You reach the open roads of the Lauragais, where the landscape becomes more rolling as you approach Villelongue and its Cistercian abbey, a listed Historic Monument nestled in a shaded valley. The road then climbs toward Montolieu, Village of Books and Arts, perched above the valley of the Dure and its former paper mills. As the hills tighten, Aragon appears on its rocky spur, overlooking the garrigue of the Cabardès. You then descend among the vineyards to reach Pennautier, where the classical château, a Historic Monument, rises between the rows of vines. At the Douce lock you rejoin the Canal du Midi for the final kilometres toward Carcassonne, a City of Art and History, dominated by its medieval citadel listed as a UNESCO site.

From CARCASSONNE to LE SOMAIL 60km 155m

You leave Carcassonne.

Follow the generous shade of the plane trees lining the Canal du Midi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The towpath soon leads you to Trèbes, where the lock and stone bridge bring life to the waterfront. As you continue, vineyards gradually open around Marseillette, set on the former drained lagoon, before the route carries you towards Puichéric, identifiable by its peaceful lock. The steady course of the canal then guides you to La Redorte, where the canopy of trees gives way to the wider landscapes of the Minervois. Further on, you glimpse Lake Jouarres on the hillside and reach Argens-Minervois, crowned by its small castle. The path becomes more winding as you arrive in Paraza, its façades lined up along the water, then in Ventenac-en-Minervois, where the château-cellar overlooks the moored barges. A few quiet kilometres more bring you to Le Somail, a harbour hamlet with beautifully preserved charm.

• For a few more km 65km 343m

  Reach Trèbes, where the stone bridge and the lock bring life to the canal’s edge. The road then rises gently towards Rustiques, crossing the vineyards of the Minervois as you head for Laure-Minervois. Further on, you notice Rieux-Minervois and the outline of its collegiate church before continuing towards Azille, surrounded by vines. The route descends again toward La Redorte, where you return to the shade of the canal. You then pass through Castelnau-d’Aude and Tourouzelle, skirting the vineyards, before following the calm waters of Argens-Minervois, overlooked by its hilltop château. The path becomes more winding as you enter Paraza, aligned along the canal, before gliding on to Saint-Nazaire-d’Aude, the final stop before reaching Le Somail, a harbour hamlet with well-preserved charm.

From SOMAIL to BEZIERS 45km 160m

On the road to Béziers, you pass through the city of Capestang, where you have the chance to admire the wonderful Collegiate Church of the city.

You then pass under the Malpas tunnel and end with the 9 locks of Fonseranes at the entrance of Béziers.

• For a few more km 39km 147m

  In case of bad weather, trails could be very wet and mud, so you advise to avoid the Canal du Midi cycle route and take the roads through Salles d’Aude and Capestang

From BEZIERS to SETE 54km 128m

You leave Béziers by following the calm waters of the Canal du Midi, a UNESCO World Heritage site, shaded by the regular line of plane trees. In Villeneuve-lès-Béziers, the route runs along the quays and crosses small bridges that open brief views over the village. You then head towards Portiragnes, where the first hints of sea air mix with locks, coastal ponds and wide reedbeds. As you approach Agde, the canal meets the Hérault River: the water widens and the dark basalt quays reveal the city’s ancient origins. Further on, the greenway skirts the edges of the Bagnas Nature Reserve, where open ponds sometimes reveal flamingos and egrets. The landscape then stretches across the narrow Lido, a thin strip of land between the Mediterranean and the Thau Lagoon. You cycle close to the water until the silhouette of Mont Saint-Clair, landmark of Sète, rises ahead.

SETE

End of your stay after breakfast.