The Canal des Deux Mers
TOULOUSE , Haute-Garonne – Itinéraire
Stunning countryside, outstanding heritage interest and all the sunshine of the South of France: what more could you want? Get in the saddle for an unforgettable cycle ride along the Canal des Deux Mers At 700 km long, it is the only route in Europe that connects the beaches of the Atlantic with the beaches of the Mediterranean.
The Canal des Deux Mers cycle route starts at Royan Estuary (near Bordeaux on the Atlantic coast) and runs all the way to Sète on the Mediterranean coast. It’s great for both die-hard cycle tourists and familieslooking for a different holiday experience. Much of the route follows a greenway, a strip of tarmac with plenty of room for cyclists and pedestrians to travel side by side.
South of Toulouse, after the Seuil de Naurouze, extra care and suitable equipment are however required. The route is continuous, but the cycle path here is still under construction. In places it is rough and uncomfortable, but this is more than made up for by the beautiful scenery.
A ride through history
The Canal des Deux Mers, a magnificent river tourism and cycle touring route, is made up of the Canal de Garonne and the Canal du Midi. This historical trail is the result of a great human endeavour that began in the 17th century.
Louis XIV’s “pathway of peace” forms a trail you can follow at your own pace, completing the whole route or just following sections, with the option of returning to your starting point by train.
Connecting the Atlantic with the Mediterranean: the Romans dreamed of it; Pierre-Paul Riquet made it a reality. His genius vision took 14 years’ work to realise, creating an outstanding man-made structure: the Canal du Midi, listed by Unesco as a World Heritage Site since 1997. Riquet died in 1681 before he had succeeded in connecting his Canal du Midi to the ocean. It was not until the 19th century that Jean-Baptiste de Baudre completed the Canal de Garonne, from Toulouse to the Gironde Estuary, thereby creating the Canal des Deux Mers. Today, the Canal is one of the Great Tourist Sites of our region.
Life on the Canal
If you begin your journey on the Atlantic coast you will enter our region in the département of Tarn et Garonne, at Lamagistère near Valence d’Agen. From there to the beaches of Sète in the Hérault département, 410 km of cycle paths lead you along the old canal tow path. You will experience life on the Canal, full of house boats, marinas, service points and flower-decked lock cottages, and not forgetting all the welcoming restaurants and wine cellars along the way…
Small villages and Great Tourist Sites
The Canal des Deux Mers is shaded by mature trees and punctuated by bridges, aqueducts and famous locks such as the Fonserannes staircase. It follows its course through ever-changing unspoilt rural scenery. You’ll ride through the orchards of Tarn et Garonne, villages of orange-coloured brick in the Midi Toulousain, the colourful hillsides of the Lauragais and the vineyards of the Frontonnais and Aude. Along the way you will also see Moissac, Toulouse, Carcassonne and other Great Tourist Sites, their magnificence heightened by the Canal des Deux Mers.
Location
Offers to seize
