One of the most popular spots for mooring a self-drive boat on the eastern end of the Canal du Midi is near the village of Vias, which is the closest that the canal gets to the azure blue of the Mediterranean Sea. It’s a 10 minute cycle ride or an easy 20 minute walk. Vias Beach (plage) itself is a little tacky; sun hats, postcards, ice cream, buckets and spades, an evening amusement park – the full works. However a little further along is Portiragnes, a regular mooring place for hotel barges, a similar distance to the excellent beach – and decidedly nicer all round.
But if authentically endless golden beaches float your boat, avoid the hoi polloi and head further down the coast to Gruissan, a mere nine miles from the Canal de la Robine in Narbonne (20 minutes by bike, 40 minutes walking).
Gruissan and Betty Blue
Gruissan is a photogenic village built centuries ago on a strip of land between an inland lake (etang) and the sea. There are breath-taking views in all directions. During the 1980s the French movie Betty Blue was filmed here and gained cult status as a psychological drama shot through with the eroticism that French cinema does so well. Starring Beatrice Dalle, Betty Blue was nominated for both an Oscar and a BAFTA and left a lasting impression of Gruissan, with its iconic wooden houses on stilts, in the memories of all who saw it.
You probably won’t have time to do justice to all that Gruissan has to offer. There is a fantastic cycle route around the etang if you want some exercise, and the village itself, which is perched on a small hill between the lake and the sea, is well worth exploring: the ruined castle at the top has panoramic views and the colourful narrow streets below are bustling with restaurants, art galleries and boutiques. You can also see the fabled houses on stilts, faded chalets which line the roads leading to the beach. It’s an evocative place to visit. It stays with you.
Hotel barges that cruise past Canal du Midi Mediterranean beaches and visit Narbonne include
Enchanté, Saraphina and Roi Soleil
If you want an authentic seafood experience, avoid the charming eateries in the centre, tempting though they may be, and head for our favourite – La Perle. This is essentially a beach shack with added atmosphere. You can buy all kinds of shellfish and crustaceans more or less straight from the boats, to cook back on board, or to eat in situ. The food is served on tables made from old oak barrels and you can sit with a chilled glass of local white wine eating the freshest lunch you will probably ever taste, only feet from the sea shore.
If you want a keepsake that is not of the bucket and spade variety, take a walk to the edge of town to visit the salt works. They have been extracting salt from the sea at Le Salin de Gruissan on the Ile St Martin since Roman times. The pinkish salt pans are a sight to behold and you can see mountains of the white stuff piled up everywhere. The restaurant here has an excellent reputation and there is a fine gift shop where you can buy a range of delicacies including artisanal herbed crystal salt – the perfect memento.
We understand that Betty Blue is available on Amazon and Netflix in case you want a reminder of what will surely be one of the highlights of your luxury barge vacation when you get home.
Canal du Midi
Cruise one of the oldest canals in the world; the Canal du Midi is unique and breathtakingly beautiful, earning the title of UNESCO World Heritage Site. By self-drive boat or hotel barge, it offers a variety of cruising vistas – from sea-scapes and hillside views to tiny villages and the stunning medieval castle at Carcassonne.
