Camargue, France: Houseboat cruise

Check-in available on Saturday afternoon from 14.00 at the departure bases of Port Cassafiéres, west towards the Canal du Midi or St. Gilles, east on the Rhone Delta side, from which you can plan your holiday according to your interests and your curiosity. In the evening, after taking a seat in your houseboat and doing the galley, you will have the opportunity to visit the French town and to dinner in one of the many restaurants, before ending the evening in one of the many bars in the city.

Breakfast on board and first maneuvers to leave the mooring. Starting from Port Cassafières you will encounter two magnificent hydraulic engineering achievements made at the time of the construction of the Canal du Midi, towards the end of the 17th century. Observe carefully these works of inland navigation unique in the world: the crossing of the Libron stream, a structure that allows the floods of the stream to flow transversely to the waterway and the round lock of Agde that sorted the traffic of the canal and regulated the levels with the access road to the city. The stop near this basin allows a visit to the ancient city of Agde, full of things to see including the Éphèbe museum where you can admire the treasures of the city.

We sail towards the Étang de Thau which welcomes boats like a sea, where shellfish farms are the first thing you will notice. In the port of Marseillan you will have the opportunity to immediately experience the local cuisine based on fish and shellfish in which the typical flavors of the Mediterranean dominate.

In the large lagoon of Étang de Thau you can find moorings in Meze, Balaruc les Bains, Bouzigues, where you will not forget to taste the famous oysters from the famous local farms accompanied by wines from Languedoc-Roussillon.

The navigation will continue on the Canal de Rhône in Sète nicknamed “The Venice of the Languedoc” thanks to its canals, then passing through the center of Frontignan, world famous for its Moscato DOC. In Villenueve de Maguelone, an islet located on the dune belt, there is an important archaeological site where Etruscan, Roman and Visigothic remains have been found. The 11th century Cathedral of St. Pierre de Maguelone can now be visited, surrounded by vineyards and fish farms.

Recommended stops are Palavas les Flots tourist center for lovers of water sports or those who prefer just to get a tan, La Grande Motte where architecture and nature meet, and Carnon a lively resort overlooking the sea. Absolutely not to be missed is the fortified medieval city of Aigues Mortes, once by the sea, now due to the sedimentation of the Rhone it is about 5 kilometers away. Do not miss an excursion on its walls from which you can enjoy an incomparable view of the salt flats and as far as the eye can see on the marshes where you can spot flocks of pink flamingos and groups of white Camargue horses.

In the surroundings of Gallician, a village with ancient gypsy traditions, you will see herds of bulls in the wild controlled by knights who train them for their rodeos. You will have the opportunity to buy many local specialties. Do not miss the opportunity of a carriage ride in the enchanting village of Saint-Gilles and a walk in Bellegarde or "the city of water" with its wonderful fountains, canals, rivers. It is already time to return to the starting point of Port Cassafières.

Check-out is scheduled in the morning by 9:00 am.