Stroll Around The Thau Lagoon: Five Towns To Visit
The largest pond in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, the Thau pond is sometimes called the garden of the sea. High place of shellfish farming, famous for its production of mussels and oysters, this pond is also a major tourist asset of the region. We suggest you to go around it from Balaruc-les-Bains to Sète.
Balaruc-les-Bains
A walk around the Thau pond will allow you to discover the natural and cultural heritage of this site and to taste the local products accompanied by local wines. The local gastronomy, based on sea and pond products, will delight the gourmets.
In Balaruc-les-Bains, the first spa resort in the Mediterranean, gourmands are in for a treat thanks to the confectionery 'La Cure gourmande'!
Don't forget to slip a few Berlandises de Balaruc les Bains (a specialty made from fruit pulp) into your pockets, before continuing on your way to Poussan on the D2, then to Bouzigues/Mèze on the D613 (RN 113).
Bouzigues
Bouzigues is a charming fishing village and a mecca for shellfish farming. Even today, this small village lives mainly from the breeding of oysters and mussels, as well as from tourism.
This village is a must-see during a trip around the Thau lagoon because it has a museum dedicated to local traditions.
A visit to the Musée de l'étang de Thau will allow you to learn more about the trades of the 'peasants of the sea' and the activities of the Thau basin.
Copyright : Matthieu FAURE
Mèze
Then take the D613 to Mèze, the oldest town in the Thau basin!
'Mèze' means 'middle', which corresponds to the location of the commune on the northern shore of the Thau pond.
You will be able to discover the ecosite of the Pays de Thau, a research center dedicated to the protection of the environment and aquaculture (protection of the pond, lagooning station, water purification...).
Marseillan
Following the D613 (RN 113) and the D51, you will arrive in Marseillan, an ancient Phocaean city not to be missed!
The commune enjoys a privileged location with a double frontage on the Thau Lagoon and the Mediterranean Sea. There is also the 'Onglous' point, one of the two ends of the Canal du Midi.
A listed site and commercial port, Marseillan is a choice stopover for boaters. During your stroll around the pond, take time to stroll along its quaysides lined with beautiful mansions and wine cellars (witnesses of the region's wine-making history).
The visit of the chais de Noilly Prat allows you to discover the techniques of the elaboration of Vermouth.
Sete
To complete this tour of the Etang de Thau, take the D51 towards Agde and then Sète by the D612.
Pass by la Corniche (whose beaches have been sung by Georges Brassens) and follow the arrowed direction of Mont Saint-Clair, to join the state forest of Pierres Blanches.
Located at the top of the city, this site is conducive to walks and offers an exceptional view of the Mediterranean, the periphery of the Thau Lagoon, the foothills of the Cevennes and sometimes... the Pyrenees!
