1 Week on the Canal du Midi: the Carcassonne to Agde Itinerary

No cruising today, and that's a good thing. Your entire day is dedicated to exploring Carcassonne, one of the finest medieval cities in Europe. The fortified citadel, listed as a UNESCO site since 1997, awaits you with its 3 km of ramparts, 52 towers and the Château Comtal at its heart. Head down to the Bastide Saint-Louis to wander between shops, shaded squares and restaurants. Don't leave without tasting the local specialities: cassoulet of course, but also the Petit Carcassonnais, a cake with candied orange aromas, or the Écus de la Cité, little chocolates shaped like the ramparts.

Boarding takes place in the late afternoon. After a one-hour training session on your licence-free houseboat, you settle in on board and spend your first night at the port, lulled by the calm of the canal.

💡 Did you know? The Canal du Midi was designed by Pierre-Paul Riquet and opened in 1681. At the time, it took travellers on the "Barque de Poste" four days to get from Toulouse to Béziers.

👉 See boats departing from Carcassonne

You enter the Minervois region. The day is rich in locks (eleven in total), giving the navigation an active, almost playful rhythm. Stop at Marseillette, at the southern edge of the wine-growing area, where the cooperative cellar is well worth a visit. Further along, you'll discover an unexpected curiosity: the Saint-Gabriel estate grows rice on 70 hectares and has even launched Orizginale, a gluten-free craft beer brewed from its own rice. Arrival in Puichéric, nicknamed the "Venice of the Minervois" thanks to the three waterways running through the village. Its medieval lanes and Clock Tower, a former relay in the world's first telecommunications network, make for a lovely evening stroll.

17 km, 11 locks, approx. 4h30 of cruising.

The longest day of cruising, but also the most contemplative. You enter the Grand Bief, the longest lock-free stretch on the Canal du Midi. You glide beneath centuries-old plane trees, in absolute stillness, with nothing but the sound of water lapping against the hull. Along the way, stop at Le Somail, a timeless village where the bookshop "Le Trouve Tout du Livre" houses over 50,000 books in a former salt warehouse. Don't miss the Répudre aqueduct, built in 1676, the only one on the entire canal dating back to Riquet's era. Arrival in Capestang, a medieval village where the Archbishops' Castle of Narbonne conceals a 15th-century painted ceiling of extraordinary richness.

💡 Did you know? The Répudre aqueduct is the only one of the 49 aqueducts on the Canal du Midi to have been built during Riquet's time. All the others were added later by Vauban.

38 km, 1 lock, approx. 5h30 of cruising.

Final day of cruising. You pass through Portiragnes, whose sandy beaches and the Roque-Haute Nature Reserve (over 400 plant species, 360 animal species) deserve one last stop in nature. Then comes the Libron crossing, a unique metal structure built in 1857 to let floodwaters pass beneath the canal. And finally, the highlight of the day: the round lock of Agde, built in 1680, the only circular lock in the world, which directs boats in three different directions. Arrival in Agde, nicknamed the "Black Pearl" for its volcanic stone houses. Visit the Saint-Étienne cathedral, founded in 872, then treat yourself to a final stroll at the Grau d'Agde for its seafood restaurants. The Cap d'Agde and its beaches are just minutes away if you want to extend your holiday.

💡 Did you know? Agde was founded in the 6th century BC by the Phocaeans, making it one of the oldest cities in France.

27 km, 7 locks, approx. 5h of cruising.

👉 Book the Carcassonne-Béziers-Agde cruise