Canoeing near Montpellier: here’s our guide to where to kayak in the Hérault!
When you live in Montpellier or come to the Hérault for a vacation in the sun, you’re not necessarily a beach lover, especially when you see how crowded they are in summer. Fortunately, the Hérault offers a great alternative: rivers! Canoeing or kayaking in the peaceful waters – beware of storms that can turn rivers into untamable torrents – of the Hérault, between sea, deciduous forests, oaks and garrigues, is a great idea for excursions with friends, as a couple or as a family. In the Hérault, rivers and streams abound: Hérault, Orb, Vidourle, Vis, Salagou, Agout and more. But where to go to rent and kayak in Hérault?
Canoeing in the Hérault will give you the chance to enjoy some great outings while visiting typical Midi villages and taking a break for a swim. Here’s our selection of some twenty sites where you can kayak in the Hérault.
Where and how to canoe in the Hérault?
Sail the Hérault River in complete tranquillity, between Montpellier and the Cévennes? Or cruise between the Parc du Haut Languedoc, Béziers and the Mediterranean Sea? Between the sea and the mountains, the Hérault is a department with no shortage of water sports activities. You’ll come across the unmissable gorges de l’Hérault and its magnificent viewpoints, and 7 to 15 kilometer trails where you can enjoy lush nature, admiring the vestiges of a bygone era (mills, dykes, stone buildings and mas), all in a region bursting with sunshine.
Temperatures often exceed 30°C between May and September, so be sure to pack a hat, remember sunscreen and drink several liters of water to avoid sunstroke! And don’t forget to limit your electronic equipment: even if the rental company often gives you an airtight container in which to store your belongings on the canoe or kayak, don’t overload yourself!
The Hérault gorges
The gorges de l’Hérault are a canyon carved out between Saint Bauzille de Putois and Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, a village listed as one of France’s most beautiful villages. Located 45 minutes west of Montpellier, the site allows you to navigate between garrigues and Mediterranean hills. You’ll discover typical Midi villages and the famous Pont du Diable in Aniane, one of the oldest Romanesque bridges in France, built in the 9th century. Here’s where to kayak in the Gorges de l’Hérault:
- Canoë Rapido, 4 Avenue Saint-Benoît d’Aniane, 34150 Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, 04 67 55 75 75,
- Canoë La Vallée des Moulins, Le Moulin de Bertrand, 34380 Saint-Martin-de-Londres, 04 67 73 12 45,
- Canoë Le Moulin, Avenue du Chemin Neuf, 34190 Saint-Bauzille-de-Putois, 04 67 73 30 73,
- Canoë Kayapuna Hérault, 12 bis Avenue St Benoit d’aniane, 34150 Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, 04 67 57 30 25,
- Les Canoës du Pont du Diable, plage du pont du Diable, 34150 ANIANE, 06 84 57 75 25,
- Kayak Hérault, 433 Route de Brissac, 34190 Agonès, 06 95 34 21 25,
- Gignac Canoë-Kayak, Base Nautique, Chemin de la Meuse, 34150 Gignac, 06 95 28 20 12.
- Canoë Montana, 34190 Agones, 04 67 73 36 76
Canoeing on the Orb
Would you like to explore the western Hérault region by canoe or kayak? Follow the Orb River through the Parc Naturel Régional du Haut Languedoc, with the Escandorgue massif to the east, the Montagne Noire to the west and north, and the Monts de Faugères before entering the Béziers plain. The 135-kilometer-long river takes you all the way down to Béziers, literally « going green », as they say. Departing from Poujol-sur-Orb, we pass the Colombières slide, a few rapids at the base of Tarassac with views of Mont Caroux, the Vieussan and Ceps footbridges, Roquebrun, Cessenon sur Orb and Reals. A really nice spot for kayaking in the Hérault: the gorges d’Héric, on the Orb. Here’s where to rent a canoe:
- Canoë Roquebrun, Chemin de la Roque, 34 460 Roquebrun, 04 67 89 52 90,
- Canoë Tarassac, Moulin de Tarassac, 34 390 Mons, 04 67 97 74 64 and 06 73 08 28 20,
- Tubing River Languedoc Evasion, Base de plein air, 34 390 Mons, 06 13 08 18 13,
- Bol d’Air-Bulle d’eau, 1 Rue de la Chapelle ST FIRMIN, Hameau d’aigues vives, 34480, Cabrerolles,
Club canoeing and kayaking
You can also contact a kayaking club or base nautique in the Hérault. We have listed a number of clubs between Béziers and Montpellier:
- Canoë-kayak Bitterois, Base sportive de l’Orb, 19, avenue Serignan, 34 500 Béziers, 06.76.70.69.15,
- Canoë-kayak Club Cessenon, 9, rue de la Cremade, 34460 Cessenon sur Orb, 06 10 44 30 90,
- Gignac Canoë Kayak, Base Nautique, Barrage de la Meuse, 34150 Gignac, 04 67 60 28 13,
- Canoë-Kayak Mèze, Bassin de Thau, 52, avenue de la Méditerranée, 34 140 Mèze, 06 23 26 48 65,
- Montpellier Agglomération Canoë Kayak Université Club, 1076, rue Jean-François Breton, Domaine de Lavalette-Agropolis, 34090 Montpellier,
- Montpellier Eaux-Vives Maison du Lez, 375, allée Alégria Beracasa, 34000 Montpellier, 04 67 68 14 94,
- Sète Kayak Mer, 41, rue des Fauvettes, 34200 Sète, 06 69 32 74 13 or 04 67 74 49 23,
- Club de Canoë-Kayak de la Haute Vallée de l’Hérault, D108E2 Agonès, Languedoc-Roussillon, France, 06 61 77 59 95.
Main Photo Credit – Wikimedia, Stefanobasta (Stefan Fink).