Arched bridge on Canal du Midi view from the boat (Sandy Paige)
Seven beautiful sunrises, seven breath-taking sunsets, 16 locks, 140 kilometers, 20 charming French villages, hundreds of vineyards, six Americans, countless memories—our boating holiday on the Canal du Midi in southern France. We started in Lattes, near Montpellierand ended in Argens-Minervois eight days later. Birds awakened us each morning, and frogs serenaded us at night. The moon was our nightlight. Our max speed was a leisurely 8 kph (4.8 mph).
The Canal du Midi has been a UNESCO site since 1996. It links the Mediterranean with the Atlantic. We experienced only a portion as it actually spans 240 km (160 miles) and has 63 locks. It was built in the 1660s during the reign of Louis XIV, the vision of Pierre-Paul Riquet, a tax collector/self-made engineer who wanted an efficient way to transport wine, salt, and grain. It took 14 years to build; Riquet died right before the canal was finished so the project was completed by his son.
Until the advent of railroads, horses pulled boats with ropes as they walked on a path that parallels the canal. That path is now used by bikers and hikers who travel about the same speed as boats on the canal. It is lined with beautiful plane trees that create a canopy over the water. Sadly, those Plane trees (related to Sycamore) are slowly dying from a fungus brought to France in ammunition boxes used by Americans back in WWII and are gradually being replaced with other trees. Perhaps the canal was at one time more beautifully canopied, but it is still beautiful and enchanting with its stone bridges and aqueducts, set in the midst of rolling vineyards in a countryside dotted with castles and villages.
Vinyards in the countryside along the Canal du Midi (Sandy Paige)
The farther west we traveled, the prettier the scenery became. We docked in Beziers, Columbiers, Capestang, LeSomail and Argens-Minervois for overnights and in several other villages along the canal at midday. As we floated down the canal, villages along the shore offered wine tastings, art shops, cafes and thrift shops. Shortly after passing Beziers, France’s oldest city, we transversed six contiguous locks, one right after the other, in about an hour’s time—an amazing experience.
At Capestang we booked a walking tour posted at the Locaboat office, and after the tour a local vintner set up a delightful wine-tasting on the dock. The next morning, the village offered a local market with everything from fresh vegetables and local meats to skirts and jewelry. In Roubia, we sampled and purchased local olive oils. LeSomail, considered the prettiest town on Canal du Midi, offered charming restaurants and shops and a huge “Harry Potter” bookstore with thousands of books. There, we ordered croissants and pastries to be picked up fresh and warm the next morning.
Several companies provide boats for canal trips in various regions of France and in other countries in Europe. This was our fourth canal trip and the second time we booked with Locaboat. The cost for boat rental for one week, gas and insurance was approximately $4,100. This included a fee for someone to pick up our vehicle at the beginning of the trip and deliver it to the end so that we could make a one-way voyage with the boat; it also included discount for second-time clients and early booking (we booked about six months prior). Docking fees ranged from $20-40 a night and offered showers and often laundry facilities. There are Locaboat offices at nearly every dock along the way, staffed by helpful employees who spoke English.
Our boat had three small bedrooms, each with a toilet and shower, a small but well-equipped kitchen, dining area, and an outside lounging deck on each end—adequate and comfortable for the six of us. We chose to eat in restaurants for lunch and dinner and had coffee and fresh Brotchen each morning on the boat.
Would we change anything? We would not. Do we want to do it again? Absolutely!
Exterior of Carcasonne castle (Sandy Paige)
Editor’s Note: This article was written by a member of the local military community, not an employee of Stars and Stripes. Neither the organization nor the content is being represented by Stars and Stripes or the Department of Defense.
