The
Herault littoral is an astonishing one sheltering
a rich ecosystem!
The Herault coast
line is a hundred kilometers long. The many thin sand
beaches combine the naturalness of the sea and the
modernity of the urban instalations. Indeed, despite
the generally accepted idea on the littoral héraultais,
one should known that it is the most protected department
of Languedoc-Roussillon. The whole of its natural
territories are practically already acquired by the
'Conservatoire du Littoral et des espaces lacustres'
in charge of its maintenance.
However,
alongside these natural spaces were created thirteen
modern tourist resorts such as the Grande
Motte or the Cap d'Agde which offer all the pleasures
of seaside holidays (hotels, camp-sites, restaurants,
casino, marinas…). As for the beaches they were
improved and consist of fine sand, only the beach
of Aresquiers is made from small stones. On top of
the beaches located by the cities you will find many
others which are protected from civilization by the
various ponds which border the littoral.
The littoral which developed
in the Sixties is bordered by ponds, some
were dried out by man but those which remain today
are classified. Between Sète and the Grande
Motte, the ponds covers a surface of six thousand
hectares (except the pond of Thau), the most important
pond is the pond d'Or. These ponds are true paradises
for plants and animals, especially for the splendid
pink flamingos whose flights form a first class show.
They are filled with fresh water coming from rivers
like Dardaillon, Berange or Cadoule. Many fish of
different spicies like the 'loup' or sea-bream find
it easy to live in while the birds come to take refuge
there: cormorants, grèbes, hérons, ducks,
geese, terns, gulls, seagulls. West, you find the
pond of Bagnas, the pond of Thau, the pond of Ingril,
the pond of Vic, the pond of Pierre Blanche, the pond
of Arnel, the pond of Prévost, the pond of
Méjean, that of Mauguio and the largest pond
d'Or; 3170 ha.
The
pond of Thau is a true inland sea covering 7600 ha.,
which places
it in second position of the largest ponds of France.
It is well known for its seafood breedings such as
the oysters of Bouzigues which you will be able to
taste in the city of the same name. The pond of Bagnas
is classified 'reserve naturalle' and its access is
regulated. It is used by the scientists for the study
of the ecosystems and the methods of safeguarding
of fauna and flora.
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The ponds are bordered by marshes usually called the
“palus”, they are crossed by
the Rhone Channel at Sète. It enters the Herault
by crossing Vidourle, the river which marks the border
with Gard. River tourism develops quickly in Herault
and many walks and tours are offered today by various
agencies.
The small Camargue shelter the famous herds; black
bulls camarguais accompanied by the white horses (
camarguaise race) whose morphology is well adapted
to the marshy grounds.
To sum up, one can consider that the littoral of Herault
can satisfy nature lovers and the amateurs of idleness
and the seaside tourists. The Mediterranean offers
a rather hot water and the sand beaches attract many
tourists during the season however certain beaches
which are less accessible also enable you not to be
drowned by the crowd. If you are not an amateur of
sun bathing you can always discover through guided
visits the Canal du Midi and the Rhone.
