The best walks and hikes in Zone C

Beach area of Marseillan, here mainly surfers and walkers mingle, sharing the area with cyclists. Lovely view of the Étang de Thau.

Here, the architecture resembles a superposition of centuries. Built on an ancient Romanesque sanctuary from the 11th century, the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Marseillan was remodeled in the 17th century and then completed in the 19th. Between medieval vestiges and a more recent facade, it alone tells the story of the evolution of the town and its inhabitants over time.

It is hard to imagine that the historic site of Noilly Prat production is still located on the edge of the Étang de Thau today. Since the 19th century, this is where this iconic vermouth has been made, crafted from white wines and aromatic plants using a traditional know-how that is still in practice. Between open cellars, a bar, and a visitor area, the place combines real production with the discovery of a living heritage.

The Phare des Onglous marks the eastern end of the Canal du Midi, where its waters join the Étang de Thau after a 240 km journey from Toulouse. Red and white, it has guided boats entering or leaving the canal for over a century. An emblematic place where river heritage and maritime horizons meet.

A small lighthouse, a jetty, and blue as far as the eye can see. The Pointe des Onglous, where the Canal du Midi flows into the Thau lagoon, is an ode to contemplation. The pond reveals itself in 360°, as does its oyster farming vocation, with the azure sky and the silhouette of Mont Saint-Clair in the background. A picture that also features the town and port of Marseillan, the wild expanses of the Maldormir district, the tip of the lido, and old salt pans.

Painted red and white, the Onglous lighthouse stands at the end of the jetty. Intended to guide boats at night and in foggy weather, it is an architectural marker that adorns the entrance to the Canal du Midi. It was only built around 1850. In the 18th century, a small pyramid of white stones marked the presence of the jetty.

Le Bagnas is an approximately 600 ha Mediterranean coastal wetland, a true green lung between the seaside resorts of Cap d’Agde and Marseillan plage. Classified as a National Nature Reserve since 1983 and a Natura 2000 Site, this protected area, a former salt marsh, was acquired by the Conservatoire du Littoral in the 2000s. This site hosts significant biodiversity linked to varied natural environments (lagoons, sansouïres, salt meadows…) and thus shelters a very rich fauna and flora: birds, reptiles, amphibians, plants…

The Bagnas lock is the last single-chamber lock on the Canal du Midi before Sète, at the end of the canal. Built around 1676, it is located 235.2 km from Toulouse at an altitude of 2 m, between the Étang de Thau to the east and the Hérault river then the Prades lock to the west. It is located in the commune of Agde in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region.