Discover historical cities, Mediterranean beaches and the untouched wildernesses of the Camargue.
You'll start the bike tour in elegant Montpellier. This typical Mediterranean city is not far from the blue sea and its sandy beaches. The center of Montpellier is full of medieval monuments and of those from the Renaissance and Classicism periods. Its university of medicine is the oldest in France. Lovely squares and many restaurants and cafés invite you to appreciate the Mediterranean way of life. This tour then takes you on to Sommières, a nice medieval town on the Vidourle River crossed by a 2000 year old Roman bridge. A little paradise and lovely villages await you after Sommières, this region is called „Vaunage„. Its inhabitants were Protestants and lead a bloody rebellion against the „not so sunny„ Louis XIV from 1703 to 1705 and unfortunately paid a heavy tribute. On the way onto Nîmes, with its numerous roman monuments, you ride through vineyards and the Mediterranean scrubland landscape called the „Garrigue„. After the Roman town you will ride along the Rhône-Sète Canal through the untouched saltmarshes and inland lakes of the Camargue to the medieval walled town of Aigues-Mortes. From Aigues-Mortes, you ride along the beaches of the Mediterranean Sea back to Montpellier.
Day 1: Arrival in Montpellier
On arrival, you will receive your personal dossier at the hotel reception with all the necessary maps and documents for your upcoming trip. You should then take the time to get to know Montpellier a little better.This university city is young and dynamic with its its ‘Place de la Comédie’ and its typical medieval centre with its small, winding alleyways and countless alleyways, cafés and restaurants.
Day 2: Montpellier > Palavas and Maguelone, ~35 km
At around 9.30 am you will be personally welcomed by one of our employees at the start hotel. You will receive your hire bike (if booked) and all the necessary information. From the elegant city of Montpellier you then cycle southwards along the small river Lez on a cycle path through a bird sanctuary to the fishing village of Palavas on the Mediterranean. From there you cycle along the beach to Maguelone, a former early Romanesque abbey surrounded by inland lakes. From Maguelone you cycle back along the Rhone-Sète canal and then back on the cycle path along the Lez to the hotel in Montpellier.
Day 3: Montpellier > Sommières, ~35 km
Today you will ride via Jacou and from there on to Castries with its magnificent 18th century castle. Continue your cycle tour through the fragrant hinterland of the garrigue and through small villages to Sommières, where you will spend the night in a very stylish 3* hotel (former railway station) with a swimming pool.
Day 4: Sommières > Nîmes, ~30 km
On the ‘voie verte’, a former railway line, then on small roads, the route today takes you through the garrigue and past olive groves and dreamy villages to Nîmes. The stage has been deliberately kept short so that you have enough time to discover the ‘Rome of Gaul’. Visit the Roman amphitheatre, the Maison Carrée or the ‘Jardins de la Fontaine’ with the Tour Magne. Nîmes is also perfect for a shopping tour. Hotel 4* in a historic building from the 16th century.
Day 5: Nîmes > Aigues-Mortes, ~45 km
Perhaps the most beautiful stage of the cycle tour is on the programme today. You leave Nîmes heading south. After just a few kilometres, you reach a small hill from where you can see the entire Camargue and the Mediterranean Sea beyond. Now you cycle at a relaxed pace on a gentle downhill into the unspoilt ‘Little Camargue’. The landscape changes abruptly. The seemingly endless expanse of these shallow marsh and water landscapes is in stark contrast to the gently rolling rocky landscapes of the garrigue. You cycle past white horses, bulls and a variety of different water birds. Finally, you reach the Rhône-Sète canal, which will accompany you to the crusader town of Aigues-Mortes, where you will spend the night in a 5* hotel in a historic building.
Day 6: Aigues-Mortes > Camargue > Aigues-Mortes, ~20 km
Today is at your leisure. You can either cycle along secluded paths further into the Camargue. Or visit the salt marshes just outside the town. Another alternative is, of course, a bike ride to the nearby beach in Le Grau du Roi or L'Espiquette, the most beautiful stretch of beach between the Camarque and Spain. A boat trip into the Camarque is also possible and, finally, Aigues Mortes itself is absolutely worth a visit with a walk around the ramparts.
Day 7: Aigues-Mortes > Montpellier, ~40 km
The last stage of your cycle tour is on the programme today. You cycle along the canal to Le Grau du Roi, then along the coast and the long sandy beaches via La Grande Motte, an architecturally exceptional holiday resort, to Palavas. Here you say goodbye to the Mediterranean and follow the river Lez northwards back to Montpellier.
Day 8: End of the tour
