On 06.10.2023
Reading time: 3 min
Do you want to test out, explore and soak up all the routes in and around Béziers Méditerranée? There’s a wide range of options from international “véloroutes” to loops covering a few miles of vineyard.
Top tip
Before you go, don’t forget your: caps, sunglasses, suncream, water bottles, picnics and cameras!
1- EUROVÉLO 8 OR THE MEDITERRANEAN ROUTE
It covers 10.2km through Béziers Méditerranée from the 9 Locks to the edge of Cers. It’s short and sweet as The Mediterranean Route takes you along the Canal du Midi’s towpath from Argeliers in the Aude region to the Etang de Thau. So our slice of it takes you past the 9 locks, canal bridge, Quai Port-Neuf in Béziers, the Villeneuve lock and Pont de Caylus bridge in Cers… A well-maintained ride through the area that’s ideal for heading off to explore central Béziers, Villeneuve or the seaside! Most importantly, it’s a real “heritage experience”.
You can ride it any season for a few hours, a weekend or an entire week. Here are a few ideas to store in your memory box… Let’s go!
Eurovélo 8 in figures
5900 kilometres: its total length from Cádiz to Athens (+foray in Cyprus and Izmir in Turkey) covering 11 countries (42% on bike paths, 58% on quiet roads)
850 kilometres: the French section of the Eurovélo 8, from Perthus to Menton.
10,54 kilometres: the Béziers Méditerranée section of the route.
V 80 : LE CANAL DES 2 MERS by bike
This bike path covers the Canal des 2 Mers. The canal is actually Paul Riquet’s dream come true. Get up close and personal with countless landmarks as you ride the towpath next to a UNESCO World Heritage site from the Gironde Estuary to Etang de Thau… not too shabby! This bike path of course runs through Béziers Méditerranée, from the 9 locks to the edge of Cers. It’s a lovely little outing covering a dozen km packed with landscapes and landmarks in this part of the canal. Unless you’re a keen cyclist, from experience we recommend hiring e-bikes to take the effort out of the ride… just in case you love it so much that you want to keep pedalling!
The V80 in figures
750 kilometres: the total distance from Royan to Sète, 64% on bike paths and 36% on quiet roads.
11,58 kilometres: the Béziers Méditerranée section, 46% on bike paths. Elevation in our area: 13m.
V84 : PASA PAIS
This greenway covers just over 76km on a former railway line running through the Haut Languedoc Regional Nature Park. It passes the border between Tarn and Hérault, crosses the “drainage divide”, connects the ocean side of the mountain to the Mediterranean side and takes its Occitan name from it: Passa Païs (passing from one land to another).
A 42.4km bike path has linked Bédarieux to Béziers since 2018. The rolling route on quiet roads takes you through the vineyards and stunning scenery: this hilly part of the piedmont involves lots of time on the ridges.
The bike path gets full sunshine, is exposed to often strong winds on the hillside vineyards and has lots of sometimes difficult ascents.
Top tip
Novice cyclists, families or with lots of baggage: we recommend cycling the bike path downhill (Bédarieux-Béziers).
Pasa pais in figures
42,4 km, distance from Bédarieux to Béziers.
199 m altitude at start, end at sea level.
Start point: bridge over the Orb in Bédarieux (alt. 199m)
End: Béziers Mercorent business park (alt. 0)
BÉZIERS MÉDITERRANÉE MTB-FFC ROUTES
Every year brings new “MTB loops” to introduce keen cyclists and leisurely riders alike to all that Béziers Méditerranée has to offer: from the vineyard to the seaside, there’s something for everyone.
BÉZIERS MÉDITERRANÉE MTB-FFC ROUTES, in figures
192 m of maintained and marked-out mountain bike trails
11 possible loops.
10.5-24.7km long
EOne last bit of information before you hit the road, Béziers Méditerranée’s accommodation providers include a bike-friendly B&B approved by Accueil Vélo: Introducing Villa Kumquats.
