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Valras Plage, and St Pierre la Mer
Valras Plage, and Vendres Plage are the closest seaside resorts to Beziers, They are comparatively small, but with extensive clean beaches and views along the coast to the Pyrenees.
Although they are named as being seperate places they merge into one
resort.
Accomodation here is mainly in private rented houses. There are few hotels and no high rise accomodation as found on the Spanish Costas. At the southern end there are a few campsites one of the largest is "La Yole", popular with English campers.
The beach at Valras has every modern facility, and the beach is cleaned
daily to a very high level. There is an un supervised and wilder beach to the east of the river Orb. Here, the fauna, flora and sand dunes are protected by the coastal conservation organisation. You can visit this beach, by crossing the Orb by ferryboat. There are plenty of organised sporting activities on the main beach that include children's games, jogging, gymnastics, volleyball, and
sandball. It is also possible to learn to sail.
A "tiralo" water armchair is available at the main first-aid post for disabled persons.
There are many free concerts and discos at the Théâtre de la mer. Many lively café terraces, and restaurants offer a gastronomic delight.
Valras-Plage has a professional fishing port and also a leisure harbour. The port has a friendly atmosphere, and is an ideal place to relax for boating enthusiasts. You'll find a warm welcome and helpful information at the harbour master's office. It is the home of the local National Sea-Rescue Society's launch.
It is possible for the amateur fisherman to fish from the breakwater
at the entrance to the River Orb
Once night falls, Valras-Plage rocks to the rhythm of all kinds of music. There is a wide variety of entertainment on offer, from orchestras to singers on café terraces, to open-air theatre, fairground rides and the cinema, not to mention dances, firework displays, discos and the casino.
SAINT-PIERRE LA MER
This seaside resort has an excellent, long sandy
beach, a large yachting marina and an enormous food and craft market -
daily during the summer months.
Just inland from
St Pierre
is ‘Le Clape’. Owned by the Coastal Conservatory, the exceptional
landscape of The Clape consists of some 12500 acres of outstanding landscape, consisting of high chalk cliffs near the sea, and pine forests
that cover rocky and rugged headlands. An extraordinary blend of fauna
and flora can be admired in this area. Vineyards abound, producing
quality controlled wines of the “Coteaux du Languedoc-la Clape”.
Nestled in the La Clape region which is limestone cliffs
and state protected garrigue interspersed with vinyards. You
have to drive 17 km through the hills of La Clape to get to St
Pierre la Mer and its neighbour Narbonne-Plage. During the winter
months it is like a ghost town with just a couple of hundred people
resident, but in the summer, St Pierre La Mer becomes a thriving
beach resort town of more than 100,000 people! Just a short
distance inland on the hills of La Clape is Le gouffre de l’œil doux.
A natural phenomena, that is well worth a visit.
GRUISSAN
Gruissan, a short distance south of Valras Plage, and the seaside resort
of St Pierre la Mer is one of the ‘new’ resorts, started in 1974, to take some of the tourist pressures off Provence.
At Gruissan there is a large marina for sailing boats, that has been developed by building several yacht basins, surrounded by shops and holiday apartments. This area is also known for its saltpans.
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Vendres Plage
Valras Plage
Valras Plage
St Pierre la Mer
Le gouffre de l’œil doux.
Gruisson
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