Leucate / Narbonne Mediterranean Cycle Route

Description Reviews

Canals & intimate rivers

39,14 Km

2 h 36 min

I cycle often

Leucate

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Narbonne

39,14 km cycling route from Leucate to Narbonne

Cycle up via a small road to the Leucate Plateau and your reward is a picture-postcard view of olive groves, vineyards and dry-stone walls. The panoramas are magnificent too as you descend to Les Coussolles Beach and La Palme Lagoon. The cycle route then follows the train line to reach Port-la-Nouvelle. This is a lively harbour where you might, for example, witness a freight ship being loaded. It lies at the end of the Canal de la Robine, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. The atmosphere then changes as you cycle along towpaths, past locks marking your progress to the city of Narbonne with its splendid cathedral complex and covered market.

Elevation of the stage

Waytypes of the stage

Cycle path: 21,68 km By road: 6,92 km Unknown: 0,25 km

Surface of the stage

Smooth: 10,24 km Rough: 11,97 km Unpaved: 6,64 km

The route

Signposting will soon be completed from Leucate Lagoon to Port-La-Nouvelle.
Take care descending from the Leucate Plateau, as the way down to join the cycle path to the train station of Leucate La Franqui is very steep. Take extra care arriving at the bottom of this descent, as stop signs are lacking.
For the more cautious, as the stretch along the railway line is really much more suitable for mountain bikes or adventure bikes, consider the easier option of taking the short train ride from Leucate to Port-La-Nouvelle – it’s just a few kilometres away.
After Mandirac, certain stretches of the towpath alongside the Canal de la Robine have very rough, even grassy, patches.

Smooth surfaces: on this stage, only on a small number of stretches are even, essentially going through the towns.
Rough surfaces: before arriving at Port La Nouvelle, note that there’s a difficult stretch, with lots of stones, going along the railway line. Stretch with an ordinary road surface before Port La Nouvelle’s hospital. From the start of the Canal de la Robine greenway (Chemin de Ste-Lucie) up to the entrance to Narbonne.
Unstable surfaces: after the greenway at Leucate La Franqui, before you cycle alongside the railway track, there is a springy stretch. It is not possible to cycle along here with narrow tyres or on a well-loaded bike after heavy rain.

Links

Towards Leucate La Franqui station.
At the bottom of the descent from the Leucate Plateau, a cycle path to the left leads to Leucate La Franqui train station.
Towards Gruissan
At the level of Mandirac (Petit and Grand Mandirac), there are links towards Gruissan and the Ile Ste-Lucie.