"Le Canal des 2-Mers à vélo" by bike or boat

CYCLING FROM ROYAN TO BORDEAUX, 153KM

Set off from Royan sea resort, cross the river on the Blaye-Lamarque ferry and end your ride in Bordeaux.

Unmissable: Cordouan Lighthouse, Talmont sur Gironde, Verrou de Vauban and Blaye citadel, Gallo-Roman Villa de Plassac, Bordeaux, world wine capital.

BY BOAT : The estuary ventures inland for over 100km. You can sail on it on all kinds of vessels: water taxi, restaurant boat, tour boat, luxury cruise boat. Bordeaux River Cruise, CroisiEurope, Viking River Cruise and other companies provide a range of themed tours (wine, heritage, nature and more).

CANAL DE GARONNE

The UNESCO-listed canal links the Garonne and Canal du Midi with the Mediterranean. It starts in
Castets-en-Dorthe and ends in Saint-Romain-le-Noble.

BY BIKE WITH TWO MAJOR STAGES

Bordeaux to Agen (153km): Explore the UNESCO World Heritage site that is Bordeaux and the Entre-Deux-Mers vineyards, stop at the bastides of Sauveterre de Guyenne and La Réole before hitting the greenway along the canal under age-old plane trees up to Agen.

Unmissable: Sauve-Majeure Abbey, Le Mas d’Agenais, Damazan, Agen and the aqueduct.

Agen to Toulouse (113km): Start in Agen, ride through the “Towns of Art and History” that are Moissac and Montauban until you reach the Pink City of Toulouse. Your ride is entirely on greenways (car-free) and the scenery is straight out of Tuscany.

Unmissable: Agen and its aqueduct, Villascopia archaeological site in Castelculier, Moissac and its abbey, Fous de Garonne in Couthures sur Garonne (boat trips, animated model, scavenger hunt in the village, screening and performance where locals share their experiences and stories about the river).

BY BOAT: OVER 104KM AND 22 LOCKS

Spend a few hours, a day or more being the captain of your permit-free boat on an unforgettable river excursion! The maximum speed is 5mph and you will be provided with a “sailing permit” before you set off.

Unmissable: Buzet-sur-Baïse (cruise through the vineyard), Sérignac-sur-Garonne (pretty medieval bastide), Agen (historical and foodie town), Valence d’Agen (lovely medieval village).

Nearby: Moissac (Romanesque art and canal bridge crossing), Castelsarrasin (lovely town on the banks of the Canal de Garonne), Montech (take your boat on the water slope). Sail for longer on the Baïse or Lot. From the Canal des 2-Mers, you can hook up with the Canal du Midi to take you to Carcassonne and as far as Sète (access to the Mediterranean Sea).

ALONG THE CANAL DE LA GARONNE

You can sail on the Canal de Garonne on all kinds of vessels: permit-free houseboats, small motorboats, longboats, canoes, kayaks, SUP and more. Gaze at its towpath, bridges and banks lined with beautiful plane trees. The Canal de Garonne has a network of 193km inland waterways to spend a weekend or week visiting restored shores, updated locks and well-equipped jetties.