Lake Salagou
750 hectares of water surrounded by bright red hills. Lake Salagou looks like nothing else in Hérault. From our campsite in Canet, you're there in fifteen minutes via the road to Clermont-l'Hérault. Close enough to go back every day of your holiday.
Lifeguard-supervised swimming in summer, waymarked trails, water sports, fishing, mountain biking: plenty to fill your days. And in the evening, back to the campsite for a dip in the pool.
The Vailhés beach is the busiest spot, and it's easy to see why : red sand (yes, red), calm waters and lifeguard supervision from early July to late August. A volleyball court, a pétanque area and a food truck open from April to June round out the facilities.
Prefer some peace and quiet ? Several coves dot the lakeshore, with picnic areas equipped with tables, sometimes a shelter and a water point. Bring water shoes : the ruffe pebbles are slippery when wet.
The water sports centre, located in the Vailhés bay, rents out pedalos, stand-up paddleboards, canoes, kayaks, catamarans and windsurfing boards. The more adventurous can try wing foiling. Mountain bikes and e-bikes are also available on site.
From 15 April to 30 June and in September : Wednesday to Sunday, 10am-12pm / 2pm-6pm.
July-August : daily, 10am-7pm.
Closed from 1st October to 14 April.
A few prices to give you an idea : catamaran at €39/hour, private sailing lesson (1h30) at €75. Anglers can hire an electric boat (7-hour package from €145).
Contact: +33 6 52 71 01 61
The full loop on foot follows the yellow-and-red waymarks of the GR® de Pays Entre Deux Lacs (Avène-Salagou) : 22 km, about 400 m elevation gain, 5.5 to 6 hours of walking. The trail runs along the shoreline, passes through the village of Celles and offers several viewpoints over the dam and the ruffe hills.
Short on time ? The shorter loop covers about 12 km, doable in 3 to 4 hours. Family-friendly trails also exist on the Rouens peninsula, taking less than 1.5 hours.
By mountain bike, the red-earth loop covers 23 km with 300 m of elevation gain. A good two hours for regular cyclists. Didn't bring your bike ? The water sports centre rents them out, including e-bikes.
Spring and autumn are best for longer hikes. In summer, set off early in the morning : it gets hot fast on the red earth from midday onwards.
Lake Salagou is one of the most renowned freshwater fishing spots in southern France. Classified as a second-category public waterway, it's home to pike (metre-long specimens are caught regularly), zander, perch, black bass and carp that sometimes exceed 20 kg.
A fishing licence is required. Day licence : €17 from January to May, €12 from June to December. Buy online at cartedepeche.fr or from authorised retailers in the department.
A few rules specific to this lake: combustion engines are banned, only electric-powered boats are allowed. Night carp fishing is permitted from the bank only. And between the first Saturday of November and the last Sunday of January, any pike caught must be released (mandatory catch-and-release).
Best spots ? Around the village of Celles, near the dead trees emerging from the water, and along the dam walls. Coarse fish bite mainly along the northern shore.
The colour of the landscape has a geological explanation. Ruffe, a fine-grained sandstone rich in iron oxide, dates from the Permian period - between 298 and 252 million years ago. Older than the dinosaurs. In places, black basalt columns jut through the red : a volcanic remnant from a much more recent era.
On the lakeshore, stop at the village of Celles. When the dam was built in the late 1960s, the village was meant to disappear beneath the waters. The water level never rose as high as planned, and Celles, long abandoned, has been coming back to life in recent years.
A few kilometres away, the Cirque de Mourèze and its 340 hectares of dolomitic rock formations make for another striking landscape. Two waymarked trails run through it : a family-friendly loop among the rocks and the ascent of Mont Liausson (523 m), with views over the lake on one side and the cirque on the other. The whole area is part of the Grand Site de France Salagou - Cirque de Mourèze and the Terres d'Hérault Geopark.
From Camping Les Rivières, it takes about 15 minutes by car via the road to Clermont-l'Hérault. Free car parks are available at the Vailhés bay and at several points around the lake.
In high season, Hérault Transport shuttles (line 661) run from Lodève : 5 departures per day Monday to Saturday, 2 return trips on Sundays.
Cyclists can reach the lake via the 10 km cycle path from Clermont-l'Hérault. A nice warm-up before tackling the loop around the lake.
Clermont-l'Hérault office : open April to October, 10am-12pm / 1.30pm-5.30pm (from 9am in July-August). Seasonal information point at the lakeside.
+33 4 67 96 23 86
www.destination-salagou.fr
Our 4-star campsite is just fifteen minutes from Lake Salagou.
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