Local Area Information
Agde - 'The Black Pearl of the Mediterranean' lies on the Cote d'or at the junction of the Canal du Midi with the sea. There are miles of sandy beaches, limitless sunshine and fishing boats still moor at the quays of this cheerful and colourful port, the second oldest town of France.
A maze of picturesque streets full of shops, restaurants and cafe bars are close by yet we are only 5 mins from the vibrant resort town of Cap d'Agde which offers the usual pleasures of the Med - nightclubs, casino, cinemas, Aqualand - the popular water theme park, luna park - a large fairground and the private naturist quarter. Agde is close to some stunning, clean and relatively quiet beaches, it flies two EU blue flags for the quality of its beaches and environment.
Carcassonne and the castles of the Cathars are an easy drive away to the west. The dramatic gorges and caves of the stunning Haut-Languedoc national park are close inland. To the east the Camargue, the great nature reserve that's the home of white horses and black bulls.
Nearby is the nature reserve of Bagnas and the beautiful lake ‘Etang de Thau’ with its oyster and mussel beds and rose-pink flamingos, also a wonderful place for boating and kite/wind-surfing.
You also have great road and rail links to wonderful old French towns such as Beziers, Narbonne, Montpellier, Nimes, even Avignon, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Marseille, Provence, Barcelona, Figueras and Andorra are possible as day trips.
The Agde area
Activities in the local area are numerous and will keep even the most active family occupied throughout the holiday. You can canoe, white water raft, cruise the canal, sail on the river, hit the med on a jet-ski, go on a deep sea fishing trip.
For those who like their water sports a little less active you can take a boat trip along the river and then round the med to Cap D'Agde, fisherman will be in their element as the river is teeming with fish. For the land lubbers you can choose from horse riding, pony trekking, quad biking, go karting, 10 pin bowling, cycling, mountain biking, adventure trails or the more regular sports of football, basketball, tennis, golf, boules, beach games.
In the old centre of Agde a lot of the old shops are being turned into Art and craft centres as people move to the out of town supermarkets to do their shopping. There are painters, sculptures, dressmakers, musicians, potters, jewellery makers and other craftspeople displaying their unique items. Look out for the 'Ateliers de la Perle Noir' signs.
For those after a more relaxing holiday you can enjoy the climate in the local parks or beaches, view some of the local cinemas, events and festivals or even visit one of the nearby vineyards. Dining out you are spoilt for choice, numerous restaurants with many serving locally caught fish and seafood, all washed down with excellent local wines.
It is easy to spend your holiday without the need of a car in Agde. The apartment is just a 5 minute walk from the mainline TGV train station, the local bus service is frequent and inexpensive and it is just a 10 to 15 minute cycle ride to the local beaches or the canal du midi along dedicated cycle paths.
Shopping in and around Agde is varied and plentiful with lots of the major supermarkets, clothes retailers, sports shops etc. in two of the major shopping centres on the outskirts of Agde. It is usually just a 10 minute drive to either major shopping centre and frequent bus services are in operation to and from them.
