Things to do around Narbonne: 10 ideas

The lagoon villages: Bages and Peyriac-de-Mer

South of Narbonne, between the town and the Mediterranean, the lagoons (étangs) form a landscape of salt pans and garrigue scrubland, where two villages are easy to visit on the same outing. The distances in this article are road distances from the Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville.

Bages, the fishing village

10 km from Narbonne, Bages sits on a rocky outcrop above the Étang de Bages-Sigean, the largest lagoon on the Côte du Midi according to the tourist office, which also lists it among its best photo spots for the view over the lagoons.

• The sundial gate, from the 17th century, the old entrance to the fortified village.
• The fishermen's quay, where small-scale fishing on the lagoon still goes on.
• The Maison des Arts, a municipal gallery in the former presbytery, free to enter.
• The hiking trail above the village, with views over the lagoon from the garrigue.

The Étang de Bages-Sigean is also the only lagoon on the Côte du Midi with islands. Details are on the Côte du Midi tourist office page.

Peyriac-de-Mer and the pink flamingos

14 km away, Peyriac-de-Mer is not a seaside resort: it is a village on the edge of the lagoon, where people come mainly for nature and birds. Wooden boardwalks cross the old salt works, and pink flamingos can be seen all year round, most easily for much of the winter.

• The salt-pan boardwalks, a flat walk in the middle of the water.
• The Étang du Doul, where you can swim in very salty water.
• The Colline du Mour, with a 360° view over the lagoons, the sea and the hills.

The car parks in the village centre are reserved for residents: one more reason to be dropped off.

La Nautique, Narbonne's port on the lagoon

Without leaving the town, La Nautique is Narbonne's port on the Étang de Bages-Sigean. You can hire a kayak or a paddleboard there, and it was the main landing stage of Narbo Martius, the Roman town. The Golfe antique long-distance footpath runs through it.

Along the Canal du Midi: Le Somail, Amphoralis and L'Oulibo

North of Narbonne, the Canal du Midi crosses the Minervois and its vineyards, and three visits follow one another over some twenty kilometres. The canal has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996, and the junction canal (canal de jonction), opened in 1686, links it to Narbonne.

Le Somail, a hamlet born of the canal

15 km away, Le Somail is a port built in 1682 to serve Narbonne, around which a hamlet grew up. Its humpback bridge and 300-year-old buildings are still there.

• A walk or bike ride along the canal towpath.
• The Somail bridge and the old ice house.
• The port, which saw 28,000 passengers in 1831 according to the tourist office.

Amphoralis, the Gallo-Roman potters' museum

In Sallèles-d'Aude, 16 km away, Amphoralis occupies a former Gallo-Roman potters' workshop that made amphorae for Narbo Martius, around twelve kilometres away. It is one of Narbonne's museums, alongside Narbo Via and the Horreum, on the same pass.

• Reconstructions of kilns and a potter's house.
• The potters' garden, with more than 160 species, and an arboretum.

The visit programme is on the Narbo Via website. Close by, the Gailhousty weir marks the start of the junction canal.

L'Oulibo, the olive cooperative of Bize-Minervois

20 km away, in the hamlet of Cabezac, L'Oulibo is an olive cooperative offering guided tours, tastings and a delicatessen. You will discover the Lucques, the olive of the Languedoc, and olives from the Aude, the Hérault and the Pyrénées-Orientales.

The tour "L'Odyssée de l'olivier" (the olive tree's odyssey) is available in French or English, and children can take part in the family Tapenade Challenge.

The Corbières: Fontfroide, Lagrasse and Terra Vinea

West and south of Narbonne, the Corbières combine vines, garrigue and old stone: one day is enough to see an abbey, a listed village and a cellar quite unlike any other.

The Abbaye de Fontfroide

15 km away, the Abbaye de Fontfroide (Fontfroide Abbey) was founded in 1093 and joined the Cistercian order in 1145. It can be visited with its Romanesque church, its Gothic cloister and its gardens, on a guided tour. According to its official website, a bus serves it only in July and August.

Lagrasse, one of the Most Beautiful Villages of France

43 km away, Lagrasse is listed among the Most Beautiful Villages of France (Plus Beaux Villages de France). The Orbieu river runs through the village, and a bridge links its lanes and 14th-century covered market to the Abbaye Sainte-Marie d'Orbieu, whose oldest part dates back to Charlemagne.

• The 14th-century covered market in the heart of the village.
• The abbey, open to the public, on the other side of the Orbieu.
• The craft workshops: Lagrasse also holds the Ville et Métiers d'Art label for arts and crafts.

The village page is on the Most Beautiful Villages of France website.

Terra Vinea, a wine cellar in a former mine

In Portel-des-Corbières, 26 km away, Terra Vinea occupies a former gypsum mine dug from 1807: 800 m of galleries 80 m underground, telling the story of vines and wine in the Narbonne area. A little train takes you to the entrance, and the visit ends with a tasting of local wines.

It is 16 °C inside, summer and winter alike. The visit involves 120 steps down and is not wheelchair accessible.

The Massif de la Clape and the Gouffre de l'Œil Doux

Between Narbonne and Narbonne-Plage, 16 km away, the Massif de la Clape is the main hiking area nearby, among the vineyards, and the Gouffre de l'Œil Doux is its most unusual spot. 23 km away, near Saint-Pierre-la-Mer, it is an emerald-green lake below limestone cliffs of around 40 m, which the tourist office compares to the cenotes of Mexico.

• From above: a trail leaves the car park on the road to Fleury and leads to a cliff overlooking the chasm and the coastline.
• From below: the footpath starts from the car park of the Domaine de l'Oustalet, which also has a pony club and a free mini farm.

Swimming and sports are not allowed there. On days of high fire risk, access to the hills may be closed: check before you set off.

Things to do around Narbonne with children or when it rains

With children, the easiest outings are those where they walk little and have plenty to discover: the flamingos at Peyriac-de-Mer, the little train at Terra Vinea, the kilns at Amphoralis, the mini farm at L'Oustalet or the Tapenade Challenge at L'Oulibo.

When it rains, there are still plenty of indoor visits around Narbonne:

• Terra Vinea, underground at 16 °C.
• Amphoralis and its museum.
• L'Oulibo, its guided tour and its delicatessen.
• The Abbaye de Fontfroide, its church and its cloister.

In town, Narbo Via, the Horreum and Les Halles round off the day, as our guide to visiting Narbonne on foot explains.

Further afield: Minerve and the Cité de Carcassonne

With a full day, two sites are worth the trip. 34 km away, in the Hérault, Minerve is listed among the Most Beautiful Villages of France: this Cathar village stands between the gorges of the Cesse and the Brian, among the AOC Minervois vineyards, with its Grand Pont natural bridge and a museum of archaeology and palaeontology. 60 km away, the medieval Cité de Carcassonne completes a tour of the Aude.

Three day itineraries around Narbonne

For a weekend or a holiday, these sites group together by area, so each itinerary avoids doubling back.

1. The lagoons: Bages in the morning, La Nautique, then Peyriac-de-Mer and its salt pans late in the day, for the flamingos.
2. The Canal du Midi: Le Somail, Amphoralis in Sallèles-d'Aude, then L'Oulibo in Bize-Minervois, and Minerve if you have time.
3. The Corbières: the Abbaye de Fontfroide, Lagrasse and Terra Vinea in Portel-des-Corbières.

Exploring the area around Narbonne without a car

These sites are spread out around Narbonne, the Abbaye de Fontfroide is served by bus only in July and August, and some villages reserve their parking for residents. With a VTC chauffeur, you leave from your accommodation, go from stop to stop and come back without driving or parking, even after a tasting at Terra Vinea.

For a day out, our sightseeing tours around Narbonne are planned at your pace, from the address of your choice and with a price agreed in advance. You travel in a saloon, a Tesla Model 3 or a Mercedes EQE depending on availability, for up to 4 passengers, or in a Mercedes V-Class people carrier for up to 8 passengers for families and groups, with baby seats on request. To book your chauffeur, call +33 6 75 67 98 78 or send a WhatsApp message.