A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Canal de la Robine links the Canal du Midi to the Mediterranean, from Narbonne to Port-La-Nouvelle. Many walkers and cyclists use the greenway and cycle paths that cross the Narbonnaise en Méditerranée Regional Nature Park all the way to the sea. Discover it!
The Canal du Midi’s little brother
One of the highlights of your camping vacation camping holidays near Narbonne includes the Canal de la Robine. Commissioned by Vauban in the late 17th century, the canal was inaugurated in 1787. It follows the course of the ancient bed of the Aude river – the Atax – which the Romans already travelled by boat to reach the deep blue sea.
The 32 km-long Canal de la Robine connects Narbonne, Gruissan, Port-la-Nouvelle,Ile Sainte-Lucie and the Mediterranean Sea. Its name comes from the Occitan “robina”, meaning canal. And like its big brother the Canal du Midi the Canal de la Robine has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.
The Canal de la Robine, nature and town
An umbilical cord between Narbonne and the Mediterranean that once fed the mills of Narbonne, the lower Aude plain and the lagoons of Gruissan, the Canal de la Robine runs through the center of Narbonne and empties into the sea at Port-La-Nouvelle. This famous UNESCO-listed canal passes under the iconic Pont des Marchands in Narbonne, one of the few remaining inhabited bridges in France, crosses the Bages and Sigean lakes before ending its journey in the Mediterranean at Port-la-Nouvelle.
The Robine Canal
#On foot or by bike
20 km from Camping La Pinède, you can discover the Robine on foot or by bike along the old towpath. Its well-maintained riverbanks and gentle gradient make it an ideal itinerary for family bike rides.
The Voie Verte links the center of Narbonne to the entrance to Port-la-Nouvelle, along the Canal de la Robine (22 km). Pass from one bank to the other, along the footbridges that span the canal to the lighthouse at Port-la-Nouvelle or Gruissan-Plage, and on to the sea, with the Corbières maritimes and the Fontfroide massif in the background.
From the Mandirac lock on the outskirts of Narbonne, the towpath runs alongside the Canal de la Robine, winding its way through the ponds between Gruissan and Port-la-Nouvelle to the nature reserve on theIle de Sainte-Lucie, bordered to the west by the étang de Bages-Sigean and to the north by the étang de l’Ayrolle.
From Narbonne to Port-la-Nouvelle, EuroVelo 8 “Méditerranée à vélo” is a classic on the Canal de la Robine (25 km cycling loop). At Mandirac (Petit and Grand Mandirac), links to Gruissan and Ile St-Lucie.
“La Littorale” allows you to reach the historic centre of Narbonne on foot or by bike. historic center of Narbonne Saint-Pierre and Gruissan, at the foot of the La Clape massif .
River cruise on the Canal de la Robine
On the calm waters of the Canal de la Robine, barges enjoy a gently sloping waterway, made up of successive reaches linked by six locks: Moussoulens, Raonel, Gua, Narbonne, Mandirac and Sainte-Lucie.
Departing from Narbonne, quai des Barques, it is possible to take a gabare trip on the Canal de la Robine to reach the Mediterranean. From Gruissan, the bateau promenade “Le Cathare offers guided cruises on the Canal Audois to Port-La Nouvelle andIle Sainte Lucie.
You can also rent a small electric boat and play captain on the calm waters of the canal.