Lakes · Hérault
1 Lac des Rives
Lac des Rives forms in a karst depression of the Larzac plateau, not far from Lodève, in the Hérault.
View full page →What to see in Hérault in 3 days
Hérault offers a Mediterranean coast, gorges, rocky cirques, stone villages and World Heritage sites. Between sea and garrigue scrub, the variety is great.
This itinerary spreads the best-rated sites in the catalogue over three days.
Our day-by-day itinerary
The map shows the numbered stops in visiting order, with one colour per day. The line follows the roads where available; otherwise it joins the stops as the crow flies. Distances and times are approximate (by car, without traffic).
Day 1 — Lac des Rives to Grotte des Demoiselles
This day brings together 4 sites close to each other: lakes, natural wonders and caves. It passes through Clermont-l'Hérault. Allow half an hour to an hour and a half per site, plus travel time.
Lakes · Clermont-l'Hérault
2 Lac du Salagou
A reservoir lake with blue water ringed by hills of dark red argillite, the famous "ruffes" of the Lodévois, a volcanic and lunar landscape unique in the Hérault.
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Natural wonders · Hérault
3 Ravin des Arcs
A superb site naturally carved by the emerald waters of the Lamalou stream. It is the unusual curiosity of the region. We advise visiting outside summer, as the Lamalou stream is dry then.
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Caves · Hérault
4 Grotte des Demoiselles
Located not far from the Cirque de Navacelle, this cave is in fact an old aven whose opening is on the Thaurac plateau.
View full page →Day 2 — Béziers to Sète
This day brings together 3 sites close to each other: towns and cities and natural wonders. It passes through Béziers and Sète. Allow half an hour to an hour and a half per site, plus travel time.
Towns & cities · Béziers
5 Béziers
The oldest town in France, dominated by its fortified cathedral of Saint-Nazaire that overlooks the Orb and its nine-arched medieval Old Bridge.
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Natural wonders · Hérault
6 Cirque de Mourèze
This natural limestone formation, which gave its name to cliffs in the Alps of northern Italy, is found west of Clermont-l'Hérault.
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Towns & cities · Sète
7 Sète
Mediterranean port built on the slopes of Mont Saint-Clair, criss-crossed by canals that earn it the nickname "Venice of Languedoc", birthplace of Georges Brassens.
View full page →Day 3 — Grottes de Fauzan to Gouffre Cerisier et Gorges d'Héric
This day brings together 5 sites close to each other: villages, caves and natural wonders. Allow half an hour to an hour and a half per site, plus travel time.
Caves · Hérault
8 Grottes de Fauzan
The first known inhabitants were certainly from the Palaeolithic, since they left many traces in the natural caves of the Fauzan site.
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Natural wonders · Hérault
9 Les Ponts Naturels de Minerve
Listed among the most beautiful villages in France, Minerve is an impressive combination of historic remains and natural beauty.
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Villages · Hérault
10 Minerve
At the exit of the gorges of La Cesse and the Briant, where the waters of the two rivers meet, Minerve appears at the end of a limestone plateau bordered by steep cliffs in a fantastic mineral and tormented landscape.
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Villages · Hérault
11 Olargues
The site of Olargues was occupied as early as Roman times.
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Waterfalls · Hérault
12 Gouffre Cerisier et Gorges d'Héric
Very deep gorges with limestone needles. The Gouffre du Cerisier is one of the natural pools (gour) carved by the Héric torrent (swimming).
View full page →When to go
Spring and autumn are the best: pleasant temperatures and soft light. Summer is hot, with many people on the coast. Winter is mild, but some sites are closed.
Getting around
A car is practical for the hinterland, where public transport is limited. Montpellier is explored on foot and by tram. Gorge roads are narrow: drive carefully.
Our tips
- Bring water and good shoes for the gorges.
- Start early in summer, as the heat is strong inland.
- Check visiting hours for caves and developed sites.
- Taste local produce: Bouzigues oysters, Languedoc wines.
If you have more time
Caves · Hérault
Grotte de Clamouse
CLAMOUSE, a site classified by the Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development, is an essential tourist spot, 35 km from Montpellier, in the GRAND SITE de FRANCE of the Hérault Gorges, near the Pont du Diable and the medieval village of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert.
Natural wonders · Hérault
Pic Saint-Loup
The Pic Saint-Loup is a 658 m limestone fold rising in the garrigue north of Montpellier.
Caves · Hérault
Grotte de Labeil
Set in a dolomitic cirque at 700 metres' altitude, the natural entrance to the Labeil Cave is a former Roquefort cellar that gives level access to the underground river where the sound of illuminated waters offers a unique spectacle.
Villages · Hérault
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
At the confluence of the Verdus and the Hérault, this village grew around an abbey founded in 804 by Saint Guilhem to house a piece of the Cross offered by Charlemagne.
Caves · Hérault
Grotte de la Devèze
This cave was discovered in 1886, during the building of the Bédarieux–Castres railway line, when the mountain had to be pierced.
Castles · Hérault
Château de Baulx
Perched on its rocky peak, the château de Baulx overlooks the village. A simple watchtower in the twelfth century, protecting the barony of Pégairolles, the whole underwent various alterations over the centuries.
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