Picture yourself at the helm of a 40-foot cabin cruiser motoring at 5 knots or so along a narrow canal that is bordered on both sides by towering plane trees whose roots form the natural reinforcement for the canal’s sides.
Beyond, there are wide open fields of ripening wheat and sunflowers and huge rolling vineyards. It is hot and the air is still. You are on the Canal du Midi in the south of France and you are very close to heaven.
For many a cruiser, a week or two on this ancient and historic canal ranks high on their list of life adventures. And, doing so is remarkably easy. There are a variety of options. For me, the best way to explore the canal is aboard the simple, self-driving power cruisers offered for charter by Le Boat that give you the freedom to set your own pace, explore to your heart’s content and interact spontaneously with the locals.
Or, you can charter a larger skippered and crewed barge or join a floating hotel that is fully staffed by crew ready to meet your every whim. You will be guided to the best sites along the canal and fed the best food and wine.
The 150-mile canal was built under the reign of Louis XIV between 1667 and 1681. Twelve thousand workers, mostly women surprisingly, labored to dig the canal and build the 86 locks needed to rise the canal level from the Mediterranean Sea to 625 feet near the town (now city) of Toulouse.
This was such a remarkable feat of engineering in the 17th Century that today the canal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and in 1996 was designated an International Historic Engineering Landmark.
Most of the canal is in the Languedoc region of France which is the country’s largest wine producer. You’ll find a wide range of varietals to sample and vintages to explore. Many wines will be fresh and new and ready to drink right away as table wine.
The villages, towns and cities along the canal are all ancient and historic and worth exploring on foot or by rented bikes. You will find narrow cobblestone streets and squares with open-air cafes and restaurants with brightly colored umbrellas. And, then there are the weekly open markets where you will be able to sample all the natural and delicious things that make up French cuisine.
Yes, a week or two on the Canal du Midi is a perfect cruising adventure for the mind, the soul and the palette.
