Tourism Valras BEACH
Valras-Plage, or simply Valras, is one of the most popular seaside destinations for families on the Mediterranean coast.
The town is close to two other family resorts, Sérignan and Portiragnes. It is also for many holidaymakers a convenient starting point for exploring other charming destinations, especially Vias, Béziers or Agde, three of the closest towns to Valras.
For those who have the time, you can even make a trip to Sète or Montpellier. If you book a holiday at the campsite in Vias, you will be ideally situated 20 minutes from Valras.
WHAT TO SEE IN VALRAS?
The beaches and historical monuments are the main sites of Valras tourism. The water parks also attract many visitors. In addition, many holidaymakers make excursions to other destinations in the vicinity.
These trips allow them to learn more about the historical and cultural heritage of Languedoc-Roussillon, as well as its various natural areas.
The beaches of Valras
Holidaymakers who visit Valras are particularly spoiled. They are entitled to a four-kilometre stretch of fine sand bordering the town centre. The coastline around the resort is developed for tourism. There are several secure infrastructures.
These areas are also well maintained and within walking distance of many shops. This is particularly true of the beach in the city centre.
The beaches of Valras are appreciated for their beauty and the many water sports and outdoor activities available to holidaymakers. But if they attract many families, it is also because they offer a good level of safety. In concrete terms, from June to September, numerous first aid posts ensure the surveillance of the Valrassian beaches. Firemen and CRS agents, assisted by an emergency doctor, participate in this operation. It should also be noted that all the beaches of the resort have the necessary equipment to welcome people with reduced mobility.
In order to maintain the prestige of Valras tourism, the beaches are maintained on a daily basis. To ensure that holidaymakers can enjoy quality bathing and relaxation, teams work hard to remove any dirt from the sand at the beginning of the day; they also work to re-spread the sand using high-performance machines designed for this purpose.
The natural areas of Valras-Plage
Lovers of wild natural spaces will also find their happiness in Valras. In particular, they will find the most beautiful dunes of the Mediterranean coastline in the heart of the protected site les Orpellières, located on the left bank and at the mouth of the Orb. The dune belt in question extends over 2.5 km. The site also includes a stretch of salt meadows.
In short, Valras tourism allows you to appreciate these peaceful and wild settings where a change of scenery is certainly in order. Above all, these are discoveries that you will not soon forget, whether you go there as a lover, with family or with friends.
Holidaymakers enjoy days by the sea or hours on the hiking trails. But these isolated and picturesque corners offer that “extra” that is so often sought after.
THE TOP 5 ACTIVITIES AT VALRAS BEACH
For an exceptional holiday in the Hérault, we have selected the best activities to do in Valras:
Aquajet Park
Another interesting address for an excursion with family or friends is the Aquajet park in Narbonne, a thirty-five minute drive from Valras.
There are perfectly laid out areas for picnics or gourmet breaks. Meanwhile, children can have fun (in complete safety) on the various facilities dedicated to them: slides, trampolines, inflatables, playgrounds, etc.
The African reserve of Sigean
Valras Plage is about forty minutes drive from the African reserve of Sigean. This area covers three hundred hectares and is home to thousands of wild animals living in semi-liberty.
The park is an interesting destination for a romantic getaway or especially with children. The adventure is made even easier by the fact that it is possible to explore the area by car, as a main road runs through it for several kilometres.
The lion area is the only one that you have to drive through in your car. The rest of the estate can be explored on foot.
This is the perfect opportunity, especially to cheer up the children and make sure they have an unforgettable experience, to get close to animals such as chimpanzees, turtles, elephants…
Jetski and karting
Valras tourism is of course also an opportunity to indulge in all kinds of water activities. Thrill-seekers will not be disappointed. Jetski excursions are offered by Jet Evasion, a specialised company located on the Emile Turco esplanade at Valras-Plage.
Land-based motorsport enthusiasts can take to the Sunkarting circuit. The complex covers 25,000 m2 and includes a track 600 metres long and 6.5 metres wide.
Sunkarting has twenty karts available to the public, including 270 m3 four-stroke Sodi RT8s. These machines are equipped with a speed timing system. In addition, there is a remote deceleration system, which is essential for the safety of the racers.
More generally, karting is a great idea for a family activity during Valras tourism. There are mini karts for children aged seven to eleven, but also mini quads for four to six year olds.
Open air dance classes
There is no shortage of festive ideas in the Hérault resort. Those who love gentle gymnastics, step or other weight training can indeed meet on the beach of the Oasis, transformed for the occasion into an open-air sports hall. In the evening, salsa and zumba classes are given on the same beach.
Valras tourism is also an opportunity to immerse yourself in local traditions. Holidaymakers are very interested in the traditional markets, which are popular for their many colours and flavours.
Holidaymakers can also attend the French championships organised by the resort: the French Off Shore championship in June and the jetski endurance and speed championship in September.
Tours and excursions
The Valras coastline is a beautiful four kilometre walk from the mouth of the Aude to the mouth of the Orb.
Wide and well laid out, this promenade attracts many holidaymakers and inhabitants of the Béziers area, giving the avenue a ramblas-like feel in the evening.
There are also various hiking trails to discover Valras Plage and the surrounding areas. Sportsmen and women can also explore the region in their own way, notably by cycling along the cycle paths starting from the resort.
These paths lead them to the Canal du Midi.
The same Canal du Midi greenway, starting from the river port of Béziers at Portiragnes Plage, also offers breathtaking scenery. This route leads to Sérignan Plage and the resort of Valras Plage.
WHAT TO VISIT IN VALRAS?
This part will be mainly devoted to historical monuments and museums, essential cogs in the wheel of Valras tourism and the surrounding area.
The historical monuments are actually located within a radius of five to ten kilometres of Valras Plage.
This escapade can be an opportunity to learn more about the history of the Biterrois, an area strongly influenced by ancient Rome.
For example, the family can discover the Roman aqueduct of Vendres, five kilometres from Valras. According to our current knowledge, it was built in Gallo-Roman times and was used to bring water from the Theron spring to the ancient town.
Since 2006, a hiking trail has allowed the general public to easily reach the site.
The Model Museum, located at Valras Plage, is a delight for children and model enthusiasts alike. The only one of its kind in France, this establishment offers the public important collections of Lego and K’Nex.
The collections, which are constantly being expanded, are presented in different themes. The models are strikingly realistic. Young and old alike can marvel at the miniature models of a working port, an amusement park, a medieval city, a futuristic world and many other settings.
Some families or couples also take advantage of their stay to discover emblematic cities such as Béziers, about twenty minutes from the resort. Among the monuments that can be discovered there, there is notably the cathedral and the green Paul-Riquet alleys.
The family can also visit the Musée du Biterrois, known for its important collections of Roman objects (inscribed stones, amphorae, busts, glassware), but also the exhibitions that deal in depth with the 1209 massacre of the Cathars during the Albigensian crusade, the most violent episode the city has ever experienced.
Others will go to Agde, less than half an hour away by car, to discover, among other things, the Grande Conque beach, the Ephèbe museum, the Marine Aquarium, the Môle beach or the Agatha museum.
Those who take their adventure as far as Sète will discover emblematic sites such as the Vieux Port, the Paul Valéry Museum, the Marine Cemetery or the Espace George Brassens. In Montpellier, the Fabre Museum, the Promenade de Peyrou, the Place de la Comédie, the Arc de Triomphe, the Pavillon Populaire and the Château de Flaugergues are among the sites not to be missed.
