The Pech de Thou and the château de Carasses

A tranquil hike graded moderate for the distance and altitude gain. Most of the hike is on tarmac roads. Some nice views along all of the route, especially at the water tower where you can see Capestang, the lake and further away, Narbonne and the Pyrenean mountain range. Also Béziers, Puisserguier and further away, the Haut-Languedoc hills.

Details

2715151
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.67 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 466 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 453 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 374 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 105 ft
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Capestang (34310)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 43.331537° / E 3.042962°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2545ET, 2545OT
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Start: The hike starts from the port of Capestang, at the tourist office. You can park freely nearby.

(S/E) From the port of Capestang, follow the Canal du Midi with the canal on your right and head towards the 'voie verte' cycle path. Continue along Avenue Emile Loscos. At the junction, take the Avenue de la Gare on your left.

At the first junction, turn left along Rue de la Cartoucherie. At the next, turn right and then at the crossroads, straight ahead, Chemin de Fontélarie. At the end of the tarmac continue on the track in the same direction. Further on, on tarmac again, at the crossraods, take the track on the left for about 75 metres.

(1) Take the road on the right. Pass at the foot of a crucifix and continue straight ahead on the road which climbs.

(2) At the junction (views of Puisserguier, the Haut-Languedoc hills and Béziers), turn left.

(3) At the crossroads, after a quite long descent, turn left again towards the water tower. Pass on your left the entrance to the Cabane de Levet and futher on a small lane.

(4) At the next junction, take the small lane on your left. It climbs in hairpin bends. Follow the lane which turns right and right again at point '108' on the map to reach the water tower( the best view of Capestang and also further away, Narbonne catherdral and, on a clear day, the Pyrenees and its imposing peak 'le Canigou'.

:5: Go around the water tower to the left and take the path that descends on the opposite side. Continuing to descend, after a left-hand bend, turn right to rejoin the lane.

(6) Follow the lane to the left. At the next junction,turn right. At the fork (crucifix), turn sharp left. At the end of the lane, turn left again.

(7) Cross the D16 road, follow it to the right for 20-30 metres, then take the track on the left. Follow the track (not marked of the map) which passes a vineyard. At the corner of the vineyard, turn left towards the cycle track which you can see below you.

(8) Cross the cycle track and continue ahead on a road. You will see, in the distance on your left, the chateau des Carasses.

(9) At the crossroads, take the first on the left (direction south, south-west) towards the chateau.

(10) Take the dirt track on the left (direction south). Cross the stream and continue south.

(11) At the crossroads, follow the road to the left and the GR787. Stay on this road passing all of the tracks on the left. On reaching the cemetery and the Canal du Midi, turn left following the canal, cross the road and continue ahead to reach the starting point (S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 108 ft - Port de Capestang - Tourist Office - Canal du Midi
  2. 1 : mi 0.69 - alt. 171 ft - Intersection
  3. 2 : mi 1.51 - alt. 328 ft - Branch
  4. 3 : mi 1.91 - alt. 240 ft - Cross
  5. 4 : mi 2.43 - alt. 289 ft - Branch
  6. 5 : mi 2.89 - alt. 358 ft - Pech du Thou - Water tower
  7. 6 : mi 3.13 - alt. 272 ft - Route
  8. 7 : mi 3.86 - alt. 249 ft
  9. 8 : mi 4.04 - alt. 210 ft
  10. 9 : mi 4.38 - alt. 233 ft
  11. 10 : mi 4.86 - alt. 299 ft
  12. 11 : mi 5.15 - alt. 295 ft
  13. 12 : mi 5.54 - alt. 236 ft
  14. S/E : mi 6.67 - alt. 108 ft

Notes

Start & Parking: The hike starts from the port of Capestang, at the tourist office. You can park freely nearby.

Gears : Water, a hat and hiking boots.

Worth a visit

Take a break at the chateau des Carasses hotel.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 17 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
RPB
RPB

Too much tarmac for this hike
Not signposted GPS essential

Machine-translated

Denis26
Denis26 ★

Thank you for your comments about crossing the fields. I have just modified the route accordingly between (7) and (9).

Machine-translated

User 27766149

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk starting from Capestang. Purists will say that there are a lot of paved paths, etc., but our group included someone who wasn't used to walking, and this route is very well suited to that kind of person. The only slight downside, which was mentioned in the reviews and description, is that there is no path between points 7 and 8. We had to scramble a bit to cross a field that was no longer cultivated in November.
The scenery is beautiful, especially in autumn, with little or no shade, so it's best to avoid this route in hot weather.

Machine-translated

RPB
RPB

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Too much tarmac for this hike
Not signposted GPS essential

Machine-translated

User 27766149

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk starting from Capestang. Purists will say that there are a lot of paved paths, etc., but our group included someone who wasn't used to walking, and this route is very well suited to that kind of person. The only slight downside, which was mentioned in the reviews and description, is that there is no path between points 7 and 8. We had to scramble a bit to cross a field that was no longer cultivated in November.
The scenery is beautiful, especially in autumn, with little or no shade, so it's best to avoid this route in hot weather.

Machine-translated

MeT@lliK
MeT@lliK
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely little hike for everyone, very pleasant. Castle and church to visit.
Be mindful of the points mentioned above by other hikers.

Machine-translated

Ericet christine
Ericet christine

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant route, well described and easy to follow. However, between points 7 and 8, there is no path, and you have to walk through fields of grain and vineyards with ditches of varying depths at the edge of the crops. It is true that the distance between the two points is short, but this section needs to be changed!
Enjoy your walk, everyone!

Machine-translated

Loïc62880
Loïc62880

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Nice walk with a slight difference in altitude, a few climbs that are not dangerous. Just between points 7 and 8 it was impossible to go through the vines because of the vegetation and ditches. The environment must have changed with the season (tall grass, wheat in a field). At point 7, continue right for 100 m on the D16 and turn left on a track, then left again on a bridge over the dry canal. You will reach point 8 without any problem, which will take you to the château. Enjoy the walk.

Machine-translated

minanos
minanos

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route, with one small problem: the route crosses a field at the end of points 6 to 7 to join a small road... in 7.

Machine-translated

Dreligan
Dreligan

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It's a very pleasant walk. The viewpoints on the heights give an interesting overview of the vineyards between Puisserguier and Capestang. The Château des Carasses is magnificent. Be warned, however, that the route is unreliable at points 5 and 7. As regards point 5, the water tower now has a fence encircling the plot, so it is no longer possible to follow the route; you have to cut off to the north (to the right of the water tower). As for point 7, the proposed path doesn't exist, so we cut through the vines and went down the side of the bridge a little further north to reach the greenway and head back down south towards the path leading to the château. You need to be in good physical condition to descend the wall of the bridge, as it is almost vertical, but it seems that there is an easier way down to the south.

Machine-translated

HADELINE
HADELINE

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant, varied walks, many on tarmac roads but without traffic. No shade. Beautiful views.

Machine-translated

faroldi
faroldi

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Super hike, magnificent scenery and a great castle, but the signposting on the route is almost non-existent.

Machine-translated

PAT34500
PAT34500

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 07, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The signposting is almost non-existent. It's a shame that this route is not properly signposted. I'd say it's a case of "sailing by sight", "hit or miss". "Otherwise, it's a nice route to do, despite everything!

Machine-translated

les deux DD
les deux DD

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 11, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

It's a shame that this walk lacks signposts, as it's a pleasant one.

At point 1 there is no cross and then at point 3 we couldn't find the junction
to get to the water tower. In spite of everything, we did the circuit by asking
with the vine pruners,
After the château, the GR is well signposted.

Machine-translated

rfm.david
rfm.david

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Some of the sections are random, so rely on the direction of the route.
Interest of the route: average overall, good when you're on higher ground with views of Capestang and its lake, the Corbières and the Pyrenees.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.