Sports and leisure activities Midi-Pyrénées

To discover Le Grau-du-Roi from another angle than the mainland, head to the Ponant nautical base to see the bay of a flamboyant and lively Grau, the land seen from the sea and the waterways. The leitmotiv of the Windsurf Park is relaxation, experience and sharing. You can rent a catamaran, sea kayak, windsurf, stand up paddle for an hour or more and discover the many pleasures of the water with your family (from 6 years old). State-qualified instructors will supervise you and introduce you to the joys of gliding on the water.

This does not invent, a name such as a fishing guide! Yannick River, member of France's fly fishing team, a world-class champion in 2009, is a fishing guide approved by the French Lancer Fly Fishing Federation (FFPML). Yannick takes you fishing in Cathar country and elsewhere. Amateurs follow in freshwater (fly, predators), but also kayaking in brackish water ponds in the search for wolves, and even initiate with him the rockfishing, a popular sea fishing technique in Japan with soft lures adapted to rock fish (gobis, blenis…) that make inshore fishing very sporty!

This pilot structure of fishing tourism in Languedoc organises sports fishing trips in the Mediterranean around different themes: Tuna, jigging bars, pélamides… Also in his catalogue: fishing trips to Lake Du, Au Lake, Olive Lake (fishing for vifs boat predators and lures) on the river Hérault, carpe guidage sessions, fishing courses for children… 

Fishing in Hérault is 1 500 km of free water and 1 500 ha of water plans in total reciprocity for fishermen of Hérault and club Hhlieutique. In the north, in the context of the Haut Languedoc regional natural park, pure and clear waters run in a landscape of wood and meadows to form rivers in the Atlantic basin where trout are abundant. In the south, the foothills of the Cevennes plongent into the plain by draining the waters of Aigoual in which wild and vigorous trout remain reserved for the most sporty. The Vis is the most beautiful jewel. At the foot of the mountains and hills, the waters assagissent in the wine-growing plains, the larger rivers are alanguissent, punctuated by a multitude of small deductions. They become the paradise of predators and white fish. The federation consists of 34 AAPPMA.

This fishing school is entitled to disclose professional recreational fishing guides (BPJEPS), offers animations and traineeships for children, but also technical training courses for adults around different fishing techniques: carpeting or day carp fishing, peel trout fishing, boat carnate fishing, fly-fly fishing, trash tracking, etc. Four animators, Jean-Baptiste Ferré, Nicolas Costes, Florian Molinié and Manuel Tardif animate this school and guide you on the most interesting spots, including Lake Pareloup.

Thanks to the diversity of its landscapes and fishing grounds, the Aude offers considerable and varied fishing potential. Everywhere, you can combine the art of fishing with the discovery of a variety of sparklingly beautiful landscapes: the Pays de Sault, the Razès, the Lauraguais, the Montagne Noire and the Narbonnais. From Narbonne to Castelnaudary, the Canal du Midi, its diversions and ancillary waterways offer great fishing spots. The Aude fishing federation groups together 26 AAPPMAs.

Marvejols is a town in France that offers sports camps and holidays for young people and adults. The "Sport et Tourisme" association aims to promote the practice of sport during the vacations, under the supervision of qualified and certified professionals. For young people, the aim is to develop autonomy, technical progress, citizenship and sharing. For adults, the association offers training courses for technical progress in a friendly atmosphere. Technical supervision is provided by state-certified trainers, who have supervised numerous technical courses for all levels. Our youth camps comply with legal and regulatory standards for vacation camps, with a minimum supervision ratio of 1:8. The association works in partnership with local clubs and local authorities to guarantee high-quality infrastructures and equipment.

A large natural area and mountains undoubtedly imply that there is what is needed to delight amateur sports enthusiasts. The Cevennes is a place of hiking and mountain biking. The Bed and Breakfast Hotel Les Cessenades proposes to stay in full Cévenne while walking through this mountain on hiking or cycling. Two old farm bodies overlooking a common courtyard are located in front of a river where summer days are refreshed. Thick walls, red windows and ceilings with exposed beams, the hotel is typically cevenol. On the sports and nature side, the hotel proposes to rent atvs (15 € per day). You start the journey by using an old railway path transformed into a cycle path. A nice corner of nature to spend your holidays.

This is a boutique that is now essential for fishing lovers. Rudy and Loïc are passionate about sea fishing, but also very sharp on the river and trout. In their store, sorted by category, cannes, reels, leures and other landing cottoient, clothing and storage boxes. The store does not always, because many fishermen are looking for live baits or renewing their fishing cards, which are the agents of the French Federation of Fisheries, with the photo for the licence taken directly. Beware, if you walk through the door of their shop, you will let yourself be seduced and won't leave empty. Ah! Poor fishermen…

PPAC, for Pôle de Perfectionnement à la Conduite Automobile, is a rally driving school on asphalt. Fabrice Morel - former official Peugeot Sport driver - welcomes you all year round to a 100-hectare complex dedicated to motor sports. The driving course takes place on a 4 km rally test track, which includes all types of bends and surfaces. The PPAC can also be used for seminars, to combine work and pleasure.

Specialized in kite kite, Sendra Bazar has in his pre-packed boots two and four lines for novices and pro, acrobatic kites, freestyle… and monofils for children and adults. What spend a good time to flirt with the wind on the sea front of Port la Nouvelle! Shipping costs are offered from an expenditure of € 100. Among the brands are Khéo, Active People, Sawdust, Free, Aerobie, Various, Elliot, Exel, Ozone, Onda, Revolution…

The stadium is named after a local rugby XV player, manager and referee who died in 1944 as a result of the war. Dedicated since time immemorial to XIII rugby, this is the home of our "Catalan Dragons". The seats are decked out in the Catalan colors of "sang et or". It can accommodate 11,200 people - over 8,000 seated - and boasts a bodega, a 400 m² boutique and a brasserie. The club's partners are welcomed in a 500 m² VIP lounge, while a panoramic box seating 400 people crowns the building.

Pascale Salam Joubert trained with Michelin-starred chefs, opened a Gascon restaurant in New York with Ariane Daguin, then returned to her homeland to open her own cooking workshop in 2006. Her classes last between one and three hours, and the chef offers a range of cutting-edge themes: "anti-gaspi" cooking, bistronomic menus, pastries, Italian menus, ideas for aperitifs... You can take your creations home with you, or enjoy them on the spot! Pascale also offers children's workshops.

Tarbes, a town in France's Hautes-Pyrénées region, offers caving enthusiasts a unique experience thanks to the Comité Spéléologique Départemental des Hautes-Pyrénées. The club's website provides detailed information on the various outings and training courses on offer. Whether you want to explore the region's underground caves or learn caving techniques, the Comité Spéléologique Départemental des Hautes-Pyrénées will meet your expectations.

The Comité Départemental de Spéléologie et de descente de Canyon de la Haute-Garonne is an association based in Balma. Their website provides all the information you need to practice these activities in the region. The site also features administrative documents, minutes of general meetings and information on caving clubs and commissions in Haute-Garonne. In addition, there are links to topoguides, fixed equipment in the département and actions undertaken by the committee. For caving and canyoning enthusiasts, the Comité Départemental de Spéléologie et de descente de Canyon de la Haute-Garonne is a valuable resource for all the information you need to enjoy these activities in the region.

The Comité Spéléologique Départemental des Pyrénées-Orientales is an organization offering caving activities in the town of Fontrabiouse. The committee's website, www.cds66.fr, can also provide further information.

When it comes to accommodation, there are several options available in Le Rozier, a small village located at the confluence of the Tarn and Jonte gorges. You can choose from municipal campsites, such as Camping Municipal, Camping Brudy and Camping Les Peupliers. There are also hotels available, such as Hôtel Doussière, Hôtel de la Muse et du Rozier and Grand Hôtel Des Voyageurs. For catering, there's a food truck on site, as well as restaurants in the village. There will also be events such as conferences, exhibitions and musical performances.

The Comité Départemental de Spéléologie de l'Ariège offers exciting activities to discover the region's underground wonders. Explore the caves and caverns of Foix and discover the region's unique geological formations.

CSR Occitanie is an association based in Balma, Occitanie. Their website provides information on their activities and actions. CSR Occitanie organizes expeditions, school projects and training courses. They also publish a magazine called "Spélé Oc". The website also contains information on caving clubs in Occitanie, courses and responsible caving. CSR Occitanie is also involved in events such as the Assises Nationales de l'Environnement Karstique. Their online agenda lists upcoming meetings and events, such as departmental committee meetings and training courses.

Close to the motorway exit, the Montpellier Baillargues Squash Club offers 3 courses with concrete wall. It is possible to rent a course to hit a few balls between friends or register at the squash school. It has a first leisure objective, but for students who wish it, it offers the opportunity to participate in various league and national competitions. The courses are open to children between the ages of 8 and 16 and take place on Wednesday afternoon and the morning for smaller ones, a mini tournament is organised every Friday. The club also has cardiovascular machines, sauna and bar.

Montpeyroux is a small winegrowing village at the foot of the Larzac plateaux. Among its inhabitants is Patrick Brunet, a caving enthusiast who has devoted over 30 years of his life to this activity. A former president of the Hérault departmental caving committee and the Montpeyroux caving group, he is now enjoying his retirement, exploring underground caves several days a week. For him, caving is a revelation, a way of exploring a museum of nature and preserving this fragile heritage. He stresses, however, that the underground world is in danger, not least because of mass tourism and the lack of respect for safety regulations. Patrick Brunet also sees himself as a whistle-blower, particularly when it comes to protecting bats. He shares his knowledge and experience with many groups, including children from the Montpeyroux after-school program.

At first a section of the caving group of the Montauban Society of Natural Sciences, it is in 1969 that the group of Caussade takes its autonomy by becoming the "caving-archaeological society of Caussade". Today, the SSAC has become one of the most important and dynamic caving clubs in the Midi-Pyrénées! The club organizes many events all year round to help you discover this little-known but important heritage.

The Spéléo-Club des Causses in Millau is a caving association affiliated to the Fédération Française de Spéléologie. Founded in 1963, the club offers caving, underground diving, archaeology and canyoning. Located at Impasse Gambetta, the club also has a specialized bookshop. The club's website also features recent articles on the various explorations and discoveries made by the club.

The Spéléo-Club de l'Aude is a caving club based in Alet-les-Bains. Affiliated with the Fédération Française de Spéléologie, it is approved by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of the Environment. The club offers underground explorations and invites visitors to follow their adventures on their blog. The club is supported by several sponsors, including Cousin-Trestec, Aventure Verticale, Raumer, Peguet and Point Energie 31. The next National Caving Days will take place on the first weekend of October 2022. The club is twinned with Spéléo Club Alpin La Cordée in Mouscron, Belgium.

CDS09 represents speleologists and caving in Ariège through a number of clubs. Since 1952, the Société Spéléo de l'Ariège Pays d'Occitanie has organized underground explorations of all levels, as has the Spéléo Club du Haut Sabarthez. Les Rinofles and Club Action Spéléo Canyon focus on caving and canyoning. The Groupe Spéléologique du Couserans explores new underground networks. The Spéléo Club de l'Arize has been exploring the Ariège massifs since 1975.

Tarascon-sur-Ariège is a town known for its many caves. The Spéléo Club du Haut Sabarthez is a local association offering caving activities. The cave paintings and furniture found in these caves bear witness to thousands of years of human occupation of the region.

The Groupe Spéléo du Couserans is an association based in Saint-Girons, Ariège, which offers caving activities.

The Spéléo Club de l'Arize (SCAr) is a caving association based in Les Bordes-sur-Arize. Founded in 1975, the club organizes explorations and prospecting in the Ariège massifs and abroad, with notable discoveries such as the Unjat network. In addition to exploration and classic visits, the club is also involved in scientific activities such as monitoring cave fauna and studying karst evolution. The SCA collaborates with researchers in fields such as archaeology, hydrology and geology. The club also offers training courses for its members and welcomes new members at the Journée Nationale de Spéléologie et de Canyon. In 2014, a canyon section was opened. The Spéléo Club de l'Arize is also very involved with Secours Spéléo Français. The club's president is Nicole Ravaïau.

Rodez offers a variety of activities for outdoor enthusiasts. Among these, the Club Spéléo-Canyon of the MJC de Rodez offers unique caving experiences. Fans of this discipline can explore the region's caves and caverns, discovering a fascinating underground world. The Club Spéléo-Canyon organizes regular outings, offering participants the chance to discover the wonders hidden beneath the earth's surface.

The Spéléo-Club des Garrotxes is a caving club based in Ayguatébia-Talau.

Lourdes is a town in south-west France, best known for its Catholic shrine. However, for caving enthusiasts, there are also some interesting activities to discover. The Groupe de Recherches et d'Activités Spéléo (GRAS) offers underground explorations in various quarries and caves in the region. Sup. In Latresne, as well as other explorations planned over the coming weeks.

The Groupe Spéléologique Haut-Pyrénéen de Tarbes (GSHP) is the oldest caving club in the department. With around thirty members, it's a modestly sized structure, but one that operates with great flexibility. The GSHP is mainly focused on exploring the Pierre St Martin and St Pé de Bigorre massifs. The club's activities are varied and there's something for everyone, whether you're looking for new entrances, clearing out caves or visiting caves you already know. Visits to "classic" caves are also organized throughout the year. The GSHP also takes part in inter-club exploration camps and more distant expeditions. The club is also involved in underground rescue activities in collaboration with Spéléo Secours Français and CDSC. To take part in outings, simply contact the author of the message on the club's mailing list. The GSHP has also contributed to the publication of an exhaustive inventory of the department's caves on Karsteau, a database accessible to all.

The Groupe Spéléologique du Quercy is a caving club based in Cahors. The club brings together enthusiasts of the Lot's caves and offers a range of caving-related activities.

Thémines, a small village in the Lot department of France, offers caving enthusiasts a unique experience thanks to TRIAS. So don't hesitate, put on your equipment and set off to discover the wonders hidden beneath the earth's surface.

The Gard region is highly suitable for caving, and while the SCSP may not have won any medals, it has a fine roster of enthusiasts ready to share this sport with the greatest respect for an infinitely fragile environment. Equipment is supplied by the club, and introductory sessions are organized on request. The association also brings together geology, prehistory, via ferrata and canyoning enthusiasts, many of whom also enjoy photography.

Les Choses de l'Air has chosen as its playground the Quercy, this territory on the borders of the Aveyron, the Lot, the Tarn and the Tarn-et-Garonne. The structure thus proposes to its customers to take height to discover rivers and valleys, bastides and castles. The balloon rides are done in the early morning or in the evening when the weather conditions are the most favorable. Above the clouds, you will discover breathtakingly beautiful landscapes during an aerial stroll that lasts one hour for the "discovery" flights.

This equestrian center specialized in ethological teaching will make you discover the horse differently. The meeting of man and animal in the middle of nature. On nearly 100 hectares, ponies, donkeys and horses evolve in a wild and preserved environment. Elise teaches you to trust, listen and respect the animal. She offers courses, workshops and summer camps for adults, children and teenagers. With her gentleness, her kindness and her perpetual good mood, Elise transmits true values shared between equine and human ethology.

A baptism of air is a unique opportunity to discover Montpellier and its coastline from the top and to make full of thrills. The Aéroclub de Montpellier proposes to send you "in the air" to Sète or La Grande Motte. Flights are carried out on a Cessna (4 places) or Robin (1 to 2 places), the ride is quiet because it is not a matter of antics in the air, but of making it discover and feel the pleasure of flying. The baptism of the air is therefore accessible to everyone!

The Atelier La lame de la vallée dorée-couteau Le Vernissé is the place to be for lovers of top-of-the-range, handcrafted knives. Marcel Canals, the creator, designs and manufactures the famous "Le Vernissé" knife, entirely in France. The workshop offers a wide range of handle materials, including natural wood, fruitwood and even exotic woods. Visitors can also discover Marcel's latest creations, including the new "Le Vernissé-le-Rustique" knife. For those wishing to learn how to make their own knife, the workshop offers a two-day training course. The workshop has its own parking lot and is accessible to people with reduced mobility. Languages spoken are French and Spanish.

Adventure is adventure and horseback riding, it makes sense. A weekend or a week to discover the wild Cathar country, through trails and trails in unspoilt nature, panoramic landscapes, at the pace of the Arab half-blood, Spanish horses, or children's ponies. In the evening, when the riders have full eyes and horses full of their feet, it is time to make a well-deserved stop in small hotels either simple or in the inhabitant… A relaxing stay, but with professional escorts and well-performing logistics for an unforgettable experience. To know that there are also proposals for day hikes and that the Ferme Ferme du Causse organises numerous activities around the equidae, including all levels of equestrian.

For a sporty and playful outing, you can go with your family or friends to the Pumptrack installed south of Gigean. Pumptrack ? It is a loop course, made up of bumps and sharp turns, which can be enjoyed with different sports equipment: Mountain bike, BMX, but also rollerblades, scooter or skateboard. Inaugurated on July 3, 2019, this Pumptrack is to date the largest in Occitania. It offers three levels of difficulty to wheel sports enthusiasts. Remember to put on a helmet to practice safely.

To practice a sporty and playful activity in the village, a trip to the Skatepark-Pumptrack of Mireval can be a good idea to roll a little. Located close to the Léo Malet cultural center, it offers a simple course in the shape of a figure eight over a length of 150 m. Whether you are on a skateboard, a scooter, rollerblades, a mountain bike or a BMX, everyone can enjoy it from 8 years old. It is permanently accessible, free of charge. To enjoy a safe moment, remember to wear a helmet and not to practice alone.

L'écurie des Dunes is first and foremost an equestrian centre approved by the French Riding Federation. You can take lessons there all year round or follow riding courses during the holidays, or register your children for pony club courses. But l'écurie des Dunes is also a well placed centre on the road to l'Espiguette, surrounded by campsites and holiday centres. So why, during your holidays, don't you take the opportunity to visit the écurie des Dunes and discover a typical equestrian centre of the region.

Come on, sailors! For a few hours, you'll be able to live your sailing dream. Departing from Port-Camargue, you'll be able to take part in sea outings lasting from a few hours to a full day. In summer, you can watch the sunset from the boat's deck. Climb aboard a maxi-catamaran with Alain the skipper, take part in the maneuvers on board, enjoy a sailboat cruise, and experience intense sensations on the waves of the big blue. With family or friends, you'll have a fabulous time leaving from Le Grau-du-Roi.

The 3 hectares are designed to offer paintball enthusiasts an exceptional experience, but that's not all! Don't miss the hilarious experience of bubble-football, considered to be one of the most entertaining activities, unless you'd prefer to try Xtrem l'Archery, a game whose rules are inspired by dodgeball. Using foam bows and arrows, the aim is to hit the opposing camp on a well-defined terrain, including targets and players to be delivered! These games are real memory machines! Memorable!

A leisure activity that's all about nature! Perfect for families, the all-terrain scooter offers a unique way to discover the mountains. You'll set off above the resort of Peyragudes, climbing 600 meters. Once up there, you'll find a variety of itineraries of varying degrees of difficulty, before embarking on a spectacular 10-kilometer descent to Loudenvielle. In between seasons, it's not uncommon to spot hinds and deer roaming the forest.

Laurent is a member of the Office des Moniteurs du Languedoc, an association of four qualified outdoor sports professionals. He offers a full range of activities, including climbing the Pic-Saint-Loup, via ferrata in the Cévennes and abseiling, as well as canyoning, notably in the Caroux massif and in the Diable canyon: an opportunity to discover exceptional sites from a different angle, far from the hustle and bustle of tourism.

The Association Aéronautique La LLagonne is an association under the French law of 1901, run entirely by volunteers - the only salaried employee is the chief pilot during the two summer months - who are passionate about gliding. They are the ones who run the aeronautical club and the glider piloting school in the mountains on the airfield. A legendary club throughout France, because this region is sublime from above. Introductory flights take place in summer, and all the info is on the website.