The best gravel rides around Port-La-Nouvelle

Impressive fortress from the end of the 15th century, when all of Catalonia still belonged to Spain. Here, 1500 people could withstand sieges lasting weeks; everything needed to survive longer sieges was within the fortress.

A very scenic route between the waters, which is better avoided in rain or on wet ground.

At the end of the island of Saint-Martin, on the edge of the Ayrolle pond, a few huts grouped around a small harbor form a surprising fishing village. Far from the hustle and bustle of the tourist coast, the place has retained a vocation directly linked to the pond: Gruissan fishermen still practice traditional fishing there and sell part of their catch directly.

On the edge of the Ayrolle pond, a few huts grouped around a small harbor form an astonishing fishing village. Far from the hustle and bustle of the tourist coast, the place has retained a vocation directly linked to the pond: fishermen from Gruissan still practice traditional fishing there and sell part of their catch directly.

The Salins de Saint-Martin are a remarkable example of a landscape shaped by salt exploitation. Salt marshes have been attested in Gruissan since the Middle Ages, but the current facilities were established at the beginning of the 20th century: the Société des salins de l’île Saint-Martin was created in 1911-1912. For several decades, the salt activity supported many families from Gruissan.

Dominating the old village, the Tour Barberousse is the main vestige of the former fortified castle of Gruissan. A first fortification is attested as early as 1084, but the current tower belongs to the development of the castle in the 13th century: a document from 1247 mentions the construction of a tower near the entrance, which would be the one preserved today. The name "Barberousse" is, however, more recent and its origin remains uncertain. One should not see in it the trace of a passage of the famous Ottoman corsair Khayr ad-Dîn Barberousse, who died in 1546, long after the construction of the tower. The Heritage Inventory rather suggests a possible confusion with Gaspard Dot, known as "Barbe Roussette" or "Barberousse", a corsair active in the Gulf of Lion at the end of the 16th century.

Here, we reach the spot where the Canal Sainte-Marie flows into the Gruissan pond. The waters of the canal then mix with those of the lagoon, which have a higher salinity due to the exchange with the sea. On the other side of the pond, the Barberousse Tower reveals itself on its limestone promontory. Built between 1245 and 1247 by the Archbishop of Narbonne, Guillaume de Broa, this tower is the main remnant of the medieval castle that guarded the maritime access to the Narbonne area.

From this narrow strip of land, the lagoon landscape of Gruissan reads almost like a succession of parallel bands: the wetlands and secondary ponds to the south, the path, the Sainte-Marie canal, then the Gruissan pond to the north. The Sainte-Marie canal bears witness to the former hydraulic development of the coastal plain. Integrated into a network of canals intended to manage its waters, it notably participated in the draining of the former salt pond. Today, it contributes to the freshwater supply of the Gruissan pond and thus participates in the salinity variations of the lagoon. Beyond the pond, the reliefs of Gruissan and the Barberousse Tower stand out on the horizon.