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Pointe Des Onglous Lighthouse and Port Canal Du Midi

PK (Point Kilométrique): 241.205

Year of Construction:

Bike path side: south side to reach the lighthouse

The Canal Du Midi flows into the Bassin de Thau at this point.  You can cycle to the lighthouse as well, but after that you will have to turn around and go back to Marseillan Plage and cycle from there onwards to Sete.  Also, there is a man right before the little port here that does not like bicycles!  He might yell at you if you have the same misfortune as me.  Maybe if you cycle slower things might work out better for you.  Me, I was focused on taking pictures and was in a hurry to get done!

Back in the day before steam engines were invented, the canal barges had to either be rowed across this inland sea or use sails.  To row across, two small boats would be tied to the barge and the rowers would be in the small boats.  This would take up to 6 hours to reach Sete.  Sailing was an option as well, but dangerous because the canal barges had flat bottoms and therefore not really made to be supporting tall sails.

Starting in 1832, the Compagnie du Canal du Midi starting using steam ships to pull canal barges across to Sete.  Now it only took 1 hour to traverse the Bassin de Thau.

The horses that were used to pull the canal barges up to this point were walked along the beach to Sete by a family member or employee of the barge captian.  In Sete these horses would rejoin the barge again.

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