Leucate-Plage

Leucate-Plage is the beach district of Leucate in the Aude, Occitanie, a broad strip of sand just south of Cap Leucate, about 30 km from both Narbonne and Perpignan. It suits families on calm days, windsurfers and kitesurfers when the tramontane blows, and walkers who want to combine a swim with a clifftop path.

La Franqui, Port-Leucate and the other districts

The commune stretches between the Mediterranean and the Étang de Leucate lagoon. It is divided into La Franqui, Leucate village, Leucate-Plage, the naturist villages and Port-Leucate, all linked by a seasonal shuttle bus. Leucate-Plage lies below the cape, with holiday apartments, shops and restaurants along its seafront, and its sand runs south toward Port-Leucate, about 5 km away.

Cap Leucate and the Sentier du Guetteur

A lighthouse stands on the cape above the beach; it was lit in 1951 and cannot be visited. On clear days the view reaches from the Spanish border to the Camargue. The Sentier du Guetteur, a waymarked cliff path, starts from the car park at the foot of the lighthouse, reached by the road up to the Cap Leucate restaurant. Follow the yellow markings along the cliff edge, past wild coves of clear water and scrubland, to the steps down to La Franqui; the round trip takes about two and a half hours. In strong tramontane wind keep well back from the edge, and in summer carry water, a cap and good shoes. The plateau behind the cape is a protected Natura 2000 area.

Learning on the lagoon and the offshore wind risk

The tramontane, a strong land wind, makes the sea and the lagoon popular for windsurfing and kitesurfing; beginners usually learn on the lagoon, where the water is flat and shallow. The same offshore wind can carry inflatables out to sea, so keep them on the sand on windy days.