Gruissan, a superb port village in the Aude department, has been hosting the Défi Wind for 20 years. But beyond this not-to-be-missed event on the kitesurfing, windsurfing and wingfoiling calendar, Gruissan offers the perfect natural setting for a wide range of sporting activities, as We Rock Sport was able to find out first-hand.
There are very few competitions where amateurs and professionals can compete together on the same spot. But that's what Gruissan with its famous Wind Challenge, a major windsurfing competition held this year during the second week of May. We were on hand this year to admire the thousands of windsurfers, wingfoilers and kitesurfers competing in this 22nd edition. Although the wind played hide-and-seek with the organizers, it was the wingfoilers who had the best of it, before two unofficial funny races pitted 1,500 pro and amateur windsurfers against each other (a record). Participants were also able to take advantage of all that Gruissan has to offer, far from being limited to water sports.
Where are we?
Gruissan is located in the Aude department of the Occitanie region. This seaside resort on the Golf du Lion lies some fifteen kilometers southeast of the town of Narbonne, between the Massif de la Clape and the Mediterranean Sea. The nearest train station is in Narbonne (with regular bus services to Gruissan). The airports of Béziers, Carcassonne and Perpignan are all less than 100 km from Gruissan. This ancient fishing village is built in a circulade around its 1000-year-old castle, of which only a tower remains, and which can be reached via a path leading to a platform some 35 meters above sea level. It's a great way to warm up and get a 360° view, before heading off for a run on the trails of the Massif de la Clape.
Where do we run?
Members of the Gruissan Sports Événements (GSE) club were on hand to help us discover the trails used in the Gruissan Poli Trail. Taking place this year on December 7 and 8, the race offers a range of formats, from 12 km (250 D+) to 50 km (1800 D+). Most of the routes are laid out in the Massif de la Clape. Meaning "heap of pebbles" in Occitan, La Clape lives up to its name, offering a challenging and challenging playground. This Natura 2000 site combines vineyards, garrigue plateau, wooded valleys, pechs and combes. Singles abound in this 15,000-hectare limestone massif, and are always very playful. Some passages are quite technical, to the point of requiring ropes on some very steep sections. The area is also ideal for rock climbing, with 300 listed routes in the Gruissan area.
And unlike the coast, where the wind regularly blows through the region, it is much less prevalent in the Massif de la Clape, where the relief and vegetation shelter us from the tramontane. Six hiking itineraries referenced by the tourist office (with downloadable GPX tracks) can already help you appreciate the beauty of the area. Make sure you check beforehand that the Clape massif is open. As it is particularly sensitive to fires, it is closed during the summer months (in 2023, the massif was closed from July 15 to September 15).
Where do we drive?
Wind being the cyclist's enemy, you'll need a certain amount of experience to venture out on a long road bike outing in the region. So be sure to check the forecast and return with the wind at your back. But the Tour de France will be passing through this summer, on a 187 km stage from Gruissan to Nîmes. On the gravel side, Gruissan is committed to the discipline, hosting a stage of the GravelMan Series and being the main partner of the Gruissan Groove Gravel team (see below), whose athletes Axelle Dubau-Prévot and Hugo Drechou we recently interviewed..
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For mountain biking, Gruissan offers six circuits ranging from 10 to 31 km. GPS tracks can be downloaded at tourist office website. All in all, 110 km of rather easy trails, and we'd advise you to take a guide to find the most challenging singles in the Clape massif, as we did with Hugo Blanquier from Languedoc VTT Evasion. Riding an electric mountain bike that day, you'll enjoy speeding along the winding trails of La Clape, before easing off on the climb up to the plateaux and taking in the superb panoramic views from the Vigie.
On the whole, you don't need to bring a big enduro to enjoy the local singles (their difficulty remains reasonable). A full-suspension cross-country bike will do the trick just fine, allowing you to ride longer than you would on a big mountain bike (unless it's electric, of course).
For those who prefer more leisurely strolls, the electric scooter option (via the company Trottup) allows you to discover the area in a different way, passing easily by the Gruissan salt marsh (whose color can sometimes turn fluorescent pink depending on the wind and the season, and is reminiscent of the plumage of the pink flamingos you see there), the Gruissan and Grazel lakes, vineyards and limestone massifs. The 3.5 kg machine, equipped with front suspension, can negotiate most paths and is easy to steer. You can then concentrate on following the indications of the guide (who accompanies you with his electric scooter) and admire the wild and diverse environment surrounding Gruissan.
And at sea?
As the Défi Wind proves, Gruissan offers perfect spots for kitesurfing, windsurfing and wingfoiling. Wind is omnipresent in the Aude and Gruissan confirms this characteristic. Here, it blows hard and for a good part of the year. The large expanses of beach mean that there are no crowds around any one spot. For beginners, it's possible to take advantage of less difficult conditions than at sea by heading for the Etang de Mateille, where the company Akila Gruissan offers introductions to a wide range of activities (Wingfoil, windsurf, stand-up paddle, optimist, sea kayak, canoe kayak). We were able to try out windsurfing on site and appreciate the absence of waves, the shallow depths and the slightly lighter wind than on board. Perfect conditions for getting to grips with this discipline.
For the more experienced, head for the Pôle Mer at the entrance to the famous Plage des Chalets. Here you can admire the 1,330 houses built on stilts, made famous by the film "37°2 le matin". The beach, which stretches for almost 1.8 km, is considered one of the most beautiful in the Aude. Generally speaking, Gruissan's five beaches (four of which are supervised) offer an ideal playground for enjoying the Tramontane wind. In fact, it was here that Frédéric Houdier covered 837 km in a single windsurfing session in 2020. The 51-year-old Frenchman spent 24 hours in the water between Gruissan and Port-La-Nouvelle to set this record.
Where do we eat?
With the sea, ponds and vineyards surrounding Gruissan, the area is also renowned for its gastronomy. Taste the Muscat de Gruissan, season your dishes with saffron from the Ile Saint-Martin and follow the "Mon restaurant favorise la pêche locale" label to enjoy wolffish, mullet, sea bream, bearded bass and other eels caught throughout the seasons. When it comes to restaurants, there are many to choose from, but we recommend "La Perle Gruissanaise" for its seafood, "Le Grand Soleil" (with a view from its terrace of the start of the Wind Challenge), "La Petite Brasserie" (located in the heart of Gruissan and offering generous, traditional cuisine) or "Les Chalets" (more sophisticated cuisine).
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Where do we sleep?
Gites, B&Bs, campsites, hotels... Gruissan is obviously well endowed with accommodation as a seaside resort. But for an original, timeless experience, we advise you to opt for the Islands of Gruissan. These 35 LodgeBoats are moored to a triangle-shaped pontoon in the port of Gruissan. Each equipped with a shower room, kitchenette and separate toilet, these little floating homes offer the ultimate in peace and quiet, lounging on the terrace facing the open sea and the Chalets beach. Just the thing to recuperate after cycling, walking or boating through the beauties of the area.
