BIENVENUE

LA FRANQUI
Perle Marine

La Franqui, see left side of the photo, is a little holyday village close to Leacate Narbonne near Narbonne. It is a typical south french familie village with about 5 shops, 3 restaurants, a bar, many appartments and a hotel. It has a 12 km long, 800 mtr wide solid (salt, clay en sand) plain with a 60 meter wide sandy beach to the waterline. After a rain-shower the plain is smoother then ice. The plain has super flat parts, seperated by some green saltwater plants or sometimes, after the rain, 1-2 cm of water. At the end of the 12 km plain is Port La Nouvelle. Close to the camping are some bad spots with holes, stones and tire-tracks. The plain with beach is accessible by car & camper, just follow the signs to the RANCH or drive by Camping les Cousoulles and take the 1st right turn several 100 meteres after the water basin on the left side. All on the left side just before you enter La Franqui.
The 12 km long plain is divided in 2 parts by a concrete ditch and also (1997) by high voltage kabels to the pump house for the ditch. On a clear day you can see the Massif du Canigou at 65 km from the beach.
Ever seen a flooded beach at La Franqui ?? Click here.

The winds have names like: The Tramontane, The Marin, The Llevant and the vent d'Espagne. The Tramontana is a strong, very inconstant, wind from the North-West (off the main body off the land). It is associated with good weather because it blows all clouds to the sea. Windrange is between 4-7 Beaufort. The Tramontane's rise is due to an anticyclone over the south west of France and a depression over the Mediterranean. Check the weather chart for a weekend of excellent kiting because:

The Tramontane which awakes during the night
only lasts for today
The Tramontane which awakes during the day
can last for 3,6 or 9 days

Normally, the Mistral blows the same time further up the coast near Almannare. The Marin is a warm and humid summerwind. It is a constant, soft and typical south-east wind blowing from the sea. It is realy a thermal wind which has many different names up along the coast. Down near the Spannish border on the French side it is called the Garbi. The vent d'Espagne signifies storms are on the way. It picks up rapidly and can drop as fast as it arrived. This wind blows from the South blowing side-shore. The Llevante is an east wind.
About 50% of the wind that blows in this region is the Tramontane, and about 90% of the time the wind is above force 4 (this is over the whole year). More than 340 days of wind a year, a nice statistic. The average number of days per month that have wind over force 7 is about 10 days per month !!

Just above Port La Nouvelle and/or below Gruissan there is also a beach. The area has a several km long beach with up to 30 meters of 0.75 cm heigh soft sand dunes at the water line followed by up to 200 meter of soft/hard plain. Unfortunatly it is scattered with wood, car tires and plastic garbage. Better try the beach between Gruissan and Narbonne Plage. And maybe close to Montpellier L'Espiguette , or other check this map with Buggy & kite places in France Les spots (French).

•   Where are the campings:
  
• Camping Les Coussoules almost on the beach but 2 km from La Franqui (80 Fr one night for place + car + tent/caravan + electricity + 2 persons in 1996). No restaurant, no bar, no shop or disco on the camping. Opened from end june to begin september. Follow the signs (Camping / RANCH) just before La Franqui (left side of the road).
• La Franqui, 2 campings, 2 km from the buggy beach.
• Leucate Plage, only appartments with 1 pizzeria, 2 beach bar/restaurants and 3 campings, about 10 km from the buggy beach. The municipal camping is open the whole year.
• Port Leucate, 1 camping, more then 12 km from the buggy beach.
• On the road from la Franqui to Port La Nouveau, 2 campings.
• Port La Nouvelle, 1 camping close to the center of the village, 2 km from the buggy beach, and 1 camping at the buggy beach. This village is at the end of the 12 km plain starting in La Franqui. It has more of everything.

•   Tips:
  
• Nightlife: go Perpignan or Narbonne.
• Supermarket reasonable size in Leucate direction Leucate Plage, look for the rotunda,
• MEGA BIG SUPER market & "every thing" shop (hyper marche) close to Perpignan. Access Perpignan from the north, going south, on the N9. There is also one in Narbonne close to the A9 motorway.
• Taste and buy the top wine's from Jean-Louis LaFage in the village Maury. In the centre of the village across from the Cooperative.
• Visit gran....granddad in Tautavel or chateaux Queribus or Peyrepertuse. Or combine this with your shopping trip to Andorra, the bigest shopping centre in the Pyrenees.
• The wines in Riversaltes.
• The museum for dinosaures, in Esperaza, many are found in Campagne-sur-Aude. Both worth a visit at about 44 km south of Carcassonne.
• The caves of Limousis, north of Carcassonne close to Conques.
• The kite shops that I have seen (15 km) have sometimes 165 cm of 6x4 RCF EXEL. But no 8x6 or 10x8 and certainly NOT in STRONG or ULTRA. They do have low quality carbon. So take your own spares.
• On your visit to Montpellier check "Tete en l'air, 25 Rue du Fbg du Courreau, Montpellier, Tel: 67.92.35.17". It is in the centre of the city, close to the bus station in the Arab quarter. It has what you need. Including buggies.
  Another shop, more specialized in buggies & power kites: "Axel'air, rue St Clair, 34280 Carnon-Ouest,Tel: 67 50 62 60 (close to La Grande Motte/Montpellier)".
• Check Decathlon in Narbonne or Perpignan for a cheap kite. I bought a Parawing 1.8 for 299 francs and a kind of 'firedart' 190 cm (including lines !) for just 100 francs.

•   Links with things to see, visit, eat and/or drink:
  
• Aux Vins de France. French wines.
• Epicuria, vin gastronomie recette cuisine restaurant wine recipe gastronomy tourisme.
• Abbaye de Valmagne. Production de vins du Languedoc en AOC ou vins de pays à partir de differents cépages (Merlot, Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet, Cinsault).
• Guide Hôtelier et touristique. Hôtels, restaurants, hébergement, tourisme, loisirs et artisanat dans le Languedoc-Roussillon.
• Méditerranet, France, Catalogne, Catalunya, Pyrénées, Roussillon Réseau de Vente Méditerranéen dans les domaines du tourisme, des loisirs, des vins et des produits du terroir.
• The city of Narbonne or Montpellier.
• Région Languedoc-Roussillon: CRT
• Centre de documentation archeologique regional. About the old things.
• Languedoc - Roussillon. Something of everything.
• Magazine Vertigo. Something of everything (French and English).

•   Links with the most important tourist information:
  
• Annuaire du tourisme en France, LEUCATE & LA FRANQUI. Aude (11) Languedoc Roussillon.
  OFFICE DE TOURISME ** Espace Culturel - 11370 Port-Leucate. Tél. 04.68.40.91.31.
• Mairie Leucate. Check the festival " MONDIAL DU VENT 99" from 10-4 to 18-4 1999.
  Speedrecord set at 78.8 km/h.