In recent years, I have had the privilege and the good fortune to follow and accompany the journey of several exceptional pilgrims who have followed my own course reported on this site. This experience has allowed me to accumulate new information and update the old ones, which, I hope, will continue to be useful to future pilgrims.
The most important update is the section that in 2014 created more difficulties for the daily search for accommodation: the segment from Arles to Carcassonne. In these years, fortunately, things have changed and continue to change: new structures dedicated to pilgrims with credential have been opened and others are being set up.
In addition, you can now choose from several possible routes, starting from Arles. In particular, the directions for Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer of which I had spoken here in an old post remain valid, or the itinerary to Saint-Gilles, Aigues mortes and Palavas-les-flots along the canal linking the Rhone to Sète, which I had followed in 2014, but there is Another chance. The work for the extension of the GR 78 towards the sea is proceeding with the creation of the GR 781, currently being discussed. Here I propose the GPS tracks freely downloadable of what will be the probable tracing of the GR: Remember, however, that still the signage on the ground was not put.
The route continues from Saint-Gilles to Montpellier, then down to Balaruc-le-Vieux, where there is a bifurcation: either continue towards Sète and the sea, as I did in 2014, or continue inland, following the path of the Roman road to Béziers.
Along the new route, there are new accommodation dedicated to pilgrims with the credential, which you can find by clicking here. Other accommodation options are listed on the website: HTTP://WWW.CHEMINS-COMPOSTELLE.COM/HEBERGEUR/VOIE/8.
Below, however, you find the GPS tracks of the new stages to Carcassonne.
1. Montpellier – Gigean
Max elevation: 92 m
Min elevation: 15 m
1a. Montpellier – Gigean (variante asfalto)
Max elevation: 54 m
Min elevation: 15 m
2. Gigean – Sète
Max elevation: 225 m
Min elevation: 1 m
2a. Balaruc-le-Vieux – Saint-Thibéry
Max elevation: 69 m
Min elevation: 1 m
3. Saint-Thibéry – Béziers
Max elevation: 59 m
Min elevation: 5 m
(La tappa Béziers – Capestang è invariata rispetto alla vecchia traccia, che trovate qui)
5. Capestang – Bize Minervois
Max elevation: 197 m
Min elevation: 26 m
6. Bize Minervois – Rieux Minervois
Max elevation: 202 m
Min elevation: 45 m
7. Rieux Minervois – Carcassonne
Max elevation: 195 m
Min elevation: 73 m
