7 reasons you need to be cruising France’s Canal du Midi right now

The south of France doesn’t need much in the way of introduction. It’s a world-famous combination of destination and direction, forever synonymous with dreamy Provencal lavender fields, chateaux-dotted hillsides and seaside towns straight from an F Scott Fitzgerald novel.
But there is a way of exploring this impossibly romantic region that doesn’t occur to most travellers: a week-long cruise down the Canal du Midi.For those that haven’t heard of it. The Canal is a waterway constructed by Louis XIV to connect the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean, something both the Romans and Leonardo da Vinci considered but wrote off as too hard. Technically it runs from Toulouse all the way to Etang de Thau on the coast, passing through some of the most beautiful scenery in France.

So here’s why you should consider the Canal du Midi in your future French daydreams. Bon appetite.

1. Flexibility and freedom

One of the major advantages in slowly cruising your way down the Canal is that each day can pretty much be as you like it. Fancy mooring by a daffodil-covered bank and going for a stroll? Go ahead. Want to sit out on deck with a good book and a glass of Sav Blanc? No problem. Craving the freshest boulangerie fare? The boat will be waiting when you get back.