Étang de Leucate

The Etang de Leucate (also: Etang de Salses, Etang de Salses ou de Leucate, Leucate Etang de Salses ) is a brackish lake in the south of France, between Leucate and Salses- le -Château. Seen Geomorphologically is a lagoon and a lagoon on the coast of the Mediterranean balance between the delta of the Rhône and the Pyrenees waste into the Mediterranean.

The lagoon has an area of ​​approximately 5400 hectares and an average depth of 1.7 meters. In the area of ​​Leucate, the depth is 1 m, in the range Salses 2 m; the deepest natural range is 3.7 m, the deepest dredged area ( in gray, the connectivity to the Mediterranean ) from 3 to 5 m.

Political Geography

The Etang de Leucate is located in the Languedoc -Roussillon and extends over the Pyrenees Orientales region and Aude. The following municipalities surround the lagoon: Fitou, Leucate, Le Barcarès, Saint -Laurent -de- la- Salt marsh, Saint- Hippolyte and Salses -le-Château.

Tourist importance

Due to its location in a very windy region of the Etang de Leucate is one of the most important windsurfing areas in the French Midi. The - facing particularly on the Leucate side - shallow water also offers surfing beginners extensive opportunities to practice, especially as the holiday villages of Port Leucate numerous and (in terms of the usual cost in the South of France ) have affordable accommodation.

Economic Importance

The Etang of Leucate is one of the centers of the southern French oyster and mussel farming, the oyster and mussel farmers operate exclusively within the boundaries Leucate. Situated on the road between Leucate Plage and Port Leucate is situated at a discharge of the Pond to the sea a Centre Ostréicole in which the oysters and mussels are " freshly harvested " sold.