Page 279 - Volcano and Geothermal Tourism

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Figure 17.4 La Grande Conque, Cap d’Agde

Source: Malcolm Cooper
mountainous areas suitable for hiking and skiing 1968 the French government and Agde council
(often without the visitor realizing that they have signed an agreement with SEBLI (Société
a volcanic origin). One exception is the Cap d’Equipement du Biterrois et de son Littoral) to
d’Agde in the Languedoc region of southern design and build, market and finance the
France. Cap d’Agde is one of the largest leisure construction of a major tourist resort at the Cape
ports on the French Mediterranean. Development (Renault, 2001). Work began in 1969 on the
as a tourist resort started in the 1970s when the concept which was inspired by the typical character
only buildings at the Cape were small houses of villages in Languedoc-Roussillon, and paid
typically used for weekends by local people, and particular attention to architectural unity, diversity,
Brescou fort and farm buildings built on the colour harmony and alternating busy and quiet
remains of volcanoes dating from around 700,000 areas. The resort gradually grew around the marina,
years ago (Renault, 2001). The cliffs of the Cape international golf course, aquarium, casino and
and the cove of La Grande Conque with its black shopping malls, but also includes a thriving naturist
sand beach are the results of a series of submarine village. The naturist village is entirely autonomous
volcanic eruptions that occurred at the southern and offers a wide range of services and facilities:
end of the Auvergne volcanic chain (Figure 17.4) marina, restaurants, boutiques and shopping
at this time. The resulting coast of black rocks is a centres, banks and medical services. Today, Agde
unique site in the Languedoc-Roussillon, and for ranks as the number one French tourist resort in
tourism purposes has been developed as a ‘sentier terms of the number of people it can accommodate
des falaises’ (cliff path), but also as an underwater at any one time, around 175,000.
trail close to the shoreline. Other former volcanic areas exist in
In fact the Cap d’Agde is the seaside resort of Metropolitan France, in Armorica and Brittany, in
the town of Agde on the Hérault River, which the Pyrenees-Languedoc bordering Spain and the
started life as a 5th century BCE Greek colony Mediterranean, in Corsica and in isolated areas of
settled by Phocaeans from Massilia. The symbol of the east and north of the country (Alpes-Jura)
the city, the bronze Ephebe of Agde (4th century where there are areas of granites and other
BCE) was recovered from the Hérault river bed. metamorphic rocks that had their origins in
Agde is also known for the distinctive black volcanism in extremely ancient times (Bril, 1998).
volcanic basalt used in the local architecture, for In most cases these are no longer easily identifiable
example, in the Cathedral of Saint Stephen, built as volcanoes by tourists, who tend to use them for
in the 12th century, and in the surviving Greek their mountainous or hilly nature in hiking, river
and Roman remains. rafting, skiing and similar outdoor pursuits, or as a
With respect to tourism, however, it is not the source of spring water, rather than for their
volcanism that attracts tourists to Cap d’Agde but geothermal origins. As was seen in Table 17.2, the
the beaches, in particular the naturist enclave. In ages of many of these volcanic areas are in the

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