In Cap d'Agde, Grande Conque beach is closed until further notice

An order closes access until May 31. It will undoubtedly be extended. FREE MIDI – OLIVIER RAYNAUD

Risks of landslides at the cliffs of this volcanic beach have forced the municipality to close the site until May 31. A decree which will undoubtedly be extended, because security work must be carried out.

This is THE emblematic beach of Cap d’Agde par excellence. An idyllic postcard for tourists on the go, Grande Conque beach, with the Deux Frères rocks on the horizon and its black sand, is particularly popular when the sunny days arrive. A volcanic cove dug by the sea, a vestige of the chain of the last volcanoes of Auvergne which fell silent 750,000 years ago, sheltered by the Tramontane and “spot” popular with divers, who take advantage of the rocky bottoms to find fish and shellfish.

Dangerous passages on the side of the cliffs

But for some time now, a strange ballet has been intriguing on the Conque side, where bathers use the sides of the cliffs to descend onto the sand. Which is dangerous and prohibited, of course. Why are they taking this alternative route? Quite simply because the staircase dug into the cliff which provides access to the beach is currently closed. A municipal decree posted prominently stipulates this, specifying that risks of landslides at the cliffs made it necessary to make this decision, which follows a diagnosis carried out last February by the Geological and Mining Research Bureau. Who concluded that the cliffs must be purged as quickly as possible to avoid any risk of accident.

The response from Bâtiments de France expected

As it stands, nothing too complicated. While this decree runs until May 31, we are also confirmed at the town hall "that this work will be relatively quick." Yes but here it is, the City does not yet have authorization to do them, because it is waiting for a response, a recommendation from the State services , the architect of the Bâtiments de France in this case.

Les Bâtiments de France en bord de mer ? Yes, because we are here on an exceptional natural site where each intervention is weighed with all the usual precautions. Which guarantees on the one hand the sustainability of the place, but at the same time constitutes an administrative pitfall when you have to move quickly. In any case, the beach could well be closed to the public for a good part of the month of June. And going down there despite everything will involve the responsibility of those who take the side roads.

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