Lamalou-les-Bains, just 15 km from La Bergerie du Mas Delon, is the closest thermal spa town to Lake Salagou. A handsome Belle Époque resort famed for its healing waters, it pairs beautifully with a countryside stay at the Salagou. Avène, 40 km away, is world-famous for its dermatological waters.
Nestled in the Orb valley, Lamalou-les-Bains has been a renowned thermal resort since the 19th century. Its sodium bicarbonate waters have a particular reputation for treating neurological and rheumatological conditions. Alphonse Daudet, André Gide and Sarah Bernhardt all stayed here.
Beyond the medical cures, Lamalou offers a lovely setting with its Belle Époque casino, its Italian-style theatre and its charming hotels. Several establishments open their treatments to non-medical visitors for wellness days or relaxing weekends.
📷 Fagairolles 34 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Between lake, gorges and mountains, Hérault offers an exceptional setting for recharging.
Fifteen springs feed Lamalou, a spa town recognised as early as the 17th century. The resort specialises in neurological conditions (stroke after-effects, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis) and rheumatology. The 3-week cures are prescribed and reimbursed under the French health system. One-day wellness treatments are also available.
The town has kept its Belle Époque charm, with its casino, its Italian-style theatre (regular concerts), its cure hotels and its shaded parks. Well worth a visit in its own right, quite apart from the baths — perfect for a stroll and lunch at one of the resort's restaurants.
40 km away in the Orb gorges, Avène is known throughout the world for its silica-rich thermal waters, the basis of the Eau Thermale Avène skincare range. The first thermal establishment was built here in 1743 near the Sainte-Odile spring, and the resort has been entirely devoted to dermatology ever since: atopic dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, hives, burns and scarring disorders. The baths are open from April to the end of October.
On the shore of the Thau lagoon, Balaruc-les-Bains draws on the hottest, most mineral-rich waters in Mediterranean Languedoc. Rich in sodium chloride, calcium and magnesium, they are indicated for rheumatology and phlebology: better joint mobility, reduced swelling, relief for heavy legs and night cramps.
The resort is famous for its peloid, a thermal mud prepared from silty-sandy sediment drawn from the Thau basin and matured in contact with the thermal water. Renewed regularly, a cure here extends its benefits throughout the year.
State-approved thermal cures last 21 days, including 18 days of treatments, at all three resorts. It's a long stay — and many cure-takers choose to spend it in a gîte rather than a hotel: more space, a kitchen, and room for family to visit at the weekend.
Lamalou is also a starting point for hikes in the Haut-Languedoc Regional Nature Park. The Hérépians trail, the Orb gorges and the medieval village of Roquebrun (20 km away) are all easy trips from the resort.
From La Bergerie du Mas Delon, it's easy to combine swimming in Lake Salagou with thermal treatments at Lamalou. An ideal rhythm: treatments in the morning, red-sand beach by the lake in the afternoon, quiet evening at the gîte.
Between Lamalou and Avène, the village of Saint-Gervais-sur-Mare is a pleasant stop in the Mare valley. A river, a village inn and a gateway to the Haut-Languedoc Park and the Montagne Noire. 25 km from the gîtes.
Lamalou-les-Bains is 15 km from La Bergerie du Mas Delon, about a 20-minute drive. It's the most accessible spa town from Lake Salagou, with day treatments available without a full medical cure.
Yes, the Lamalou baths offer wellness packages that don't require a medical prescription. Check directly with the baths for availability during your stay.
Avène is about 40 km from La Bergerie du Mas Delon, in the Orb gorges. The resort is renowned for its dermatological thermal waters, the basis of the Eau Thermale Avène range. The peaceful setting of the gorges makes it worth the trip in itself.
A stay at Lake Salagou with a side trip to Lamalou: water in all its forms — the red lake, thermal treatments and the Orb gorges, 15 km from your gîte.
