Hérault, Gorges du diable (Saint Guilhem le Désert - Pont du diable)
Kayak spot · France
Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
Not for grade III paddlers. Suits expert paddlers only, by its grade.
The spot in two facts
- Grade IVat its hardest
- Moving waterthe water
Full forecast
every day, every number
Not for grade III paddlers. Suits expert paddlers only, by its grade. See it for expert paddlers.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
Hérault, Gorges du diable (Saint Guilhem le Désert - Pont du diable) on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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More kayaking near here
1 place
- Brèze, Gourgas - Soubès 15.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Hérault, Gorges du diable (Saint Guilhem le Désert - Pont du diable)
A river section on the Hérault, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade III to IV, on the international scale. Suits expert paddlers only, by its grade. 2 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 1.5 km away. The town to stay in is Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert.
- River Hérault
- Grade Grade III to IV, on the international scale.
- Who it suits Suits expert paddlers only, by its grade.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire 2 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 1.5 km away.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,370–US$2,570 each
about US$1,370–US$2,570 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to MPL, estimated from distance and season, changing at CDG, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$489–US$1,010 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$87–US$141 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$328–US$543 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$315–US$583 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$154–US$288 |
| Total | about US$1,370–US$2,570 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
3 min by car · 5 places to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$121 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 17h 50m
About 17h 50m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → MPL, changing at Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG), then 1h by road
Flights ORD → MPL on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert · GetYourGuide
River level
River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go.
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
Canoe Rapido 1.5 km
Canoe 3.0 km
Plage départ Canoes 11 km
Aubanel 18 km
Canoë Le Moulin Aubanel 18 km
The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits