La Tortue is owned and operated by the lovely English couple Peter and Sally Shaw and is available for charter parties of up to six people or individual cabin bookings on selected weeks. It is a very popular traditional Dutch barge, built in 1895, but now fully equipped with very pleasant and modern facilities.
La Tortue offers a wide range of cruise themes in addition to the favorite classic' cruise from specialist wine tours to golf tours from culinary cruises to family holidays.
Salon: Saloon/dining area with dining table for 6, two sofas and large picture windows.
Deck: Teak sundeck with chairs, dining table for alfresco dining, and awning for shade. 4 sun loungers, bench and 2 armchairs.
Cruising on board La Tortue, guests enjoy classic style, welcoming atmosphere and comfort of the barge with
attention to details: flowers, furnishing touches with excellent quality fabrics for sofa covers, plush curtains and tablecloth linens, large mirrors and professionally framed pictures.
La Tortue offering her guests 3 gorgeous staterooms. They are reasonably sized and pleasantly ‘boaty’ in feel. Curtain and cushion fabrics are very carefully chosen, perfectly coordinated and are of a very high quality, as are the bed linens and pillows, thus contributing to the feeling of pampering that one is seeking on this barge.
In staterooms 1 & 2 there are two twin beds, measuring 2ft 8ins x 6ft 4ins, and these can be made up as a double bed on guests request.. Stateroom 3 has a fixed double bed measuring 5ft x 6ft 4ins. Each stateroom has a hairdryer.
There is ample hanging space and shelves for all your clothes and belongings, as well as storage for luggage elsewhere on the barge, so that your rooms don't get cluttered.
Salon & Dining Room:
The delightful saloon - finished in hand rubbed teak - is equipped with big windows, two large comfortable sofas, a refined dining area, well-stocked drinks cabinet, CD player, books and games, and imparts a warm and inviting atmosphere.
On Deck:
In addition to the very comfortable interior, LaTortue boasts a large mahogany sun deck, which affords uninterrupted views all round. There are teak tables and chairs with comfortable cushions, recliners, a teak bench, planters full of colorful flowers and herbs, and an attractive canopy that gives shade when needed.
Off Boat:
Air-conditioned voyager seating 6 is provided by La Tortue for transfers and shore excursions. To expend the enjoyment, La Tortue is also offering to her guests 6 off road bicycles with gears.
Gliding along the canal du Midi, La Tortue will take you through some of the most beautiful countryside in France. Lazing on the sundeck you will take in the dappled shade of the towpath lined with 300 years old Plane trees, the medieval villages that have barely changed over the centuries and the unusual elliptical locks. Each bend in the canal captures a different scene from an Impressionist painting; a garden bursting with Oleander, Bougainvillea and Citrus trees; a lockkeeper's cottage; a family fishing on the canal bank; an aqueduct....
Each successive day finds you cruising a fresh section of the canal with a different mooring for lunch and evening. La Tortue takes you along the prettiest section of the canal between Beziers and Carcassonne.
Highlights:
Cruise off through the Malpas Tunnel, the oldest canal tunnel in the world, to the tranquil mooring of Regismont Haut with pretty bridge, historic buildings and an array of British warship cannons.
Visit the Oppidum d'Enserune a pre-Roman hillside site occupied from 600 BC to 100 AD, discovered by archaeologists at the beginning of this century.
Short cruise to the quaint village of Le Somail.
Visiting Paraza, a picturesque hillside village overlooking the canal, commanded by a magnificent chateau.
Exploring Narbonne, the ancient capital of Roman Gaul.
Visit to Minerve, an ancient village that stands on a rocky outcrop formed by the valleys of two rivers: the Cesse and the Brian.
Peter and Sally Shaw are the experienced British owners of La Tortue. Together with your pilot and hostess they will ensure that your every need is catered for. With discreet service and attention to detail your crew will make your cruise as relaxing and carefree a vacation as you could imagine.
Peter, your captain, is also the chef with many years of experience cooking in France and Switzerland. He will guide you through this gastronomic experience with his wide knowledge of food and wine and 'infamous' cheese stories. Your menus will include the finest local and regional produce and feature many dishes from Peter's cookery book 'Below the Waterline'.
Your Cruise Includes: Six nights aboard La Tortue with all meals; all beverages; visits; pickup and transfer to La Tortue from a designated point in Beziers or Carcassonne at approx. 4pm on Saturday; transfer from La Tortue at approx. 10am on Friday morning to a pre-arranged choice of airport, railway station or car rental agency in Beziers, Carcassonne or at a major town nearby.
