First pick
Lac du Crès
Park or garden
33 ha6.4 km of path
1 h 25 minto walk all 6.4 km of path
2.5 km north-eastfrom the center
Rue Louise Michel
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Jules.petibonnet · CC BY-SA 4.01.2%of the land protected
Outdoors in Castelnau-le-Lez · protected areas, woods and footpaths
Castelnau-le-Lez has more footpaths per km² than 8 in 10 French towns
Footpaths add up to 51 km across Castelnau-le-Lez (4.6 km per km²). 4.5% of Castelnau-le-Lez is mapped woodland. Castelnau-le-Lez has 5 km of waymarked hiking routes. France has no Outdoors Grade yet: these are the figures, each beside the compared towns’ median.
Protected areas
1.2%
of the commune’s land
Compared town: 0.1%
Woodland
4.5%
of the land, mapped on OpenStreetMap
Compared town: 13%
Footpaths
51 km
4.6 km per km²
Compared town: 1.7 km per km²
Hiking routes
4.8 km
waymarked, GR and others
Compared town: 0.3 km per km²
Parks & woods
23
named, in or within 400 m of the commune
First: Lac du Crès
The sea
11 km
from the town center to the coast
Throughout this page, the Hérault median and the France median are the median of compared communes (those with an overall grade), each figure its own median.
Against French towns
How Castelnau-le-Lez compares with French towns
Each figure against the 3,798 compared French towns (communes with an overall grade): the marked bar is the town’s, the line the median. Described, not graded.
Protected areas1.2%Share of the land in a national park, regional nature park, nature reserve or Natura 2000 site
57out of 100
Woodland4.5%Share of the land mapped as forest or woods on OpenStreetMap
21out of 100
Footpaths4.6 km per km²Km of mapped footpath and track open on foot, per km² of the commune
89out of 100
Hiking routes0.4 km per km²Km of waymarked hiking routes (GR and others), per km² of the commune
57out of 100
Percentiles among compared French towns; ties count half.
Towns its size
Castelnau-le-Lez has the 15th most footpaths per km² of 41 towns its size
The 40 compared French towns nearest in population (25,036 to 27,110 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Les Ulis (10.9 km per km²) to Sainte-Suzanne (0.4 km per km²).
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | Coast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Les Ulis Essonne | 10.9 | 13% | 0.2% | 156 km |
| 2 | Villeneuve-la-Garenne Hauts-de-Seine | 9.8 | 4.2% | 0% | 141 km |
| 3 | Vichy Allier | 8.8 | 1.3% | 12% | 290 km |
| 4 | Grigny Essonne | 8.7 | 7.2% | 0% | 170 km |
| 5 | Élancourt Yvelines | 8.2 | 26% | 3.5% | 138 km |
| 6 | Gradignan Gironde | 6.8 | 17% | 0% | 26 km |
| 7 | Sannois Val-d'Oise | 6 | 17% | 0% | 135 km |
| 8 | Armentières Nord | 5.9 | 3.8% | 0% | 50 km |
| 9 | Cenon Gironde | 5.4 | 8.9% | 0% | 18 km |
| 10 | Brunoy Essonne | 5.2 | 18% | 0% | 170 km |
| 11 | Eaubonne Val-d'Oise | 5 | 1.9% | 0% | 134 km |
| 12 | Alençon Orne | 4.8 | 2.3% | 5.5% | 97 km |
| 13 | Lambersart Nord | 4.7 | 3.4% | 0% | 59 km |
| 14 | Lormont Gironde | 4.7 | 12% | 7.4% | 16 km |
| 15 | Castelnau-le-Lez Hérault | 4.6 | 4.5% | 1.2% | 11 km |
| 16 | Miramas Bouches-du-Rhône | 4 | 9.2% | 5.7% | 18 km |
| 17 | Béthune Pas-de-Calais | 4 | 4% | 0% | 60 km |
| 18 | Hénin-Beaumont Pas-de-Calais | 3.8 | 5.6% | 0% | 80 km |
| 19 | La Garde Var | 3.8 | 7.6% | 25% | On it |
| 20 | Biarritz Pyrénées-Atlantiques | 3.5 | 11% | 3.5% | On it |
| 21 | Le Grand-Quevilly Seine-Maritime | 3.4 | 4.9% | 0.1% | 50 km |
| 22 | Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône Val-d'Oise | 3.2 | 7.4% | 0% | 123 km |
| 23 | Vertou Loire-Atlantique | 3.1 | 19% | 0% | 41 km |
| 24 | Sens Yonne | 3.1 | 4.6% | 0% | 249 km |
| 25 | Le Bouscat Gironde | 3 | 1.4% | 0% | 16 km |
| 26 | Brétigny-sur-Orge Essonne | 3 | 9.5% | 0% | 169 km |
| 27 | Aurillac Cantal | 2.7 | 2.9% | 0.2% | 195 km |
| 28 | Vernon Eure | 2.5 | 56% | 3.5% | 90 km |
| 29 | Lunel Hérault | 2.2 | 0.4% | 0.6% | 14 km |
| 30 | Libourne Gironde | 2 | 2.5% | 14% | 30 km |
| 31 | Villeparisis Seine-et-Marne | 1.9 | 13% | 0% | 153 km |
| 32 | Saintes Charente-Maritime | 1.9 | 12% | 9.3% | 26 km |
| 33 | Les Pavillons-sous-Bois Seine-Saint-Denis | 1.9 | 0% | 0% | 151 km |
| 34 | Saumur Maine-et-Loire | 1.5 | 15% | 100% | 133 km |
| 35 | Muret Haute-Garonne | 1.5 | 10% | 3.2% | 150 km |
| 36 | Cavaillon Vaucluse | 1.1 | 3.2% | 100% | 45 km |
| 37 | Étampes Essonne | 1 | 12% | 0% | 172 km |
| 38 | Bergerac Dordogne | 1 | 14% | 1.9% | 86 km |
| 39 | Vierzon Cher | 0.8 | 44% | 0% | 265 km |
| 40 | Sèvremoine Maine-et-Loire | 0.6 | 5.3% | 0% | 70 km |
| 41 | Sainte-Suzanne Réunion | 0.4 | 31% | 49% | On it |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park or wood. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is the commune’s boundary.
Green: parks, gardens and woods mapped on OpenStreetMap, named or not.© OpenStreetMap contributors · INPN / PatriNat · IGN
Places to walk
Parks and woods to walk in, in and around Castelnau-le-Lez
Named parks, gardens and woods in the commune or within 400 m, the biggest and best-pathed first: Lac du Crès leads, at 33 ha. Directions go to a point inside.
Parc public
Park or garden
12 ha2.9 km of path
40 minto walk all 2.9 km of path
1 km northfrom the center
Parcours de Santé
Directionsto a point inside
Domaine de Méric
Park or garden · 20 m outside the commune
10 ha3.6 km of path
50 minto walk all 3.6 km of path
1.6 km south-westfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Parcours de santé Grammont
Park or garden · 170 m outside the commune
11 ha2.4 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.4 km of path
2.6 km south-eastfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Bois de Caylus
Wood or forest
13 ha2 km of path
25 minto walk all 2 km of path
1.5 km northfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Réserve naturelle du Lez
Wood or forest
9.5 ha2.3 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.3 km of path
1.8 km westfrom the center
La Marathonienne
Directionsto a point inside
Grand Parc Laporte
Park or garden
3.2 ha0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
Centralin the middle of Castelnau-le-Lez
Directionsto a point inside
Parc Las Bouzigues
Wood or forest · 90 m outside the commune
4.4 ha1.5 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.5 km of path
2.4 km northfrom the center
Chemin Bernard Monnier
Directionsto a point inside
All 23 named parks, gardens and woods
Lac du CrèsPark or garden · 33 ha · 6.4 km of path
DirectionsParc publicPark or garden · 12 ha · 2.9 km of path
DirectionsDomaine de MéricPark or garden · 10 ha · 3.6 km of path · just outside
DirectionsParcours de santé GrammontPark or garden · 11 ha · 2.4 km of path · just outside
DirectionsBois de CaylusWood or forest · 13 ha · 2 km of path
DirectionsRéserve naturelle du LezWood or forest · 9.5 ha · 2.3 km of path
DirectionsGrand Parc LaportePark or garden · 3.2 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsParc Las BouziguesWood or forest · 4.4 ha · 1.5 km of path · just outside
DirectionsParc RimbaudPark or garden · 2.2 ha · 0.8 km of path · just outside
DirectionsParc Mas du RochetPark or garden · 2.3 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsBois du MiradouPark or garden · 1.8 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsParc MontplaisirPark or garden · 1.4 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsParc des Berges du LezPark or garden · 1.1 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsBois du Château d'EauPark or garden · 1.4 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsParc Frédéric-BazillePark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsParc des PastourellesPark or garden · 1 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside
DirectionsParc Vincent SabléPark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsBois du DevoisPark or garden · 0.9 ha
DirectionsParc forestierWood or forest · 2 ha
DirectionsSquare Alexandre ChambonPark or garden · 0.2 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsParc Jane EvrardPark or garden · 0.6 ha · just outside
DirectionsParc PujolPark or garden · 0.4 ha
DirectionsParc Municipal Jacques RobertPark or garden · 0.4 ha · just outside
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL): named parks, gardens and woods; sizes are the whole site.
Protected areas
1.2% of Castelnau-le-Lez lies in protected areas
The protected areas reaching the commune, and the nearest: national parks, regional nature parks, nature reserves and Natura 2000 sites.
Natura 2000 site
Le Lez
1.2% of the commune1.2 km from the center
Share of the commune’s land
Any protected area1.2%
Natura 2000 site1.2%
Designations overlap (a regional park can hold a Natura 2000 site), so the rows don’t add up; the first counts each piece of land once.
1.2% of Castelnau-le-Lez’s land is protected, more than in 57% of compared French towns; the median compared town in Hérault has 12%.
Source: INPN / PatriNat, protected areas July 2026, Natura 2000 December 2024; shares of IGN’s commune boundary.
Footpaths and woods
Footpaths and woods in Castelnau-le-Lez
Paths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, and waymarked hiking routes, mapped on OpenStreetMap inside the commune; woods are mapped forest and woodland, private woods included.
Footpaths
51 km
4.6 km per km²
Hiking routes
4.8 km
waymarked: 0.4 km per km²
Woodland
4.5%
about 0.5 km² of mapped woods
Km per km² of the commune · mapped on OpenStreetMap
Castelnau-le-LezHérault medianFrance median
Footpaths4.6
Hiking routes0.4
036 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Castelnau-le-LezHérault medianFrance median
Woodland4.5%
0%50%100%
That is more than in 89% of compared French towns for footpaths per km², and for woodland less than in 79% of compared French towns. Hiking routes often follow paths and lanes already counted, so the two lengths overlap: don’t add them. Every home in Castelnau-le-Lez is within 800 m of a mapped park or wood, as in most French towns.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), extracts of October 25, 2026 (Geofabrik).
When to get out
The best walking months in Castelnau-le-Lez: April to June
Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at Prades le Lez, 9.6 km away, and the daylight at the town’s latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 15 to 30 °C and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.3 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°C) | 12 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 24 | 29 | 32 | 31 | 26 | 21 | 16 | 13 |
| Rain (mm) | 79 | 52 | 57 | 75 | 64 | 45 | 23 | 45 | 112 | 128 | 106 | 84 |
July is the driest month (23 mm) and the warmest (highs of 32 °C). 128 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 53 nights a year. Summer highs reach 32 °C, too hot for the outline. The climate in Castelnau-le-Lez →
Neighbors
Next to Castelnau-le-Lez
The nearest towns of 2,500 or more, colored by the share of their land in protected areas.
JacouClapiersLe CrèsSaint-AunèsMontpellierTeyranCastelnau-le-Lez
Under 1%1–10 %10–25 %25–50 %50 %+
| Town | Protected | Woodland | Paths (km/km²) | Coast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castelnau-le-Lez | 1.2% | 4.5% | 4.6 | 11 km |
| Jacou 6,924 · 2.7 km | 0% | 16% | 10.3 | 13 km |
| Clapiers 6,006 · 2.7 km | 3.1% | 42% | 9.8 | 14 km |
| Le Crès 9,226 · 2.9 km | 0% | 9.9% | 5.2 | 12 km |
| Saint-Aunès 4,530 · 4.4 km | 0% | 4.7% | 1 | 10 km |
| Montpellier 310,240 · 4.8 km | 0.6% | 5.5% | 6.3 | 11 km |
| Teyran 4,787 · 5.1 km | 10% | 11% | 3.2 | 15 km |
Teyran has at least twice as much protected land. Clapiers is more wooded.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Protected areas. National-park cores, national parks’ outer areas, regional nature parks, nature reserves and Natura 2000 sites, from INPN. A national park’s core is strictly protected; its outer area and a regional park are charters between communes, not bans. Designations overlap, so the total counts each piece of land once.
- Woodland. Forest and woods as OpenStreetMap maps them, private woods included: woods nobody has mapped are missing, and a mapped wood isn’t necessarily open to walkers.
- Footpaths and hiking routes. Footpaths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, then waymarked hiking routes (GR and others) measured apart. A route often follows a path or lane already counted: the two overlap. Paths nobody has mapped are missing.
- Green space nearby. The share of residents (INSEE’s 200 m grid) within 800 m, as the crow flies, of a mapped park, garden or wood edge. It measures nearness, not a way in. Guadeloupe and French Guiana have no grid: their pages say whether the town center is within 800 m.
- The coast. The straight-line distance from the town center to OpenStreetMap’s coastline, which follows the tide line into estuaries. A commune is on the coast when the coastline crosses its boundary.
- No grade yet. U.S. and UK towns have an Outdoors Grade; French towns don’t yet. Each figure is set beside the median of compared communes (those with an overall grade) in the département and in France, each figure its own median.
Questions about the outdoors in Castelnau-le-Lez
Is Castelnau-le-Lez in a national or regional nature park?
No, but 1.2% of its land is in a nature reserve or a Natura 2000 site.
Are there good walks in Castelnau-le-Lez?
OpenStreetMap maps 51 km of footpaths and tracks open on foot in the commune, 4.6 km per km² (the median compared town: 1.7 km per km²); 5 km of waymarked hiking routes cross it.
How much of Castelnau-le-Lez is woodland?
4.5% of the commune is mapped woodland, private woods included; the median compared French town has 13%.
Is Castelnau-le-Lez near the sea?
No: the coast is 11 km from the town center, as the crow flies.
When is the best time for walking in Castelnau-le-Lez?
April to June: long days, mild highs and little rain, from Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at the nearest suitable station.
Why is there no Outdoors Grade for French towns?
TownRatings grades the outdoors in the U.S. and the UK; the French figures are new and not graded yet. This page sets each one beside the median compared French town instead.
Sources: INPN / PatriNat (protected areas 2026, Natura 2000 2024) · © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL (paths, hiking routes, woods, coast, gardens) · INSEE, Filosofi 2021 200 m grid (residents) · IGN Admin Express (boundaries) · Météo-France normals 1991–2020 · Medians and percentiles: TownRatings, over compared French towns, updated November 9, 2026. Under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab).
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.