The town of Villeneuve-Lès-Maguelone is located southwest of Montpellier and has a 5.59 miles (9 km) long beach that is particularly preserved and spared from urbanization. Access to this beach is via a footbridge that spans the Canal du Rhône in Sète, whether on foot, by bike, or even by trackless train from May to September. The path leading to the heart of the peninsula ends at Saint-Pierre de Maguelone Cathedral. The Romanesque-style cathedral-fortress hosted popes and bishops during the Middle Ages.