Lydia, Beached passenger ship in Le Barcarès, France

The Lydia is a mixed passenger ship built in 1931 by Burmeister & Wain in Copenhagen, originally named Moonta. Its black hull is pierced by a row of portholes, and a white superstructure carries the name LYDIA on a rectangular panel; a white funnel with a blue and yellow diamond emblem stands aft. Beached in 1967, it now serves as a museum.

The vessel was built in 1931 at a shipyard and originally operated under a different name for an Australian shipping company. It was renamed Lydia in 1955, and years later was deliberately beached and permanently anchored as a cultural landmark.

The ship's original name, Moonta, came from a South Australian town; its 1970s discotheque was renamed Moonta in that memory. Johnny Hallyday played at its foot on 9 August 1969, and the recording was released in 2020 as Johnny Live Port Barcarès 1969. The first Sunday of August brings a fireworks anniversary.

Visitors reach the ship on foot from the beach using a walkway entrance, and can explore all decks independently at their own pace. Wear sturdy shoes as interior stairs are steep in places, so allow time for a thorough visit.

The ship's original name, Moonta, came from a South Australian town; it was renamed Lydia in 1955 after the ancient Greek province of Lydia in Asia Minor. A nightclub later reopened aboard under the name Moonta, reviving the first name. The white funnel carries a blue and yellow diamond emblem.