Southern France is all about fruitful vineyards, delicious Mediterranean food and idyllic landscapes, and the Languedoc region is no exception. Part of the greater Occitanie region, Languedoc is located directly to the west of Provence and boasts beaches and vibrant city life, wild forests sprinkled with caves and gorges and quaint hilltop villages.
Our local writer, Niamh Michail, guides you to the best places and experiences around: be it horseback riding on the beach, wine tours in historic chateaux or sailing through a unique canal, there’s plenty here to make you fall in love with this region.
Find a ride, hit play on this playlist featuring tunes from Southern France and explore the hidden jewels of this region.
Day 1-2 Montpellier and surrounding areas
Not to miss: the waterfall at Saint-Laurent-le-Minier in Cévennes National Park © jin.3444
One of France’s fastest growing cities, Montpellier perfectly combines nature and city life. For a complete guide on things to do in Montpellier, where to eat and where to stay, make sure to check out our city guide.
Once city life becomes too hectic, get on the road and discover some of the surroundings. Located a three-hour drive from Montpellier, Cévennes National Park has countless of wild swimming spots and pretty mountain villages. The horseshoe-shaped waterfall at Saint-Laurent-le-Minier is definitely worth a visit.
Closer to your base is the natural region of Camargues – one hour on the road driving east and you’ll find yourself surrounded by sprawling beaches, picturesque villages and a flamboyance of pink flamingos. Passing through seaside town Palavas-les-Flots, you’ll arrive at Maguelone Cathedral. Located on a tiny island attached to the mainland by a narrow strip of land, the fortified church dates back to the 11th century and is used today for occasional religious ceremonies and classical music concerts.
Horseback riding on Espiguette Beach
Take a horseback ride on the beach – Abrivado Ranch (Le Grau-du-Roi) offers rides that will take you through fields and dunes before reaching Espiguette Beach, one of the longest and most pristine on the French Mediterranean coast. Here your guides will serve a picnic of local cheese, cured sausage and wine just in time to see the sunset (2.5 hours, €39.00).
No visit to Southern France is complete without a wine tasting. A great way to explore Montpellier’s surroundings is on the Montpellier Wine Tours. Run by the ever-smiling Carine Ageneau, you can choose from a number of themed tasting tours: visit stately homes with their vineyards, stroll through the vineyards at the foothills of the Pic Saint-Loup mountain or give your taste buds a great experience on the oysters and wine tour.
Recommended hotel: Hotel Des Arceaux Montpellier (rates start at €88 [£77] per room, per night)
Day 3-5 Sète, Étang de Thau and Canal du Midi
Climb up Mont Saint Clair and take in this view over Sète
A short 40-minute drive south-west and you’re in Sète, a port and seaside resort surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea on one side and the Étang de Thau salt lake on the other side.
Take a stroll past the sailors’ cemetery where the town’s beloved poet Paul Valéry is buried, up to the Mont Saint Clair viewpoint. It is steep, but you’ll be rewarded with an expansive view of the town and its port. If you’re lucky to be there at just the right time, you’ll see the fishing boats gliding into the small fishing harbour followed by flocks of diving seagulls.
The main canal running through the city centre is lined with bars and restaurants offering fish and seafood delicacies. For an authentic Mediterranean meal try Les Délices de Jade or pop in to any bakery and try a tielle – a local specialty comprising of octopus cooked in olive oil, tomato and red wine and baked in a pastry.
Learn about oyster farming on the Étang de Thau lake
Salt lake Étang de Thau, located between vineyards and natural scrubland, is the perfect place to learn more about what the area is famous for – shellfish, and in particular oysters. There are a number of oyster farms open for visits where you can learn about the farming process.
Summertime is heavy on music festivals catering to all musical and cultural tastes. Whether you want to lounge in a hammock and listen to poetry (Voix Vives), enjoy jazz sessions in the magnificent Théâtre de la Mer, an amphitheatre built onto the cliffs and overlooking the sea (Jazz à Sète), or dance to electro beats all night long underneath the flashing Saint Louis lighthouse (Worldwide), this is the place to do it.
After decadent feasts on delicious seafood, you’re ready to explore the magnificent Canal du Midi, a 240-kilometre long waterway linking Toulouse and Sète. Built by Louis XIV in the 1600s, the canal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site used mainly for tourism and transport of water for irrigation. One way to experience it is by renting a barge (no licence needed) or booking one of the many cruises offered.
Alternatively, you can walk or bicycle along the towpath in the shade of poplar trees. Highlights in close proximity to Sète include the Fonserannes Locks, a technical feat of engineering consisting of eight ovoid lock chambers and nine gates allowing boats to rise 21.5 metres.
Black sand beach La Grande Conque
The waterway passes through Agde, famous for its beaches of black volcanic sand which are unique to the region. La Grande Conque is one such example, a small bay carved into the coast that’s sheltered from the (sometimes relentless) tramontane wind and has a view onto the “Two Brothers” rocks.
On your way back, make a stop in fishing village Marseillan and buy yourself a bottle of Noilly Prat, an aperitif flavoured with a blend of herbs and aged outside, exposed to all elements.
Recommended hotel: The Orque Bleue (rates start at €85 [£94] per room, per night)
Day 6 Lac du Salagou
The distinctive landscape of the Salagou Lake
Take to the road, drive north for one hour, and at the end of your journey, you’ll arrive at Lac du Salagou (Salagou Lake). With its strikingly red earth and pyramid-shaped hills that border the lake and even emerge here and there from the water, this lake is nothing like the white, limestone landscape that is typical of much of the rest of Hérault.
Man-made, the lake was created in 1969 to provide a reservoir of water for local farmers, but today it’s also a water sports hotspot. At Base de Plein Air du Salagou you can rent canoes, paddle boards or speedboats, and even sign up for an individual windsurfing lesson.
The abandoned and semi-submerged village of Celles on the shore is worth exploring, and since there are several paths around the area, it makes for a perfect hiking trail.
Recommended hotel: Les Hauts de Mourèze (rates start at €60 [£52] per room, per night)
Day 7-8 Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert and Pont du Diable
Gellone Abbey – a Benedictine monastery from the 13th century
An hour’s drive away, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is nestled in the heart of the Hérault Gorges and is a major stop for pilgrims making their way to Santiago de Compostella in north-west Spain. The centrepiece of the village is the Gellone Abbey, a 1200-years-old UNESCO World Heritage Site, tucked in the corner of the main square.
Stop off at L’Artisan Glacier (20 Bis Rue Cor de Nostra Dona, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert), an artisanal ice cream parlour where you can taste, among others, chestnut-flavoured ice cream, hibiscus flower sorbet and sheep’s milk ice cream.
Devil’s Bridge: do you dare to jump off?
Rent a kayak and explore the gorge that will take you to the Romanesque Pont du Diable or “Devil’s Bridge”. Built between 1028 and 1031, the bridge is located over the spot where the Hérault River widens, creating a small lake protected from currents. This is the perfect place for a refreshing dip, and if you feel a bit adventurous, join the locals in jumping off the bridge.
Not into kayaking? Visitor centre The Maison du Grand Site runs free shuttle buses between Pont du Diable and Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert during the summer period. En route you’ll also have a chance to explore Grotte de Clamouse, a cave filled with impressive stalactites, stalagmites and stunning aragonite crystals and flowers.
Recommended hotel: Chateau de Valloubiere (rates start at €103 [£108] per room, per night)
Day 9 Departure from Montpellier
The fairy-tale journey in Southern France is unfortunately over, but who says you can’t return anytime soon?
