A weekend in Sète with family and friends

There are many things to do and see in Sète, in summer as in winter, with family and friends. The sandy beaches, the blue waves, the historical monuments and the picturesque districts of Sète will give you that holiday atmosphere during your Sète getaways. Much appreciated by artists for its decor, but also by tourists for its seaside side, the charm of Sète is also very popular for film shoots, its traditions and its good southern French cuisine.

A treasure hunt to discover the town of Sète

Very popular with families, the Sète Tourist Office proposes a treasure hunt in the footsteps of the famous pirate Barberoussette, who struck terror in Sète at the end of the 16th century. He has hidden in the town of Sète several pieces of the map that will allow the most deserving to find his riches. This game lets you visit the town centre of Sète in 1h30 and the kids receive a gift at the end at the Tourist Office. Download the game here.

Filming sites of the TV series “Demain Nous Appartient”

Fan of the TF1 series Demain Nous Appartient ?! Every day, 12 directors take turns in the studios set up in the former bottling plant of the Skalli wine company of 8,000 m2 at 9 Quai Paul Riquet, 34200 Sète. Filming also takes place outdoors in many emblematic places in Sète: the Marina, the quays, the Etang de Thau, the cemetery, the Paul Valery high school, or in outdoor sets created specifically for the needs, such as the beach restaurant, The Paillote. The scenes shot in the Delcourt house take place in a private house rented for the occasion. The shared house is located in the Quartier Haut, a few metres from our holiday home Le Pouffre! The Spoon, the bar of the series becomes the official store of the series “Demain Nous Appartient”. Get a map of Sète from the Tourist Office and set off on an adventure! Perhaps you will meet actors from the series ??????

Discover Sète’s Street Art

If you are a fan of Street Art, Sète is a must! Sète hosts the annual “K-Live” festival dedicated to urban arts and music where a real open-air museum is the walls of the town. Among the artists who have left their mark on the walls of Sète, we find in particular Seth, located at Rue Paul-Valéry next to the high school, Ratur & Sckaro, Dr Ponce… The Tourist Office offers a street art route in Sète with the works not to be missed. Download the Street Art map.

Taste Sète’s gastronomy in the central market

Sète’s indoor market, les Halles Centrales welcomes 75 traders in the heart of the town. Its stalls boast fish and seafood products, vegetables and fruits and the specialities brought by the Italians who came to settle in Sète. The Mediterranean restaurant, Les Halles et Manger, in the centre of the market, Magali and her team invite you to discover market cuisine, an innovative fresh cuisine around the plancha of Mediterranean fish such as red mullet, sea bream, sea bream or mackerel and of course sardines (small but tasty) without forgetting the cuttlefish. Les Halles is open every day, even Sunday from 7 am to 3 pm.

Sète’s outdoor markets

As well as the indoor market of Les Halles Centrales, the open-air markets of Sète enliven the town on Wednesdays and Fridays. On Wednesdays, it takes place in the pedestrian heart of the town, mainly on rue Gambetta and Alsace-Lorraine and moves to avenue Victor Hugo on Fridays. These two markets have become essential for locals and visitors, especially in summer when the Wednesday market is accessible by the free river shuttles from the Mas Coulet car park. Other markets are also held in the neighbourhoods on other days.

Visit a fishing trawler

Visit a fishing trawler to discover an exciting profession! The trawler Louis Nocca, accessible from Quai Général Durand, welcomes you, and your children up to 10 years old can visit for free. You enter the bowels of the trawler to discover the impressive engine of the engine room, put yourself at the helm of the ship and become the captain of the trawler for a photo. The trawler is open every day from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm and from 2:30 pm to 6 pm, depending on weather conditions. You can call the skipper on +33 (0)6 10 69 21 36 The ticket office is on site.

Le Mont Saint Clair and les Pierres Blanches

Dominating the Mediterranean at 175 metres in height at sea level, Mont Saint-Clair is an ancient volcano, which gives a silhouette so particular to the town of Sète. From its summit, a magnificent panorama overlooks the canals and its port, the citadel of Richelieu, the lighthouse and the famous marine cemetery where Paul Valery, the French writer, poet and philosopher was buried in 1945. On the other side, the Pierres Blanches national forest with its 27 ha of pine forest offers many hiking trails with extraordinary views of the Mediterranean Sea. From the belvedere and the orientation table, the panoramic view of the lido, which runs between the sea and the lagoon, is breath-taking. You can see the Thau lagoon and its oyster beds. For a complete description and directions, read the article Climb Mont Saint Clair in Sète.

La Pointe Courte, Sète’s fishing district

Fishing is a way of life in Sète. Make a stop at Pointe Courte, the fishing district, far from the town centre and protected from the din of traffic. It is moreover a purely Sétois district where property generally remains in the families. The district carefully preserves its marks of the past with its picturesque alleys and its fishermen’s huts; just look at the names of the streets to get a feel for the atmosphere of this typical district. For a complete description and directions, read the article Visitez la Pointe Courte de Sète.

Discover the Quartier Haut

Our holiday rental Le Pouffre is at the heart of the picturesque “upper district of Sète”. Called “Little Naples” by fishermen who emigrated from the Amalfi Coast at the end of the 19th century, a little air of southern Italy emanates from the region. It is the oldest district of Sète, where the jousters gather. It has become a haunt of artists with charming little workshops everywhere. Expressive, joyful and endearing, it has retained the Sète spirit. Wander its narrow streets from the Marin Cemetery to the Saint Louis mole, visit the Décanale Saint Louis and the Chapelle du Quartier Haut…

L’espace Georges Brassens museum

The Espace Georges Brassens museum is a lively place thanks to new image and sound techniques. Equipped with stereophonic headphones, Georges Brassens leads you on the paths of his life and his work. To end the visit, new films and recitals are screened in the video room. Enjoy an intimate moment charged with emotion to enter the universe of the poet. George Brassens is buried in the Py cemetery facing the Etang de Thau, just a 2-minute walk from the museum. For more information, visit the official website: l’Espace Brassens at 67 boulevard Camille Blanc, Sète.

Cycle between Sète and Marseillan

Just at the foot of the dunes, the cycle path runs along the beach! The route of about 12 km and between 30 and 50 minutes begins just after the Port des Quilles by a wide seafront promenade 1 km long. It extends by a path further away from the noises of civilization and ends up joining the Marseillan-Plage cycle path at the Avenue de la Méditerranée roundabout. Here, you can branch off and continue towards the Pointe des Onglous, where the Canal du Midi joins the Etang de Thau, and the picturesque port of Marseillan-ville. You can rent bikes at reasonable rates at Bike Med.

Take a mini cruise from Sète

With family, friends or in a group, Sète Cruises will adapt to your desires to offer you a great visit. It offers 3 circuits lasting between 45 minutes and 1h30:

Ports and the Mediterranean Sea – AQUARIUS – Red Circuit – Superb fully commented cruise of the fishing and commercial ports with a sea trip along the rocky coast.
Thau lagoon and its oyster beds – SUB SEA EXPORER – Yellow Circuit – Crossing the canals of Sète with visits to the fishing and commercial ports, passing through the canal maritime, under fixed and movable bridges and the Pointe Courte then visit fully commented on the breeding of oysters and mussels.
The Canals and the town of Sète – CANAUXRAMA – Blue Circuit – A complete cruise to discover the town from another angle. Superb walk on always calm water within the canals of the town of Sète, a true Venice of Languedoc.

Find fares and timetables on the official website: Sète Crosières.

Visit the Môle Saint-Louis and its lighthouse

At the end of the Môle Saint-Louis, a 650-metre-long cobblestone jetty built when the town was founded, is the Saint-Louis lighthouse. Built around 1680 and demolished in 1944 by German mines, it was rebuilt in 1948. Today, it continues to signal the entrance to the channel with its red light. It is now open to the public; come and climb the steps of this incredible belvedere and enjoy a 360° view of the commercial port, the marina and the old town. Some figures: 2,297 stones, 310 m3 of freestone, 126 steps, 33.5 m high, 6.50 m in diameter at the base and 4.55 m at the top, 3 m inside diameter. A surprise awaits the children at the end of the visit. Tickets are available at the lighthouse – free for children under 12.

Of course, there are still many things to do in Sète, the port, the beaches, the restaurants, the city centre…. Have a good visit!

NB: All photos were taken by Leigh and Mehdi Kamraoui and they are the property of lepouffre.com. They are therefore not free of rights.