Palavas-les-Flots France
Frequently Asked Questions
At the Paul-Riquet river base on the Rhône–Sète canal, five minutes' walk from the centre. It is the only fully equipped stop between Aigues-Mortes and Frontignan.
It grew at the mouth of the Lez, a small coastal river that splits it into two banks joined by footbridges. On either side, the quays are lined with fishing boats, drying nets and restaurants.
The Lighthouse of the Mediterranean for the overview, the quays when the fishermen return in late morning, then the beach or the Dubout museum. The lagoons and Maguelone need a bike or an excursion.
It is the town's former water tower, converted, raising its circular silhouette 45 metres above the rooftops. Its panoramic platform opens a full-circle view over the Gulf of Lion, the lagoons and, on a clear day, as far as the Pic Saint-Loup and the Cévennes.
It is a small clam gathered from the sand, sold by weight on the stalls. Fried with garlic and parsley, tellines are the classic starter on local tables. Cuttlefish with rouille is the other emblematic dish here.
He was the cartoonist who affectionately drew the little train that once linked Montpellier to the beach, its crowded carriages and its bathers in striped costumes. A museum is devoted to him in the Ballestras redoubt, an 18th-century military tower set in the Levant lagoon.
By footbridge or by tourist train. The Ballestras redoubt stands in the middle of the Levant lagoon, which makes the approach as memorable as the visit.
Yes. On either side of the river mouth, kilometres of fine sand slope gently into a sea that is warm in season. They are supervised in summer and lined with beach shacks, but they are also among the busiest on the Montpellier coast.
A summer tradition on the canal: two boats driven by rowers pass each other, and the jousters, perched on their tintaine, try to knock one another into the water. The local jousting societies are among the oldest on the coast; if a tournament falls on your call, do not miss it.
Yes. The Palavas lagoons form a chain of protected wetlands where flamingos, avocets and terns nest. The towpath and cycle tracks let you explore this amphibious world on foot or by bike.
