In winter, Sète is far from closed, unlike more tourism-focused towns, and still has wonderful markets to explore each day, incredible seafood, and it is the region’s black truffle season. From November to February, the market, Les Halles de Sète, smells deliciously of that rich, earthy, fungal scent.
Wandering down the city’s main canals, you are greeted by an array of fish restaurants, all serving the day’s catch. In my time here, it has felt almost impossible to have a bad meal, no matter which place you settle on. The locals are known for a few key dishes, such as rockfish soup, oysters, particularly grilled, tielle, similar to an empanada and often stuffed with fish, and sweet, cigar-shaped biscuits called zézettes de Sète.
Just outside the city centre are 12 kilometres of sandy beaches, where the cooler waters of the Mediterranean offer a welcome contrast to the warmer Thau lagoon. From Lazaret Beach to Plage du Lido and Plage de la Corniche, there are many beaches accessible from the main roads into Sète, each offering something slightly different. For families, Lazaret is a popular choice, while for better walking and nature, Jalabert is best. The panoramic views across the coast are expansive, with the Mediterranean stretching as far as the eye can see.
The South of France has so much to offer, and the renewed interest in cities like Marseille has been wonderful to witness. As The White Lotus season four takes on the French Riviera, we can expect a flocking to the usual suspects. I, however, will be taking myself to the Occitania region, from the bars of Montpellier to the beaches of Sète, for a more varied Euro summer full of pastries, white wine, and, apparently, water-jousting.
