Sète

Set alongside the saltwater lagoon of Étang du Thau, Sète is sometimes called the ‘Little Venice of Languedoc’ – a reference to the many canals that run through town, including the Canal du Midi, which terminates its 240km journey here from Toulouse, and the Canal du Rhône, whose 98km journey from Beaucaire also ends here. Sète is a bit short on sights, but its honest, workaday atmosphere makes a refreshing change from the built-up tourist towns of the rest of the Languedoc coast. If you like seafood, this is the place to indulge: Sète sports restaurants galore cooking up sea urchins, sardines, cuttlefish and myriad coquillages (shellfish). Its centre is a great place to explore on foot. Be sure to walk up Mt St-Clair (the small hill that lords over the centre) for panoramic views and wander around La Pointe Courte, the old fishermen's quarter.