Take a Stroll in … Sète

Sea Air and Sun In This Dynamic Port Have Inspired Many An Artist Over The Years; And The Bustling Streets Are As Much Of A Draw Today

Sète is an incredibly dynamic Mediterranean port: full of energy; full of the smells, noises and colours of the sea. This was quickly illustrated by the whistle-stop tour of the sites I was given on arrival. I was fascinated by the singularity of this town, which is only 350 years old and yet so rich in culture, gastronomy, art and traditions – though the pace of life can also be overwhelming. The next day, I decided to slow things down and take a stroll in the heart of Sète.

As I stepped out of the hotel lobby, I was immediately swept into the hive of activity that gripped the Aspirant Herber quay. Tourists were boarding open-top cruise-boats for a sail along the canals; delivery vans had been parked on the pavements, their contents hurriedly being unloaded into restaurants. Two men smiled at me as they balanced a huge wrapped-up painting and hoisted it into an art gallery. The sun was already heating the streets, promising a scorching summer’s day.

I strolled down towards the Pont de la Savonnerie and crossed the Canal Royal. Sète’s more poetic name is the ‘Venice of Languedoc’, because of the many canals that criss-cross the old port, creating an aquatic labyrinth with its own traffic rules and different marinas. I stopped in the middle of the bridge and spotted a couple of massive trawlers moored on either side. These expensive boats specialise in tuna fishing; the ones from Sète catch almost half of France’s bluefin quota. For now, though, they were immobile, their presence casting shadows on the quayside.

I continued up Rue Paul Valéry from the bridge and found the shaded Place Léon Blum. It seems the sea air and ever-shining sun are a great source of inspiration for artists. Paul Valéry is the town’s pride and joy; the poet was born and raised in Sète, before leaving for Montpellier and then Paris. Singer-songwriter Georges Brassens spent many a year strolling through the streets, while Nouvelle Vague film-maker Agnes Varda shot La Pointe Courte in the town’s fishing district. Today, Sète is a canvas for street-art, and I spotted a large mural by famed French street artist M. Chat.

I sat on a low wall facing the square and people-watched, while munching on one of Sète’s delicacies: a tielle. These delicious little pies, best devoured slightly warm, arc stuffed with tomato and octopus, a traditional ingredient in sétois cooking. And then I continued along Rue Gambetta, a side-street flanked by little shops, bars and ice-cream parlours, until I reached the covered market hall, which has recently been modernised.

I stepped inside the blissfully cool hall and took in the aromas of the market and the hubbub of conversation. This place is both a wonderful source of fresh produce (especially fish) and an informal meeting space. I passed people tucking into platters of oysters and debating the latest news, glass of white wine in hand, while elderly ladies sat on benches watching the world go by.

I reluctantly left the air-conditioned market and lost myself in other little side-streets, until I retraced my steps, to the corner of the Pont de la Savonnerie, to embark on the only real way to take a stroll in Sète: by boat. There are three different hour-long cruises, and I chose a tour of the old port. I sat watching the town buzzing with life as we glided seamlessly on the canals, passing rowers getting their boats ready, colourful jousting barques bobbing from our backwash, and tiny, moored-up day-boats, including Georges Brassens’ very own that has been untouched for years. If life in Sète is fast-paced, the rhythm of the water always finds a way to slow down time.

In the Area

Since Sète is a big town to explore entirely on foot, it is best to cheat and hop into a car. Drive up Mont Saint-Clair: from the top, you’ll get an incredible panoramic view of Sète and the surrounding area, which is a good way to appreciate its unique location. As you look down toward the port, the vast blue expanse of the Mediterranean pours out on your right while, to the left, is the equally blue Étang de Thau. The lagoon lies squeezed between the narrow stretch of land on which Sète is built, and mainland France.

This lagoon is what gives such wealth to the area, renowned for its shellfish farming – and particularly for producing excellent oysters and mussels. From Sète, it is easy to explore the towns that cling to its banks. The village of Bouzigues, for instance, gives its name to the internationally respected Huîtres de Bouzigues appellation. It is, therefore, the best place to taste the coveted shellfish, and you will be spoilt for choice in terms of restaurants. If you went straight to the producer, you wouldn’t get them any fresher. Laurent Arcella has catered to every need by opening a trendy tasting-bar directly on his oyster farm.

Along the lagoon is the town of Mèze. In contrast to Sète’s relatively recent creation, Mèze was an early settlement that can be traced back to Roman times, thanks to its location on the Via Domitia – a trading route for wine. As a result, the town is home to several historic buildings and pretty stone houses. It also has a quaint fishing port and marina, where leisure sailors like to moor up for some peace and quiet.

Carry on east and you’ll come to Marseillan. This charming port is the landing marina for boats emerging from a cruise on the Canal du Midi: it’s regularly busy with river – and sailing-boats alike. Marseillan is also home to the Noilly Prat vermouth cellars, which serve as a museum about this aperitif.

Head down towards the sea and Sète, and you’ll find the Lido, a beach offering 12 kilometres of silver sand looking out to the open sea. Dotted with chic beach bars, it stretches between Sète and the purpose-built resort of Marseillan-Plage. The Lido is a popular place for the Sétois to hang out and also hosts a number of festivals, including broadcaster and DJ Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Festival.