I%26#39;m looking for a quiet family beach area to stay in early june in the Herault... we visited collioure last summer and loved it but this summer we wanted more of a %26quot;beach-y%26quot; stay closer to Montpellier. Any suggestions for a nice area?
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Try either Palavas-les-Flots or Bucanet near Le Grau du Roi.
They have excellent beaches and very close to Montpellier.
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Thanks for the suggestions! Perhaps you can answer a question about Le Grau du Roi. I visited the aquarium and remember the town being a series of 2 to 3 story buildings, not very attractive. But I%26#39;ve run across several other descriptions of the town as a %26quot;small fishing village%26quot;... did we miss something? Is there a more traditional area? And what would the beach be like in that area? Thanks for the help!
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Actually the town was a rather important fishing village; second largest on the Mediterranean if I remember correctly. The wholesaler, to whom the fisherman sold their catch, closed his doors last year and his warehouse was sold and demolished to make room for a new grocery store. At one time there were a large number of fishing vessels in the harbor on the east side of the canal (where the wholesaler was also located). If you primarily visited the sea aquarium, you may have missed the harbor. The future of the fishing industry there will probably be very limited.
The beach in Le Grau du Roi is excellent but the real gem is L%26#39;Espiguette, the largest beach on earth; more sand than the Sahara. At least that is my opinion. It%26#39;s also one of the only places one can dig for tellines; small clam-like creatures; very tasty with either a vinaigrette or bourride sauce.
There are really better restaurants here than in Palavas, Carnon, or La Grande Motte; except that chicken is rarely found on any menu (it%26#39;s seafood or bull meat, gardian de toro). There is also an excellent bakery here (across the roundabout from the grade school, look for the lines of people). Unfortunately the best butch in the area is located in Aiges Mortes, just a few kms away. Ironically, one finds in Le Grau du Roi perhaps the very finest creperie in the south of France tucked away in an small alley near the pivoting canal bridge. The patronne treats everyone as an honored guest and all that she serves is from the freshest and finest ingredients.
I find the town quite captivating and strangely charming though not in the traditional sense of Honfleur or Collioure. It is a wonderful place to escape to and very refreshing in that the tourists here are not English speaking. Interestingly, English is rarely heard, the second language being German due to the large number of tourists from German speaking countries.
One thing more about the beach here, the water is no more than 2 feet deep for quite a distance; if you have small children it%26#39;s more like a wading pond.
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Fabulous information! Huge thanks... the creperie sounds amazing! One more question: I%26#39;m down to choosing an apartment by the harbour in Le Grau vs a beach house in Gruissan about a 15 minute walk from the old town... do you have any experience with Gruissan? If so, could I impose on you one more time to give me your opinion of Gruissan vs Le Grau? Thanks again!
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Cajeta,
I shall be staying in Le Grau du Roi this June in an appartment as close to the beach as I can find. I recommend staying in town where the restaurants and entertainment are found.
I previously neglected to point out that I have become a hugh bull fighting fan, always routing for the local team from Le Grau of course. Just another of the activities to liven up the vacation.
I thought I knew this area very well but I%26#39;m afraid I%26#39;m unfamiliar with Gruissan. You%26#39;ll like staying in town anyway. Some of the areas off the canal have a rather serious mosquito problem - very unpleasant while sleeping at night.
As we shall both be in Le Grau du Roi at the same time, I%26#39;m fowarding my contact information - I propose we enjoy an apero at sunset and I%26#39;ll introduce myself and Mrs. Sarastro.
ja.20.papageno (at) spamgourmet.com
Hope to hear from you.
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Hi
just worth saying :
The old town is around the lighthouse where the river enters the sea.
Grau de Roi still has fishing. There are a many small trawlers crossing the Golfe d%26#39;Aigues Mortes to return to port.
This photo :
the-languedoc-page.com/photos/languedoc-phot… was taken in 2005. The same boat returned to port on Wednesday afternoon, together with about 6 others in a 1 hour period.
Sete is the major fishing port in this part of the Med.
A January photo near Grau de Roi :
the-languedoc-page.com/photos/languedoc-phot…
Peter
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Peter: Thanks for the website info... the photos are fabulous. I also enjoyed checking out other sites in Languedoc.
And are you at all familiar with Gruissan - it%26#39;s further south and closer to Narbonne? I%26#39;m still trying to decide which area suits us best, although I%26#39;m heavily inclined to Le Grau de Roi now!
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Hi
yes, I%26#39;ve stayed in Gruissan.
But not since 1978 !
Can%26#39;t remember much about it, but I enjoyed visiting a restaurant in the old town.
Sorry
Peter
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Thanks anyway, Peter! And we%26#39;re looking forward to a very fun vacation!
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