Explore things to do in Languedoc while staying in Montpellier including Sète, the Camargue, Aigues Mortes, Nîmes, and Pont du Gard.
Ever since we moved to Europe, seeing the pink flamingos of the Camargue has been an item high on my travel bucket list.
We finally fulfilled our goal of seeing flamingos in the wild while at the same time exploring Languedoc, a fascinating part of southwest France with the baseline excellent food and wine you expect in France but also steeped in history and with a slightly wilder side.
Both the places themselves and the experiences we had in those places (20 in all described below) made for an epic French road trip.
We continued on to Saintes Maries de la Mer, the nearest town to Parc Ornithologique de Pont de Gau. There is one way in and one way out of the town and it felt like we'd reached the end of the earth when we arrived at this seaside town.
We also dined inside the walls of Aigues Mortes but outside in the open air at Chez Coco. Steak and frites tastes better in the fresh air.
1. Montpellier
We based ourselves in an Airbnb in Montpellier and used this as a home-base to explore the region.
Montpellier features narrow cobbled streets, expansive squares, and a large university which amps up the energy. Unfortunately for us, it rained nearly the entire time we were in Montpellier.
When life give you lemons, make lemonade...When life gives you rain, make a rainbow. That's what I did. See below for a photo tour through Montpellier in all the colors of the rainbow.
SIDEWALK SAFARI SPOTLIGHT: Did you know that Montpellier is relatively close to Costa Brava Spain (about 3 hours by car or 4-5 hours by train? Consider spending a day in Girona, a few days exploring alternative things to do in Lloret de Mar, or catch a festival in Palafrugell as an addition to your Languedoc trip.
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2. Ready, Sète, Go
Having a car is essential for exploring Languedoc as there are so many fascinating places to visit spiraling out in all directions from Montpellier. The most efficient and flexible way to explore is by car.
Our first sojourn took us to Sète, a quiet port town situated on a series of canals connecting the Mediterranean to a network of étangs (salt water estuaries) nearby. The town features a sprawling central market that looks like it's covered in chainmail and atmospheric streets to explore.
3. Aigues Mortes - If these walls could talk!
As we approached Aigues Mortes by car and the intact medieval wall came into view, our jaws dropped. This town looks like one bad ass fortress. We enjoyed exploring the shops and cobbled streets nestled inside the walls but also dipping out into the more modern area outside the wall.
4. Camargue and Saintes Maries de la Mer
The Camargue! That was our reason for planning this trip in the first place. This wetland region is known for flocks of greater pink flamingos. Parc Ornithologique de Pont de Gau is home to thousands of flamingos and other bird species including egrets, herons, and night herons.
We hung around for hours no more than 10-15 feet away from the flamingos in some cases watching them go about their day. Simply awesome.
It was quite blustery when we visited but we steeled ourselves for a quick walk through the town streets shopping for local specialties like Esprit de Camargue jam. We ducked into a quiet bar for a glass of wine before retracing our route back to Montpellier.
5. Pont du Gard
Pont du Gard is another awe inspiring day trip by car from Montepellier. We marveled at this feat of ancient Roman engineering from several vantage points.
We climbed trails on both sides of the aqueduct to view Pont du Gard from above. We got down low and viewed it from the riverbank while sampling a picnic lunch. Finally, we sidled up close to have a look at the stones and arches.
SIDEWALK SAFARI SPOTLIGHT: Visit Segovia Spain on a day trip from Madrid and marvel at another impressive Roman aqueduct.
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6. Nîmes
Nîmes is just a short drive away from Pont du Gard and is an ideal spot to stop and explore on the return trip to Montpellier. Nîmes dates back to the Roman Empire and features several prominent Roman era landmarks including Nîmes Arena and the Maison Carrée.
We also discovered that Nîmes is obsessed with crocodiles. A chained crocodile features prominently in the modern town crest. Four stuffed crocodiles hang from the ceiling of the town hall and were acquired between the 16th and 18th centuries.
This fascination with our scaly friends seems to have been a 'thing' for several hundred years.
7. Dining al fresco
Throughout Languedoc, we took advantage of the spring sunshine to dine al fresco. This included tielles (a seafood filled pie) and mussels in Sète. The seagulls definitely wanted in on the action!
We also dined inside the walls of Aigues Mortes but outside in the open air at Chez Coco. Steak and frites tastes better in the fresh air.
8. Kite surfing
Languedoc is a windswept place. Driving back from Sète to Montpellier, we encountered kite surfers taking advantage of the breeze and associated waves going to new heights with their surfing moves.
Every few minutes, the wind would catch the kite and lift the surfer out of the water where they'd twist and turn in the air as if it was the most effortless thing in the world.
9. Étangs and coastal drive
The road between Sète and Montpellier threaded the needle in places along narrow strips of land between salt water lakes making for a scenic coastal drive.
10. Birdwatching
Given the preponderance of wetlands, it's no surprise that Languedoc is a great place for birding. Even beyond the Parc Ornithologique de Pont de Gau described above, we spotted plenty of birds in the various étangs dotting the landscape.
Shelducks, egrets, herons, night herons, black-necked stilts, and, our favorite, the pink flamingo made an appearance.
SIDEWALK SAFARI SPOTLIGHT: Looking for other ideas for places to visit in France? Have you thought about these fun and photoworthy destinations in France:
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11. Wild horses
Languedoc also features plenty of happy looking horses. The most common are the white stallions of the Camargue with their flowing manes. We also saw horses in other colors too grazing near the vineyards outside of Sète. They are such amazing and graceful creatures!
12. Wine tasting
We found that Languedoc offered so much more than just nature. We stopped to taste fine regional wines at Chateau de la Peyrade just outside of Sète including the specialty dry Muscat.
13. Sating a Sweet Tooth
My regular readers know that I have a voracious sweet tooth. Throughout Languedoc, we found all sorts of tempting treats at local patisseries and candy shops.
14. Sculpture and Street Art
I loved the street art and sculpture in Languedoc, particularly in Sète. My absolute favorite was this giant manacing octopus that was situated in a random parking lot in the center of the town. I could imagine him saying: Let your parking meter expire and face my fury!
15. Pinwheels
The quaint details are really what made Languedoc special for me. Colorful pinwheels spun in the breeze along many a balcony.
16. Distressed Doors
The distressed doors in the various towns also added to the shabby chic atmosphere.
17. Picturesque squares
As in many other parts of France, Languedoc also features it's share of picturesque squares ranging from Place de la Comédie in Montepllier to the tiny tree lined squares of Aigues Mortes.
18. Farmers Market
Farmers markets abound in France. In Languedoc, the market just outside the imposing walls of Aigues Mortes captured our imagination. It was asparagus season when we visited and white and green varieties were everywhere! We even saw a potbellied pig happily chilling at the market. Adorable!
19. Shopping for salt
This part of the world is know for sea salt. In addition to being served routinely in restaurants, we also picked up a pot of Camargue salt to take home.
Buying souvenirs like this don't take up a lot of space and help the trip live on in our memory for weeks and months to come.
20. African inspired cuisine in Montpellier
Staying in Montpellier, we had the opportunity to sample the restaurants in this university city. We were particularly impressed with the African influenced cuisine.
L'Instant Gourmand offers a value priced lunch menu (mostly local cuisine) but it was so good that we went back for dinner to try the Moroccan side of their menu.
A huge bowl of couscous with a mixed plate of meats left us stuffed. We delved deeper into the continent at La Palmeraie with a meal of fiery Congolese dishes.
Languedoc has something for everyone: food, wine, nature, and wildlife. Montpellier is the ideal homebase from which to explore the region by car.
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