This was a return trip to Marseillan for us. On our barge Hilda May we had travelled across the south of France several times, but only managed to stop here once. Arriving by boat it seemed a fabulous, almost mystical place reached by crossing the Étang de Thau, a salty lagoon that separates Marseillan from the Mediterranean. Approaching from land it was only slightly less accessible, with no major roads coming very close.
This time we were staying in a small gîte on the northern edge of the village, a pleasant 10 minute stroll from the centre. The main part of the town wraps itself around the leisure marina, full of decent restaurants, with the famous Noilly Prat distillery in one corner. Set back, or in various nooks and crannies are a few tourist shops, but not of the -in-your-face variety and a large wine seller offering locally produced wine. The most common locally produced grape is piquepoul, both in red and white forms, and is most often used in blends such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape. For something local look for the local AOC, Picpoul de Pinet, a small area centred around a nearby village of Mèze.
We strolled round the village a few times, always spotting something new, and often just watched the boats coming and going from the marina, either heading off to the nearby entrance to the Canal du Midi or eastward across the Étang towards Frontignan. The area between the marina and our gîte contained a jumble of residential and commercial properties as well as a small restaurant alongside the church St Jean Baptiste with a simple, but exceptional lunchtime menu.
By boat we had never visited Sète, mostly due to the many lift or swing bridges that we would have need to pass to arrive in the centre. By car it was a little simpler, with a drive along the coastal causeway. The town itself was a little disappointing, although it’s fair to say that we did not stop in the main town due to the heavy traffic and car parks that looked full. Instead we admired the view from the two viewing areas on the top of the main hill.
Much more to our taste was the short cycle ride to Marseillan Plage, the nearby village with Mediterranean Sea access. A good quality cycle track connects the two towns, with one spur going along the Canal du Midi. On a second visit we drove to the beach. In the summer it is close to impossible to park close to the beach as every bit of beach access seems to be occupied by hotels and holiday parks.
