Crowded, Scruffy, and full of Noise.
What's to like about Sète ?
TRAVEL THROUGH FRANCEFRENCH CUSTOMS AND LOCAL EVENTSBUILDINGS AND ARCHITECTURE
Joan
8/31/20253 min read
We returned to Sète earlier this week and are slowly getting to know it better. For sure, anyone who has read my blog will know that we are not fans of large towns and cities. That's why we live in a remote spot in the Languedoc hills, where the air is pure, and apart from the noise from Sunday afternoon motorcyclists, peace reigns. So how could we possibly enjoy being in Sète, for it is definitely crowded, scruffy and full of noise ? It is the height of the tourist season at the moment , and the streets and pavement cafés are thronged with people. Not surprisingly rubbish blights these beautiful streets ; discarded cigarette butts; aluminium cans; plastic wrappings ;and even dog mess. Where humans gather, I am afraid litter follows. Traffic streams constantly through its streets: motorcycles roar, and horns honk. But all this will pass, and Sète will soon settle down for the winter. Local residents will become more evident as they sit around café tables, and life will go on. For this is a real working town with a strong economy that does not rely solely on tourism. In short, "it has a life."That is one good reason to like it.
Looking at the statistics for Sète, I see that there were a total of 1244 tourist beds available in 2025. Whilst this may seem a lot , with a population of over 41,000 permanent residents, it may not be quite so significant, as the tourists tend to congregate around the beaches and canals. Moreover, tourism does not seem as oppressive here as it does in cities like Venice and Florence. Perhaps that is because there are fewer specific places or buildings to see( aka Michael Angelo's statue of David in Florence) and so everyone spreads out a bit more, and the atmosphere remains cool and relaxed. After all, the main attraction is Sète itself, and its amazing setting. It certainly feels less intense.
Enjoyed by locals and tourists alike, One of the biggest attractions in Sète is the water jousting . This is a long standing Languedoc tradition from Medieval times. Competitions began in Sète in 1666, with the inauguration of the port, and the rules have barely changed since then. Nowadays the jousting takes place in July and August on the Canal Royale, where large stands have been erected on both sides of the canal, with rows of seats for spectators. Bravo to Sète: a grandstand seat is available for all, and what's more it's free! We visited last Thursday afternoon. That day's competition was to be held between groups of youngsters from surrounding seaside towns like Mèze and Frontignan, which all practise this sport. It is a long time since we last watched a similar event at Mèze . This one was a little different because of the competitors' age. The traditional wooden boats, bearing the specially clad competitors in their white trousers and striped T shirts were not propelled by oarsmen as usual, but by the boat's motor. Traditional music was played as they proceeded towards the confrontation. More often than not the bout ends when one of the two jousters overbalances and falls into the water.
The next morning we had to leave for home , but not before heading to Place Stalingrad a little further up our avenue. Here, we found the weekly Friday market in full swing. Already the pavement café close by seemed to have been reclaimed by the locals as they enjoyed the morning sunshine. We'll be back very soon!
