Sète

Travel Guide

Sete featuring a bay or harbor, boating and a river or creek
Sète which includes shopping and street scenes
Sete showing a city, boating and a river or creek
Sete featuring street scenes
Sete featuring street scenes
Stroll along the network of canals, retreat to nearby beaches and enjoy some of the finest seafood in France in this boisterous port city.

Sète is known as the “Venice of Languedoc” for its attractive system of canals, including the final stretch of the 150-mile (241-kilometer) Canal du Midi. Watch fishing boats vie for space as they weave around the maze of canals, learn about hometown heroes at local museums and eat seafood fresh from the nearby lagoon.

The town was founded in 1666 under orders from Louis XIV. Construction began on both the town and its port as an outlet for the Canal du Midi. Following the construction of the port, Sète thrived. To this day, it still plays an important role as a commercial fishing center.

Walk around the characterful 17th-century canals, many lined with pastel-colored buildings. Look for the Canal Royal, which hosts an annual water jousting tournament that sees two boats square off using lances. 

Ascend Mont St-Clair hill by foot or take a bus or taxi to the summit to enjoy panoramic views of the Mediterranean Sea and the Languedoc mountains. Look for the Musée Paul Valéry near the top. This museum is dedicated to the famous symbolist poet and essayist who was born in Sète.

To discover more about Sète’s famous residents, visit the Espace Georges Brassens, a museum that commemorates the Sète-born singer-songwriter. Pay your respects to Valéry and Brassens at their burial sites in Cimetiére Marin, a cemetery with spectacular views of the sea.

Spend an afternoon lounging on La Corniche beach, perfect for swimming and sunbathing. It is located about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) east of the old port. Back at the harbor area, choose from many seafood restaurants on the quay.

During late August, Sète hosts the annual Fête de la Saint-Louis, with water jousting competitions on the main canal.Sète’s nearest airports are Béziers and Montpellier. Both cities are connected to Sète by rail routes.

Sète is easy to navigate by foot. Reliable local buses can help you get the most out of this surprisingly lively and engaging city.

Hôtel Port Marine - Sète
Hôtel Port Marine - Sète
3 out of 5
30, Promenade J-B Marty, Sète, Herault
The price is ₩130,230 per night from Feb 24 to Feb 25
₩130,230
₩148,477 total
includes taxes & fees
Feb 24 - Feb 25
Stay at this 3-star business-friendly hotel in Sète. Enjoy free WiFi, an outdoor pool, and breakfast (surcharge). Our guests praise the helpful staff in our ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (276 reviews)
"Room was nice, property good with nice facilities. However a hotel of this size should have a bar. Also it might be worth mentioning its quite uncomfortable walking into a quiet hotel with a big reception desk with 2 members of staff who just stare at you as you walk to the lift without even smiling. ..."

Reviewed on Nov 26, 2024

Hôtel Port Marine - Sète
ibis budget Sète Centre
ibis budget Sète Centre
2 out of 5
164, Avenue du Marechal Juin, Sète
The price is ₩73,078 per night from Mar 4 to Mar 5
₩73,078
₩84,308 total
includes taxes & fees
Mar 4 - Mar 5
Stay at this hotel in Sète. Enjoy free WiFi, breakfast (surcharge), and parking (surcharge). Our guests praise the helpful staff in our reviews. Popular attractions ...
8.4/10 Very Good! (443 reviews)
"Nice that they offer breakfast included on Expedia. The area around the hotel isn’t posh but we didn’t observe any criminality. Excellent security inside the hotel and parking was secure and affordable at 2€ per day. Oddly, the thermostat in our room was connected backwards - we had to put it to ..."

Reviewed on Jun 15, 2024

ibis budget Sète Centre
Résidence Odalys Terra Gaïa
Résidence Odalys Terra Gaïa
4 out of 5
361 Boulevard Cerf Lurie, Sète, Herault
The price is ₩115,864 per night from Feb 27 to Feb 28
₩115,864
₩136,139 total
includes taxes & fees
Feb 27 - Feb 28
Stay at this 4-star residence in Sète. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and an outdoor pool. Popular attractions Plage de la Fontaine and Plage de la Corniche ...
8.2/10 Very Good! (170 reviews)
"Apartment style with convenience of hotel reception."

Reviewed on Jul 3, 2023

Résidence Odalys Terra Gaïa
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Résidence Odalys Terra Gaïa
Résidence Odalys Terra Gaïa
4 out of 5
361 Boulevard Cerf Lurie, Sète, Herault
Stay at this 4-star residence in Sète. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and an outdoor pool. Popular attractions Plage de la Fontaine and Plage de la Corniche ...
8.2/10 Very Good! (170 reviews)
"Apartment style with convenience of hotel reception."

Reviewed on Jul 3, 2023

Résidence Odalys Terra Gaïa
Les Clés Secrètes
Les Clés Secrètes
11 Quai de la République, Sète, Hérault
Stay at this aparthotel in Sète. Enjoy free WiFi, breakfast (surcharge), and a snack bar/deli. Popular attractions International Museum of Arts Modestes and ...
9.8/10 Exceptional! (12 reviews)
Gorgeous apartment with wonderful host!
"This lovely apartment was perfectly located, beautifully decorated, immaculately clean, and has an amazing host. It was a perfect combination of hotel/apartment, and was our favorite accommodation on a month-long vacation to 9 cities. The amenities are exactly as described and the photos reflect ..."

Reviewed on Oct 18, 2024

Les Clés Secrètes
LA MAISON VERTE SETE
LA MAISON VERTE SETE
Rue gaston Escarguel, 3, Sète, Hérault
Stay at this aparthotel in Sète. Enjoy free WiFi, breakfast (surcharge), and a beach shuttle (surcharge). Popular attractions Halles de Sète and Regional Center ...
7/10 Good! (2 reviews)
"Chambre beaucoup moins grande que l'impression des photos. Pas de chauffage dans la chambre et vu qu'on est en hiver c'était un peu limite. Fin de la deuxième douche à l'eau très tiède les deux matin. L'accès Internet ne fonctionnait pas, pour tout on était bien connecté sur la box. On a pas très ..."

Reviewed on Feb 12, 2025

LA MAISON VERTE SETE
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Popular places to visit

Reviews of Sète

4.2
Top Destination
5 - Excellent
2
5 - Excellent 33%
4 - Good
3
4 - Good 50%
3 - Okay
1
3 - Okay 17%
2 - Disappointing
0
2 - Disappointing 0%
1 - Terrible
0
1 - Terrible 0%

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler

Awesome!

4/5 - Good

JPS

They have wonderful little seafood restaurants along the various canals.