Sete, France

Hotel De Paris about 150 dollars a night and located near the beach and IternationalMuseum in the Center. My sister stayed here and she sayed she loved it.

Brendon, I appreciate your quick response. Thank you!
denise

I am sitting as we speak in Le Grand Hotel Sete. It is beautiful and has the best hotel breakfast I've ever had anywhere. I've been here for a happiness conference (really!) for 3 days and loved every moment. Anjani M

Bonjour Anjani, Merci pour vôtre réponse rapide! I just looked up your hotel's website and it looks so inviting. Would you mind, if you have the time now or when you return home, describing Sete to me and what experiences you have there? It sounds like the seafood is delicious and the thought of staying somewhere near water is perfect, since I live in Hawaii. Wow, a happiness conference...how wonderful! aloha,
denise

My wife and I stayed at L'Orque Bleu in Sete on 2 occasions (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g660465-d563113-Reviews-Hotel_L_Orque_Bleue-Sete_Herault_Languedoc_Roussillon.html), and loved it. It's right on the canal, and you can get a canal view room if you want it. Sete is a great town for walking, and the seafood is fabulous. In fact, I think it's illegal for a restaurant to serve anything other than seafood :-). And it's one of the principal spots where fish and shellfish is transported to markets and restaurants all over southern France. We stumbled upon the wholesale fish market near closing time, and little delivery trucks were lined up ready to transport seafood throughout the country. But they clearly left some for the locals and visitors. And when in Sete eating seafood, be sure to wash everything down with the local Picpoul de Pinet wines, and for after-dinner drinks try the various sweet Muscats, such as Muscat de Mireval and Muscat de Frontignan. I'm longing to go back to Sete after writing this. Enjoy!

Robert, What good information, thank you! Between you and Anjani's responses I wish I were in Sete right now, too. A hotel on the canal sounds ideal and we can hardly wait to be able to taste fresh seafood from Sete's waters. Okay, I'm totally sold and will definitely be making Sete one of our destinations. I will also make sure I taste the wines you recommend. aloha,
denise

I should also have mentioned the great indoor market hall in the center of Sete (short walk from the Orque Bleu), and a great bakery a block or so from the hotel on the same side of the canal (I can't remember the name, but you'll smell it). We skipped the breakfast at the hotel one day and ate there.

Thanks for this post! It reminded me of my visit to France wayyyy back in the 70's. After visiting Carcassonne I really wanted to see the Med, but I had little time and so went to Sete. I walked on the beach and stayed at one of the nicest youth hostels of my six months. It was on hill in a house with a gate. A Canadian girl and I paid the night before and jumped the gate to catch an early train to Avignon. I actually have found the very Auberge do Jeunesse that we stayed at. Doesn't it still look great? I am ready to go back! Pam

They don't have mosquitoes in Sete, or anywhere in France. Instead, the have les moustiques.:-) Seriously, I guess they have mosquitoes, although I don't remember it ever being a real problem anywhere I've been, including Sete. But what they don't have is screens, anywhere. So if there are les moustiques in the street, there will be les moustiques in your room if you open the windows.

I haven't been back to France in 5 long years. But after reading all of these wonderful posts, I can feel your enthusiasm for Sete. I absolutely can't wait to be there. Got another question: I'd read on a TripAdvisor commentary that mosquitoes were a problem. Anyone experience that? thanks all!
denise

Pamela, I checked out the Auberge do Jeunesse you mentioned, and it's right across the canal from the hotel I stayed at and recommended. It looks great, and it's a great location. I'm far too old for that, but maybe Denise isn't.

Hey Robert, Well, if any moustiques show up while we are there, at least they'll be French moustiques!
That hostel does look lovely but alas, I am also too old for hostels. Last time I stayed in one was in 1994 and we were already quite older than our roommates. denise

Denise, the last (and only) time I stayed in one was in Vienna in 1979, and I was the oldest one there. I'm really showing my age. And when you do go to Sete, try and post something on the RS site about it. I'm curious as to what others think. The first time we were in Sete we were so impressed that we actually considered looking into buying an apartment there as a base for future trips. The next time, a year later, we still liked Sete but weren't as quick to think we'd want to live there for 6 months a year.