"When I asked Nordine Nid Hsain, the owner of my favourite Parisian bistro, why he sold up and left the capital to join the arty diaspora living in the Mediterranean port of Sete, he said: What really drew me here was not Sete itself, but the natural paradise of the adjoining Thau lagoon. I love cycling and, after 10 years here, I am still excited to go out every day to explore the bike paths that run around the lagoon."
"It sounded irresistible, and even though I have no plans to up sticks from Paris, I bought a train ticket and arrived in Sete three and half hours later to explore this hidden corner of the Mediterranean. Although officially classed an etang (a lake), Thau is actually a sprawling lagoon, separated from the Mediterranean by the Lido, a narrow 9-mile-long beach."
"Two minutes from the hotel, La Plagette sits beneath the medieval Chapelle des Penitents, which glows yellow in the morning sun. On the other side of the harbour, La Pinede is a pine-clad stretch of sand, part of La Conque wetlands reserve, that hugs the banks of the lagoon, and is on the walking and cycle route that offers opportunities to spot flamingos."
Thau is a sprawling lagoon separated from the Mediterranean by a narrow nine-mile Lido and edged by wetlands, beaches and fishing harbours. Sete and the lagoon-side port of Meze provide quiet lodgings overlooking tiny harbours and access to sandy coves such as La Plagette and La Pinede. Cycling and walking routes circle the lagoon, passing pine-clad shores and salt marshes where flamingos can be spotted. Local seafood, especially freshly harvested oysters eaten at the water's edge, complements the surrounding vineyards, where Picpoul de Pinet wine is most celebrated.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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