marchy007

We would like to stay near Monpelier at the end of August so that we can split our time between beach and exploring the area. Any suggestions for a nice beach place/hotel/Airbnb?

kerouac

The main beach resort of the area is La Grande Motte. When it was built in the 1970s it was pretty ghastly, but it has actually aged well -- the buildings have been renovated and the vegetation is now the proper size. It gets really full in August, just like all of the other beaches like Palavas-les-Flots or Le Grau-du-Roi, so you need to secure something immediately.

It's Montpelier in Vermont but Montpellier in France.

shelemm

This is not a good area to choose for a vacation like that, but if you are stuck with it, then I hope you can make it work for you.

marchy007

Why not a good area? My wife is fixated on two things: explore Monpellier-Carcassonne area but stay on a beach. Any areas that will fit better?

FTOttawa

I don’t have a specific beach recommendation, but thanks because the whole coast of Languedoc is practically one big sandy beach. Accommodation in the height of August may be tricky to find but there will be something to suit you.

IIRC la Grande Motte could be easier to drive in and out of than Sète, Palavas-les-Flot or Grau d’Agde. It is handy to Aigues-Mortes, well worth a visit.

Big celebrations worth witnessing in both Sète and Aigues-Mortes at the end of August: boat jousting in Sète and a medieval fair in Aigues-Mortes.

Guilhem le Désert, Grotte de Clamouse, Cirque de Mourèze, Pézenas, Lodève… I love Hérault and there is so much to enjoy well before you get as far as Carcassonne.

touringtimothy

Ignore the negative advice above! I go every summer to the Camargue which has lovely,, natural beaches. The beaches closer to Montpellier are more crowded and developed. You will need a car to access the beach parking in the Camargue. Aigues Mortes is a nice base. Also, there are some lovely beaches near Narbonne! Otherwise you have to go closer to Saint Tropez- not the town itself but Ramatuelle or further west...

dfourh

La Grand Motte is kind of a glaring high-rise resort. Just south of Aigues Mortes is Le Grau du Roi, so if you really want to stay close to the beach, this puts you right there, and it has more of a casual feel. Le Grau du Roi has two distinct sides: Rive Gauche is east of the canal that runs down from Aigue Mortes, and it has more of an old school beach town feel, loads of restaurants, a pedestrian street with shops and gelato. Rive Droite, on the other side of the canal, is a longer stretch of very pleasant beach and lo-rise houses spotted with the occasional restaurant leading away from a modest commercial center. You can easily reach the pretty Camargue and its beaches from there for more variety.

kerouac

There are no high rises in La Grande Motte! It is not Benidorm!

dfourh

Well alrighty then . . .