The city of La Grande Motte

From the campsite Les Mimosas in Portiragnes-Plage, you need about 1 hour by car to cross the Hérault coast and join La Grande-Motte, one of the largest resorts Occitan that every year 120,000 visitors. Built from scratch at the edge of the Mediterranean in the late 1960s as part of the development of the Languedoc-Roussillon coastline, the resort is a perfect example of creation of tourism infrastructure integrated in nature. Its good architectural homogeneity, made possible thanks to its famous buildings pyramid, still admired by tourists and architects. Add to this the sandy beaches, water activities and a beautiful pine forest, and you will have many reasons to spend a family day in La Grande-Motte.

An extraordinary city

Often referred to as Garden City, La Grande-Motte surprised by the design of its buildings and its perfect integration with nature. Built between sea and forest, this city is so singular that it belongs to the circle of sites with the label "Heritage of the twentieth century." Its beautiful pyramids in the atypical architecture seem to be output from the bowels of the earth, between the Mediterranean Sea and a fabulous green area composed of thousands of plants. unique, futuristic design, exuberant nature, family atmosphere, modern facilities: La Grande-Motte shows the path of modern and intelligent tourism. This winning bet alone is worth the trouble to be approached.

An extraordinary resort

Obviously the place to develop such a model was not chosen at random. La Grande-Motte is also 7 kilometers of fine sand that welcome tourists near pyramids and conch. The beach of the city center is the liveliest. The seafront promenade is lined with bars, restaurants and shops. The beach at Point Zero is very popular with families. Its name is a nod to the seaside resort, which was born there. The beach from the west attracts water sports enthusiasts. It houses an area for kite surfing near the marina. If you are looking for some quiet, opt for the beach of Grand Travers. The dunes and pines that protect give it a wild side that purists appreciative.

From morning jog to ride at dusk to witness wonderful sunsets, the Grand Mottois coastline is a large relaxation area and a playground for sports. Every day, especially in summer, thousands of vacationers choose among the range of possible activities those that suit them: swimming, sunbathing, scuba diving, jet skiing, sailing, fishing, kite surfing, parasailing, hire boat ...

The beachfront La Grande-Motte is also characterized by its equipment. You will find several huts on the beaches to relax or enjoy a cocktail feet in the sand facing the sea, parking, toilets, mattresses rental, games for children and access for the disabled. The city has a thalassotherapy center.

In addition to water sports, you can achieve in La Grande-Motte many activities: golf, hiking, cycling, tennis ...

Discover the Heritage

Although the resort owes its fame to its futuristic buildings, La Grande-Motte contains some old buildings such as the redoubt of the Grand Travers, a former watchtower built in the eighteenth century historical monument. Strolling through the city center, you will see other remarkable buildings such as the town hall, the Church of St. Augustine and the Congress palace and several gateways (Snails, St. John lampadophores, Monsters).

The pond of the Ponant, part of which extends into the territory of Le Grau-du-Roi, is conducive to the practice of windsurfing. You will find trails to stroll watching the windsurfers.

Want to buy local products? Visit one of the markets of the city of sands: the traditional market on Sunday morning (Thursday June to September), the food market on Wednesday morning and the night market during the peak season.

La Grande-Motte: Events 2019

Each year, many events are held in the resort, especially during the summer months. The right plan? To ensure that your visit coincides with one of the following events:

June 1-July 28: Trade Jacques Blancher. Painting and photography. Space Michele Goalard (captaincy). Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:30 to 18:30.
21 June: Festival of Music
30 June: Stars of Retro. vintage cars exhibition at Quai Georges Pompidous from 10:00 to 19:00.
From July 6 to August 25: Golden Nights, Pyromelodic Festival. Musical Fireworks shot from the waterfront or downtown. 7 dates: Saturday, July 6 (2230), Sunday, 14 July (2300), Wednesday, 24 July (2230), Wednesday, 31 July (2230), Wednesday, August 7 (2230) Thursday, 15 August (2300) and Sunday, August 26 (2230).
From 8 July to 19 August: Cinétoile (Théâtre de Verdure). 7 projections at 21:30 and 22h00: 8, 15, 22 and 29 July, 5, 12 and 19 August.
From July 11 to 21 (14h00-18h00): Nao Victoria. Visit a replica of the caravel used by Magellan during his world tour in 1578. Attend free arrival of the legendary ship on July 11!
From 24 to 25 August: Summer Carnival (animations, procession, blessing of the boats, parade, fireworks ...).
September 15: 8:00 am Good Ponant Affairs at 18:00 at the pond of the Ponant.

Continue your exploration of the Languedoc coast by visiting the Grau-du-Roi and Palavas-les-Flots.