Sete
A port on canals where teams in white joust from boat platforms with lances, as they have since 1666.
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Sete was created in 1666 as the Mediterranean outlet of the Canal du Midi, built on a spit between the sea and the Etang de Thau, and it is cut by canals with fishing and trawler quays. Water jousting began with the town: two boats row at each other, each carrying a jouster on a raised platform with a lance and shield, and the aim is to knock the other into the canal; the main tournament is the Saint-Louis in August. Paul Valery and Georges Brassens were born here and both are buried in the town. Mont Saint-Clair rises behind. The tielle is a local pie of octopus in tomato sauce.
What you actually see
- The water jousting - lance duels from boat platforms in the canal.
- The working port - trawlers and fish quays through the town.
- Mont Saint-Clair - a hill giving the whole spit, sea and lagoon.
- The tielle stalls - octopus pies sold across the town.
When to go
June to September for jousting, with the Saint-Louis tournament in late August drawing the largest crowds. Oyster farming on the Etang de Thau runs year-round.
Honest expectations
Jousting dates are limited and the canal banks are packed for the big ones. The town is a working port, gritty in places rather than pretty. Summer accommodation books out.
Nearby
The Etang de Thau oyster beds lie behind; Montpellier is northeast.
What to pack for Sete
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.