La Grande-Motte – Hérault – Occitanie
About 20 min by car from our accommodation, to combine with the Seaquarium in Le Grau-du-Roi
Looking for accommodation near La Grande-Motte for your holiday? In Lunel-Viel, 20 minutes from the resort, our holiday homes with a pool sleep 4 to 12: ideal for enjoying its beaches, then discovering Montpellier and the Camargue.
Rising from the sands some fifty years ago, where there were only marshes, La Grande-Motte is one of the most recognisable towns in France, with its pyramids designed by the architect Jean Balladur. Between 7 kilometres of fine sandy beach, a marina and cycle paths in the shade of pine trees, here are the places not to miss.
The Levant district lines up its straight, angular pyramids, while the Couchant answers with curved buildings blending with the greenery. The Grande Pyramide links the two: a straight face on the Levant side and a curved face on the Couchant side.
Look up at the façades: the concrete patterns, repeated and inverted, give each building its own identity. La Grande-Motte was the first town to receive the “Architecture contemporaine remarquable” label for all of its buildings, and the tourist office offers tours, guided or self-guided, to uncover its secrets.
At the foot of the Grande Pyramide, the marina has 1,446 berths. Its quays invite you to stroll among the sailing boats, with the silhouette of the pyramids as a backdrop.
It is also the starting point for many activities: ringo rides, parasailing, jet-skiing, boat hire with or without a licence, and sightseeing trips at sea.
La Grande-Motte has 7 kilometres of fine sandy beach. Along the town-centre beach, the seafront promenade is lined with restaurants, ice-cream parlours and shops, and no road runs alongside it: you can stroll, sunbathe and swim in complete peace.
Wider still, Point Zéro beach, where the resort was born, suits young children and adults alike, with play areas a 5-minute walk away. On the Couchant side, the beach near the marina is a favourite with sailing, paddleboarding and kitesurfing fans.
Long and wide, Grand Travers beach is the wildest in La Grande-Motte. Its dunes and pine woods are protected by the Conservatoire du Littoral, and its waters, whose cleanliness has been recognised by the Blue Flag for 20 years, are a Natura 2000 site protecting the posidonia seagrass meadows.
A small part of the beach is open to dogs (access no. 60). The tourist office also runs nature walks through the dunes, in the shade of the umbrella pines.
It is often forgotten: more than 70% of the town is given over to green and wooded spaces. Designed by Jean Balladur with his head gardener Pierre Pillet, La Grande-Motte forms a true canopy from which the pyramids emerge.
Cycling is the best way to discover it: the cycle paths, shaded by trees, never cross the roads but pass over them on sculpted footbridges. Several hire shops offer mountain bikes, hybrids and e-bikes, and discovery routes are available on the Komoot app.
Between Port Grégau and the Étang du Ponant, the harbour gives way to a natural setting typical of the Petite Camargue, where fresh water meets the sea. A lovely walk for a change from the beach, to observe plants and birds.
With children, the tourist office offers a fun nature walk led by an ecologist, to learn how to recognise plants, birds and animal tracks.
About fifteen minutes away by car, the Seaquarium in Le Grau-du-Roi invites the whole family to discover the marine world: colourful fish, rays, turtles, sharks, seals and sea lions, not forgetting the Requinarium dedicated to sharks.
An ideal outing at the end of the day, or on a windy day when the beach is less pleasant.
Half a day between the pyramids and the marina. Start at the marina at the foot of the Grande Pyramide, then follow the seafront promenade to Point Zéro. Take time for a swim at the town-centre beach, before an ice cream on a terrace.
A full day. In the morning, hire bikes and follow the cycle paths in the shade of the pines to the Étang du Ponant. After lunch at the marina, spend the afternoon on the wild beach of Grand Travers, or try a water sport from the Couchant. In the evening, a stroll along the seafront rounds off the day before heading back to the villa, 20 minutes away.
By car, allow about twenty minutes to the centre of the resort. In summer, set off early in the morning to find a parking space near the beaches more easily.
By bus, Hérault Transport line 632 links Lunel to La Grande-Motte; Lunel station is 5 minutes by car from our accommodation. Once there, cycling remains the most pleasant way to get around.
The tourist office is at 55 rue du Port. Most beaches are accessible to people with reduced mobility, notably at Point Zéro (access no. 9), Motte du Couchant (access no. 25) and Grand Travers (access no. 50).
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1 hr by car
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Our holiday homes with a pool in Lunel-Viel, 20 minutes from La Grande-Motte, are the ideal base for enjoying the beaches, then discovering Montpellier and the Camargue.
In a villa sleeping 12 or an apartment sleeping 4 or 8, enjoy a peaceful stay.
Accommodation for up to 12 guests
from 100 € / night
