Domaine Saint Paul le Marseillais

Domaine Saint Paul le Marseillais is six kilometres inland from the splendid old fishing town and modern boating harbour of Mèze, a port of great import since the times of the great Phoenicians. Its Étang de Thau setting was also on the Roman empire’s Via Domitia route from Italy to Spain, so soon gained a reputation for restful stays and excellent cuisine: the shellfish and oysters of the town and the Basin de Thau are famed worldwide. Now that you’ve imparted all those factoids to les enfants and gently insisted they try oysters for the first time (because why not, if not here), there are boats to watch around the marina, a sandy beach to run around on, and loads of events day and night all the year long. A traditional market runs every Thursday morning in all seasons, a flea market on Saturdays and a night market every Thursday in summer; for annual events there’s a World Culture Week in June, an oyster festival in August and plenty more where those came from in most months. Another must-visit French Mediterranean town, Sète, is a short drive away on the other side of the lagoon.