Anchoring at the Thalasso Spa La Grande Motte (see below) is already having one foot out to sea... Facing the sea and the dunes, this establishment with its family atmosphere and dimensions makes us completely forget the city and its skyline. You can go from the gigantic freshwater outdoor swimming pool to the indoor seawater pool heated to 32° and enjoy the best treatments (Camargue salt exfoliation, seaweed wrap, etc.) in cabins open to the sea. In the morning, we enjoy homemade pastries before going to smell the sea air on the beach.
Created ex nihilo on marshes infested with mosquitoes and swept by the winds, La Grande Motte surprises with its architecture. Concreted? Yes, but artistically! Inspired by the pyramids of Teotihuacan in Mexico and the work of Niemeyer in Brasilia, Jean Balladur multiplied the forms – truncated pyramids in the city center, conches of Venus or bishops' caps in the Couchant district… – and symbols:we s fun to find the profile of General de Gaulle on the facade of several buildings, the inverted replica of the Pic Saint-Loup, the mountain of Montpellier, on the great pyramid, emblematic building of the station... An architecture which has offered the label "Heritage of the 20th century” to the city and inspired a collection of original design furniture, La Grande Motte by Oxyo:lamps, benches, rugs… and soon a concrete table designed by Rudy Ricciotti!
With 7 km of fine sandy beach, we have the choice. Public or private (in season)? Depending on the desired atmosphere, it depends on the company to impress:bar atmosphere, family at Bihapi Plage, lounge at La Paillotte Bambou, select at La Voile Bleue... If you tan there in private, these beaches also offer lunches and dinners with your feet in the water and frenzied evenings. Rowing, windsurfing, kite surfing, water skiing… are practiced on the big blue or sheltered from the winds on the Etang du Ponant. Fancy a sailing trip? We embark at the Quai d'Honneur for a catamaran cruise.
Designed as an urban garden – the vertical buildings of the city center serving to stop the winds and protect the vegetation from the salt – the Grande Motte intertwines 20 km of pedestrian paths, most shaded by numerous Mediterranean pines or plane trees, and linked by one district to another by footbridges which span the circulation. Enjoy it on foot, by bike or electric scooter with Hello City!. Very stable on our 3 wheels, we go from Ponant to Couchant, from the banks of the pond to the seafront... Along the way, we caress the white Camargue horses of the Equestrian Center, race the ducks at the golf course and greet the loggerhead turtles at the Center rehabilitation of the Ponant. Cared for at the CESTMed in Grau-du-Roi, these turtles relearn here how to live in the wild before being released into the sea. You can watch their new start (contact the Tourist Office).
We cycle along the cycle path to the fishing village of Grau-du-Roi. Going from the department of Hérault to Gard in a few pedal strokes, you come across white horses emerging from the reeds, gulls and terns pushed by the wind and other migratory birds. Behind the salt marshes populated by pink flamingos, the salt mountains of the Salins du Midi peak. We continue by the towpath to the medieval city of Aigues Mortes, founded by Saint Louis in the midst of the crusades and we go back in time sheltered by the ramparts...
-We sleep at the hotel Les Corallines, adjoining the Thalasso Spa La Grande Motte. Cozy décor, market cuisine. From 429€/pers. in a double room with half board “the instant escape”, a 2-day getaway with 3 treatments per day (whirlpool bath with essential oils, spice and seaweed wrap, Seawater Pearls facial treatment, etc.). Phone. :04 67 29 13 13, www.thalasso-grandemotte.com.
-Tourist office:04 67 56 42 00, www.lagrandemotte.com.
-To read:La Grande Motte, architectural stroll (Editions Les Itineraries, €14.90).
