Do you dream of a place where you can enjoy the sun all year round, alternate between iodine-packed hikes and inland escapes, all sprinkled with a thousand years of history? Then you're going to love the Hérault! A four-season destination par excellence, this département in the south of France offers an atmosphere as varied as its landscapes: golden beaches, fragrant garrigue, terraced vineyards, secret canyons and volcanic plateaus... it's impossible to get bored!

Nature-wise, the major itineraries intersect like nowhere else: the ViaRhôna, Canal des 2 Mers, GTMC or Passa Meridia join the legendary Camino de Santiago, while GR® de Pays, voies vertes and Oenorandos® multiply the number of walking and cycling loops. Kayaking on the Orb, scuba diving in the clear waters of Cap d'Agde, caving under the causse or paragliding over Lac du Salagou: the Hérault can be experienced on the water, underground and even in the air.

As for heritage: Greeks, Romans, Cathars, rebellious winegrowers... Every stone here tells a chapter of history (from the ancient cities of Agde and Loupian to the medieval lanes of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, not forgetting the fortifications of Minerve or the great trading ports of Sète). The Terres d'Hérault Geopark reveals 540 million years of geological history: craters, basaltic flows, natural cirques, vertiginous canyons...

As for your taste buds, it's impossible to leave without raising a glass of picpoul de Pinet overlooking the Etang de Thau, savoring a tielle sétoise, Mediterranean oysters or a melting pélardon. From the Côtes de Thongue to the crus of Faugères or Minervois-la-Livinière, the palette of Hérault wines echoes the diversity of its soils. And let's not forget the colorful markets, olive groves and organic estates!

Photo : © Hérault Tourisme - E. Brendle