There’s something about ‘go-to’ or ‘special’ places when you’re on the road. We usually set off with no firm idea of the specifics of where we’re going, or for how long we’ll stay in any location. But experience has shown us that there are a few places where the pull is often strong enough to persuade us to stay for a while. Which usually means somewhere coastal, a nice beach, good swimming and plenty to do by way of walking/cycling and eating out. And the length of stay is often nothing more sophisticated than a decent run of weather and living a very relaxing lifestyle!
Which is how we found ourselves yet again at our favourite campsite on this stretch of the coast south of Béziers, Camping Beauséjour. It’s an ACSI site at the top of the current price range - €27 a day, but we like the vibe, enough we decided, to not save €6 a day by going to the site next door. (A good call as it transpired – more later!)
Having experienced a frequently cold and wet transit across France, it was a real treat to be heading towards the Mediterranean in the sun. We haven’t been here for three years, and the changes are interesting. The beach area where the campsites are located (about a 30 minute cycle from Sérignan town) has been given its historical name of la Maïre – named after the huge wetland that lies between the sea and the river Orb, which snakes its way around Sérignan to the sea.
We have recently learned that after WW2, groups of families would set up camp for the summer in the dunes that back onto the beach, building a variety of huts and support structures that eventually spawned seasonal shops, ice deliveries, and fish sold from the beach. There was even a chapel built by a local priest in the 1950s to save the souls of the children! This seasonal community apparently lasted until the 70s, when it was replaced by campsites, and the beginning of the current outdoor leisure lifestyle that now predominates.
Sérignan has many parallels with another of our special places, Oliva, in Spain. There’s very little by way of urban development along the immediate coastline, and the long, sweeping beaches are backed mainly by campsites and nature reserves. So it’s nice to imagine that in some small way (ignoring the 1000s of campers and day trippers that flock to the beaches, just like us!) we are almost continuing a tradition of a beachside lifestyle; for a little while at least.
Being the creatures of habit we are, given the choice of loads of vacant pitches, we chose one we had before! We like to think it’s because having walked the site a few times now, we know the pitch delivers enough shade to remain pleasant as it gets hotter, and enough sun to dry the washing that we will inevitably be doing. It’s also close to fresh water, so Mr B’s adventures with his lime green collapsable watering-can don’t become too onerous, and not too far from the sanitaires – which we love, with their resident Hirondelles (barn swallows) swooping through the shower and toilet blocks to and from their nests high in the rafters. And for the inconvenience of the odd bit of bird poop, they do an amazing job of keeping the mozzie population at bay! We are in a nature reserve area after all!
Except, as we wandered over to the showers after setting up camp, we were disappointed to see that all the ventilation gaps (roughly 24” x 18” oblongs that are regular features of the circular wall) have now been been double glazed, so access for the birds to nest indoors is no more. (More of this later.)
Our first foray onto the beach, however, reminded us immediately why we love it here. Great long expanses of golden sand as far as the eye can see, complete with huge amounts of driftwood spread across the shoreline. And although there are urban developments on the horizon, a daily walk still leaves plenty of beach yet to be walked!
Rather than capture the day-by-day life of the Bableys at leisure, the rest of the entries for Sérignan will reflect themes or events as they happen – hopefully this will make for a more interesting read!
S&J 29.05.26
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