Sète is a town in the Hérault built on a narrow peninsula, between the Mediterranean and the Étang de Thau lagoon, at the foot of Mont Saint-Clair. The port was founded in 1666 by Louis XIV to give the Canal du Midi an outlet to the sea, on a decision by Colbert. The town grew around its port activity, fishing and trade, and acquired a network of canals that earned it the nickname of Venice of Languedoc. The Canal Royal, the old royal canal of the centre, hosts the water jousting each summer, the emblematic tradition of the town.
The town is organised around its peninsula. The historic centre, on the Île Sud, lines its buildings along the canals and the Cadre Royal, while the Quartier Haut, the former quarter of fishermen who came from Italy and nicknamed Little Naples, clings to the slopes above the port. La Pointe Courte, a hamlet of fishermen's huts on the edge of the Étang de Thau immortalised by Agnès Varda's first film, keeps its village atmosphere. To the south, Mont Saint-Clair rises 175 metres above the town, with the Pierres Blanches forest and the Corniche promenade that follows the sea as far as the beaches of the Lido.
This geography draws a contrasted property market. The southern flank of Mont Saint-Clair, around La Corniche and Saint-Clair, holds the highest prices, carried by sea views and the residential setting. The Lido coast, with Villeroy and Les Quilles, extends that seaside demand. The canal-lined town centre, La Marine and the north of the peninsula, around Château Vert, remain the most affordable areas. Demand is supported by the town's tourist appeal, its maritime culture and its position on the shore of the Étang de Thau.
