our recommendations

• Stalls around Montpellier’s.
  Les Arceaux organic market are packed with fragrant cheeses, regional wines and local specialities like Camargue sausages and Collioure anchovies and the Place de la Comédie, Montpellier’s best-place to people watch, bursts at the seams every morning with organic fruit, honey, herbs and olive oil. The city lies just five miles from Le Lac des Reves and 40 miles from La Carabasse.

• Take a late-night stroll through the regional markets in the ancient town of Sete, just 20 miles from Le Lac des Reves. The food market takes place in the Place du Galion aux Quilles every Thursday from July 5 until August 30, and is open from 16h to midnight. Waterways meander through the town, which is famed for its oysters, and an open-air market features a dazzling display of seafood.

• The famous indoor market
  at Narbonne, 30 miles from  La Carabasse. , provides an assault on your senses – there are sacks of aromatic spices combining with the strong smells of freshly caught fish, the waft of cheeses and the odours from many stoves, griddles and pans as traders cook their wares. Les Halles de Narbonne has become an institution, and is a must-see on any Destination Cooking holiday. The market opens daily from 6h to 13h.

• For another fantastic covered market, try the popular Les Halles de Nimes (around 35 miles from Le Lac des Reves) which opens everyday between 0630 and 1300. Stalls trade local delights including fresh vegetables, succulent olives, and garlic – the cornerstone of many a south-coast meal. There are even freshly snuffled truffles available for those planning a luxurious meal.