Palavas-les-Flots
Palavas-les-Flots (; Languedocien: Palavàs) is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France. Geography Palavas is a seaside resort, some six km south of Montpellier, at the Gulf of Lion and the Mediterranean. It lies on a strip of sand dunes that separates two lakes, the Étang de l'Arnel and the Étang du Méjean, from the sea. Its neighbouring communities are Lattes, Pérols, Mauguio and Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone. The village center is located at the spot where the river Lez flows into the sea through a canalized section. Northwards, it stretches until Mauguio. Southwards, expansion is halted by a military area and an area used by the Ifremer. Climate The city has a Mediterranean climate. The summer is warm and dry and the winter mild and humid. History The village originated as a settlement of fishermen who sold their catch on the markets of Montpellier. The Ancien Régime used the village as a coastal defence, building the Redoute de Ballestras. From the beginning of the 19th century, local tourists and seasonal activities were drawn to the village. When in 1872 a local train to and from Montpellier started service, seaside tourism really took off. This train operated