The dunes of the Grand Travers

The Grand Travers is the stretch of coast between Carnon and La Grande-Motte that was never built on: a long, wide beach backed by dunes held in place by wooden fences, with the lagoon of the Étang de l'Or behind the road. It is about twenty minutes by car from the centre of Montpellier, and it gives exactly what the city cannot — open sky, sand and the sea to the horizon.

The dunes are the frame: couples walking along the fenced paths, families on the sand with the grass moving behind them, the sea as a clean background. Further west, past Palavas, the Romanesque cathedral of Maguelone stands alone on a strip of land between a lagoon with flamingos and the sea — a second, quieter setting for the same session.

Go at sunrise or in the last hour of light. Summer middays are crowded and the light is flat and white; the wind can blow hard, so plan hair and dresses for it.