Welcome to Lafayette - the heart of Cajun Country and the cultural center of Louisiana's heritage.
Here you'll discover the rich history of our French, Spanish and Caribbean ancestors. Learn how these diverse cultures came together, creating art and architecture, music and dance, food and celebrations and a "Joie de Vivre" that has influenced not only the lives of everyone in our state, but has made an impact on the entire world.
If you're planning a trip our city, we're here to help with resources and information on everything from accommodations and restaurants to events and attractions. There's something for everyone, so prepare to be enlightened, educated and most of all entertained.
St. Landry Parish, Louisiana - With its dramatic history and diverse cultures, St. Landry Parish boasts une différence, which few, if any, places in America can claim today. The influences here—Native American, European, African, Acadian, American—have mixed and matched for over three centuries to produce the rich and colorful experience that is St. Landry Parish today.St. Landry Parish is the site of one of the oldest European settlements in Louisiana, le Poste des Opelousas, an administrative territory established by the French government in 1720.
Located in central southwest Louisiana in Cajun Country, 20 minutes north of Lafayette and three hours northwest of New Orleans, St. Landry Parish is the Gateway to the Atchafalaya Basin, a part of the America’s WETLAND ecosystem, as well as a part of the Bayou Teche Corridor, a designation from the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area. With I-49 and LA Hwy. 190 intersecting in the middle of the parish, making your way to the quaint communities found throughout the area is simple and stress free.
St. Martin Parish is the only parish to have non-contiguous parts. There are three major geographical areas dividing the 739.9 square mile parish, including the Atchafalaya Basin, the prairie, and the Bayou Teche area, on which several major cities, including the parish seat, are located.
From the Bayou Teche to the Atchafalaya Basin, St. Martin Parish is a picturesque and bountiful region. Rich in agricultural, visitors are taken through sugar cane fields, low-lying swamp land, and rolling lands of beauty. Majestic live oaks, draped with moss, are scattered along roadways. Bald cypress trees and their unique stumps abound.
Welcome to "the Most Cajun place on earth"and the official site of the Vermilion Parish Tourist Commission.
Over 150 years in the making, Vermilion Parish is a multicultural blend steeped in history with a dash of "joie de vivre" or, love of life, finishing the mix. This bilingual, coastal parish is very large and diverse with wandering bayous and farmlands, authentic local cuisine, family-friendly festivals and Cajun towns connecting it all.
Travel along our back roads to see how our agriculture and aquaculture provide the basis for many of our local dishes. Soak up the visual beauty of our open, expansive terrain that includes farmlands, marshes and rural countryside. Be sure to take a camera and binoculars because this area features some of the best birding in America.
World-renown Cajun cooking is what we're known for and there's plenty of great restaurants to showcase it. Our proximity to the Gulf of Mexico also means we have an abundance of fresh seafood for our amazing cuisine. So when it's time to eat, sit down where the locals go to enjoy crawfish, alligator, oysters, shrimp and all the classics fresh from our own waters. Come for a visit, your place at the table is ready!
