The western half of St. Martin Parish is shaped by Bayou Teche, and the eastern half by the Atchafalaya Basin. A major waterway runs the entire length of the parish. As a result, nature experiences on the water sit alongside places where the region’s diverse history comes into view.
Explore waterways and nature
The Atchafalaya Basin and the wildlife refuges of St. Martin Parish offer year-round opportunities for kayaking, birdwatching, fishing, and boating. Those who want to paddle can head to Bayou Teche and Lake Martin. Kayaks, canoes, and related equipment are available for rent at several locations. The two waterways offer different points of reference for a trip, while the activities range from observing nature to spending time on the water.
Tour du Teche 135 offers another perspective on the bayou: this annual race covers 135 miles along the entire length of Bayou Teche. Canoes, kayaks, pirogues—the traditional Cajun canoes—and stand-up paddleboards are among the participating types of craft. The route also includes short sections of Bayou Courtableau and the Atchafalaya River. The race is therefore distinct from the year-round recreational activities: it is a recurring event with a precisely described course that extends beyond Bayou Teche.
Lake Fausse Pointe State Park covers 6,000 acres in the Atchafalaya Basin. The area’s history is also part of this landscape: the land around the park was once home to the Chitimacha.
Stories and landmarks of the region
Different forms of storytelling come together at the Museum of the Acadian Memorial. Exhibits include interactive displays, the Acadian Odyssey Quilt, and images from the Claude Picard Deportation Series. The exhibit panels are bilingual, in French and English. The African-American Museum in St. Martinville focuses on a different part of history. It presents the arrival of Africans and the development, challenges, adaptations, and contributions of the free people of color community in southwestern Louisiana. It pays particular attention to the Attakapas District in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Saint Martin de Tours Catholic Church is also an important historic landmark: it is one of the oldest Catholic churches in America and the third-oldest in Louisiana. Maison Olivier stands on the banks of Bayou Teche in St. Martinville. The Creole plantation house was built around 1815; its architecture combines French, Creole, and Caribbean influences typical of the early 19th century.
Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site presents the cultural interplay among Acadians, Creoles, Indigenous peoples, Africans, French and Spanish people, enslaved people, and free people of color along Bayou Teche. In St. Martinville, an old oak tree on the bayou has also served since the late 19th century as a focal point and much-visited place that recalls the town’s history. Visitors can stroll through the park and learn more about the area.
Acadian traditions and local culture
Every year, the Acadian Memorial Heritage Festival honors two families who were expelled from Acadie, or Nova Scotia in Canada, and sought refuge in Louisiana. The program showcases Acadian history, culture, music, and traditions. It includes a procession of wooden boats and a reenactment of the Acadians’ arrival in St. Martinville on Bayou Teche. The event thus brings together a specific historical remembrance with music and living traditions; individual program items may vary from year to year.
Festival offerings include jambalaya, cracklins, boudin, fried fish, sweets, and drinks. Stalls also offer crafts, art, and books; vendors and menus may vary from year to year. Cajun and Creole culture can also be seen outside the festival in the public art scene of St. Martin Parish, including murals, imaginative sculptures, and community-created installations.
For travel planning: St. Martin Parish is located between Baton Rouge and Lafayette and is accessible via Interstate 10. You can plan your trip around nature, history, and cultural discoveries.
More destinations
Discover more destinations: Breaux Bridge, Assumption Parish, Richland, Bossier Parish, Terrebonne Parish, Livingston, Pointe Coupee Parish, St John The Baptist.
For the main travel overview: Louisiana.
