Abbeville (Louisiana) - parish seat of Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, United States

Abbeville is a relaxed town in South Central Louisiana.

Understand

The area around Abbeville near the Vermillion River, once known as La Chapelle, started seeing Acadian settlers as early as 1766. Then Père Antoine Désiré Mégret purchased a lot in 1843 and named it Abbeville, which ironically means 'priest town' but also is the name of the town he originated from in France, so the etymology is a little uncertain. At any rate, he designed the town in the manner of a sleepy French village, and that is more or less its character today, with a central square, Magdalen Square, bearing his likeness in the form of a statue, and Gothic style churches, etc. Nonetheless, it has ties to Sammy Kershaw and is the home of the Giant Omelette Celebration.

Get in

Get around

See

• St. Mary Magdalen Church, 300 Pere Megret St, +1 337 893-0244. St. Mary Magdalen Parish parish goes back to 1842, but this particular Gothic church was built in 1911 after a fire consumed the previous one. 2021-12-10
• The Acadian Museum of Erath LA, 203 S Broadway St, Erath (few miles east of Abbeville), +1 337 233-5832. Miniscule museum on Acadian history 2021-12-10

Do

If you're a thrill-seeker or explorer, you can try out the Bayou Vermillion Paddle Trail which stretches from Lafayette to Abbeville along the Vermillion River, but you'll probably need your own kayak, canoe, etc.

• Palmetto Island State Park, 19501 Pleasant Dr, 29.86468°, -92.14893°, +1 337 893-3930. A good place for swamp adventures. 2021-12-10

Buy

Eat

• SHUCKS!, 701 W Port St, +1 337 898-3311. M-Th 11AM-9PM, F-Sa 11AM-10PM. A popular restaurant featuring local seafood and drinks. $ 2021-12-10
• Dupuy's Seafood and Steak, 108 S Main St, +1 337 893-2336. Tu-Th 11AM-9PM, F 11AM-10PM, Sa 5PM-10PM. More seafood, but perhaps a little more refined. 2021-12-10

Drink

Sleep

• Days Inn by Wyndham Abbeville, 730 Veterans Memorial Dr, +1 337 740-4666. $38 (Dec 2021) 2021-12-10 Or you could try camping at Palmetto Island State Park and take some measures so as to not become a delectable meal for the mosquitoes.

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