The 9 Friendliest Little Towns In Louisiana
The 18th State of the Union, Louisiana, baptized ‘La Louisiane’ after the French Monarch Louis XIV, is a winsomely pretty state precisely positioned at the meeting of the waters of the massive Mississippi-Missouri River system and the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America). Commended for its spirited French and Cajun cultures, storied past, phenomenal milieus, popular platters, bayou music, and warm southern hospitality, this Gulf Coast State rewards every out-of-towner with unforgettable memories. Even though the congested city hubs of the Pelican State, like New Orleans, Shreveport, Lafayette, and Baton Rouge, the state capital, are usually the favorite targets of the majority of holidayers, the countless friendly towns throughout the Creole State are full of distinct enchantments, collective consciousness, and sociable folks at every street corner.
Grand Isle
Home to only 1,005 residents (as per the 2020 US Census), Grand Isle is a waterside settlement in Jefferson Parish, occupying its namesake barrier island at the Barataria Bay’s mouth in the Gulf of Mexico (America). Start your town expedition by surveying the lone state-owned and controlled beach on the Louisiana South Coast, the Grand Isle State Park, situated on the eastern extremity of the island. Grand Isle is known best for its excellent angling spots and pelagic fishing, owing to the presence of over 280 species of fish in the ambient Gulf waters.
Aside from engaging in fishing activities and enjoying a day at the beach, attend any of the yearly fun-filled community events, such as the Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo in July and the Christmas Tree Lighting and Programs Celebrations in December.
St. Francisville
Established as the ‘Villa of St. Francis’ by John H. Johnson in 1807, this administrative capital of West Feliciana Parish sits atop a narrow ridge overlooking the Mississippi River, exactly 30 miles north of Baton Rouge. Captivating history mavens over the last few years, St. Francisville invites one and all to take a stroll through the immaculately maintained historic district and pinpoint the retro landmarks, such as the Grace Church of West Feliciana Parish, the Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site, and the Myrtles Plantation.
Mark your calendars for the weekend-long St. Francisville Food & Wine Festival in November, and go straight to the West Feliciana Sports Park and Tunica Hills Wildlife Management Area for endless outdoor activities.
Abita Springs
Primarily a native Choctaw hamlet named for the mineral-rich waters extracted from artesian wells, this tranquil St. Tammany Parish town is best suited for all those craving serenity. Sited vicinal to the parish seat, Covington, Abita Springs’ conspicuous tourist lures include the Abita Springs Trailhead Museum, Abita Springs Park Playground, and Abita Mystery House/UCM Museum.
Also, enjoy the Louisiana roots music performances presented by the Abita Springs Opry at the Abita Springs Town Hall, sample the nonpareil Abita Beer and Creole fare served by Abita Brew Pub, and participate in the day-long Louisiana Bike Festival held near the Tammany Trace yearly on the Saturday before Father’s Day.
Farmerville
Farmerville, a close-knit community and shiretown of north-central Louisiana’s Union Parish, constitutes a portion of the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area. This 3,366-inhabitant town’s biggest crowd-puller is the bewitching Lake D'Arbonne State Park, a state-managed camping, recreational, and fishing area along the artificial Lake D'Arbonne reservoir.
Each year, during the last weekend of July, merrymakers crowd in Farmerville for the Louisiana Watermelon Festival, which beautifully promotes the watermelon industry through watermelon eating and seed spitting contests, watermelon size and quality contests, the Louisiana watermelon pageant, street dances, and festival parades.
Breaux Bridge
An appealing St. Martin Parish town, Breaux Bridge, aptly dubbed the ‘Crawfish Capital of the World,’ is a part of the Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. Initially titled by the early French-speaking denizens as La Capitale Mondiale de I’Écrevisse, travelers on an excursion to this town should scrutinize the myriad retro shops like Janell’s Antiques & Gifts, apparel stores like Bayou Blush Boutique LLC, and seafood eating places like Crazy Bout Crawfish that dish up Crawfish Etouffee, a Cajun favorite.
Conjointly, get a thrill out of swamp tours at the proximate Lake Martin, behold the varied floral and faunal species at the Atchafalaya Basin, and partake in the ‘Christmas Artwalk in Paris a la Breaux Bridge,’ at Breaux Bridge’s historic downtown area.
Eunice
Labeled in remembrance of the town founder, Cornelius C. Duson’s spouse, Eunice Pharr Duson, Eunice stretches across south-central Louisiana’s Acadia and St. Landry parishes. The community’s placement in the vicinity of the heart of Cajun country has made Eunice a hotspot of Creole and Cajun cultures as well as ceremonious Cajun & Zydeco music, decorously endorsing the catchphrase: “Louisiana’s Prairie Cajun Capital.”
Downtown Eunice spellbinds holidaymakers with impressive points of interest, such as the Cajun Music Hall of Fame, Eunice Depot Museum, and the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center of the Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve. Set aside time from your overloaded routines for turning up at the Eunice Community Garden Christmas Festival, hosted yearly in December.
Bastrop
Bastrop, founded by the Dutch businessman Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop, is the economic center and government seat of Morehouse Parish, set at the crossroads of US Route 165 and US Route 425, around 24 miles northeast of Monroe. Excursionists, whilst on a town visit, must pay attention to the ample Craftsman and Plantation-style buildings in addition to the Snyder Memorial Museum & Arts, the historic Rose Theatre, and the renovated Morehouse Parish Courthouse. Furthermore, adventurous types get to partake in an array of outdoor activities at the Chemin-A-Haut State Park.
Donaldsonville
Ascension Parish’s administrative center, Donaldsonville, located by the River Road on Mississippi River’s west banks, forms a portion of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area. The state capital from 1829 to 1831, this 6,695-inhabitant town is famed for its perfect ensemble of antebellum era buildings among all the river towns above New Orleans in the Donaldsonville Historic District.
When in town, stop by the Old Ascension Parish Courthouse, the River Road African American Museum, a significant site on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail, and relish authentic Louisiana Creole and Cajun cuisines served by the Grapevine Café & Gallery in a comfy art gallery atmosphere.
Marksville
The parish seat of central-eastern Louisiana’s Avoyelles Parish, Marksville, named for the Sephardic Jewish trader Marc Eliche, sits on LA Highway 1, roughly 30 miles southeast of Alexandria. Well-known for its distinctive assortment of old-fashioned emporiums, Indigenous American sites, and contemporary recreational centers, Marksville lures visitors from near and far.
Sightseers must not miss the 1825-built Hypolite Bordelon House, the Classical Revival style Avoyelles Parish Courthouse in the Marksville Commercial Historic District, and the Tunica-Biloxi tribe managed Paragon Casino Resort, the state’s foremost land-based casino with over 500 hotel rooms and suites, and a Vegas-style casino with slots and table games. Ornithophiles should head straight to the adjacent Spring Bayou Wildlife Management Area, while merrymakers must try to attend the Annual Fete du Ble Indian festival honoring the Marksville area’s first inhabitants.
From Eunice’s tuneful customs to Donaldsonville’s superb antebellum architecture, the many likable towns in the nation's 25th most populous and 31st most expansive state are comforting destinations to lodge in with close ones. So, whether you wish to saunter through the quaint central business districts, be involved in local festivals that exude vibes of kinfolk gatherings, join in limitless recreations amidst gorgeous landscapes, and wallow in appetizing gastronomies, these pleasantest towns in Sportsman’s Paradise are sure to leave an unerasable imprint on the minds of all vacationers.
