Picturesque and culturally vibrant, Lafayette is a gem – you'll not only discover live music every night here but some of the best spicy seafood in the country. When you visit the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, enjoy one of America's best free music festivals, the aforementioned Festival International de Louisiane. Here are some other unmissable attractions to discover in this dynamic city:
Also known as Vermilionville, this folk museum gives visitors the opportunity to explore a 19th-century bayou village. Wander through 32 acres of parkland, where you'll find seven authentic 19th-century homes and other Cajun relics from the 1800s.
Associated with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, this 33,000 square foot museum showcases more than 4,000 art objects from the area and around the globe, dating from between the 18th and 21st centuries.
Beyonce keeps hot sauce in her bag, and so can you after your visit to this mecca for Scoville scale pilgrims. Situated on picturesque Avery Island, the factory is set amid azalea-, camellia- and bamboo-thronged gardens, and home to a popular Cajun restaurant where Tabasco sauce is plentiful.
Gators float ominously through this sprawling swamp, which you can explore by canoe on exciting ecotours. The sound of woodpeckers reverberates through the cypress trees, while rare birds flutter through the dappled sunlight.
